"Every day for breakfast I have a bowl of instant oatmeal, then I don't do anything for an hour. Makes me wonder why I need the instant oatmeal. I could get the regular oatmeal and feel productive." - Mitch Hedburg
The
start of school and fall weather calls for a quick and convenient breakfast
parents can make for their kids on the fly. Decide how much time you’re willing
to devote to your oats to determine what kind you oat (ought- get it?) to use.
Here is a general break down of what kinds of oatmeal you can prepare, from
longest to shortest prep time. Not
coincidentally, this also goes from most nutritious/least processed to least
nutritious/ most likely to contain ingredients you didn’t even know were edible.
Steel Cut Oats
Also known as Irish oats, these have a slightly chewy texture and a toasted, nutty flavor. They’re made by chopping oat groats with steel blades, and are less processed than rolled oats since they are not steamed or flattened. Cooking time is approximately 20 minutes, but with twice the amount of soluble fiber per 1 cup serving as instant oats, these guys are worth the wait if you have the time.
Old-fashioned Rolled Oats
Many people use these because they take less time to cook than steel cut oats (about 5 minutes), but both types of oats have approximately the same nutritional value. They’re made by steaming the oat groats then flattening them with a roller. The texture is less desirable than steel cut, with a slightly blander flavor, in my opinion.
Many people use these because they take less time to cook than steel cut oats (about 5 minutes), but both types of oats have approximately the same nutritional value. They’re made by steaming the oat groats then flattening them with a roller. The texture is less desirable than steel cut, with a slightly blander flavor, in my opinion.
Quick Cooking Rolled
Oats
Similar to old-fashioned rolled oats but rolled thinner, thus requiring less time to cook. With the oat bran removed, these are less nutritious than steel cut or old fashioned oats. Having a more mushy texture and less natural, nutty flavor than their other oat relatives make quick oats equivalent to baby and/or old people food in the eyes of many.
Similar to old-fashioned rolled oats but rolled thinner, thus requiring less time to cook. With the oat bran removed, these are less nutritious than steel cut or old fashioned oats. Having a more mushy texture and less natural, nutty flavor than their other oat relatives make quick oats equivalent to baby and/or old people food in the eyes of many.
Instant Oats
The kind you usually find in packets, instant oats are partially cooked before they are rolled, and often contain added salt and sugar. These require the least amount of prep time and can be prepared simply by adding hot water. Fair warning: instant oats can be borderline unhealthy when loaded with sugar and preservatives (they have no flavor by themselves, after all). Maltodextrin, partially hydrogenated soybean oil, soy lecithein and sodium caseinate in my harmless bowl of oatmeal? No thank you. Instant oats are an unhealthy vehicle for healthy add-ins, such as blueberries and bananas- you know, real stuff.
The kind you usually find in packets, instant oats are partially cooked before they are rolled, and often contain added salt and sugar. These require the least amount of prep time and can be prepared simply by adding hot water. Fair warning: instant oats can be borderline unhealthy when loaded with sugar and preservatives (they have no flavor by themselves, after all). Maltodextrin, partially hydrogenated soybean oil, soy lecithein and sodium caseinate in my harmless bowl of oatmeal? No thank you. Instant oats are an unhealthy vehicle for healthy add-ins, such as blueberries and bananas- you know, real stuff.
Fast Food Oats
What’s more instant than instant oats? Drive-thru oats. Quick serve restaurants like McDonalds, Starbucks, Chik-fil-A, Jamba Juice, and most recently Burger King are jumping on the oatmeal for breakfast bandwagon. If you are in a rush and simply must get fast food, oatmeal can be a better option than, say, a Quarter Pounder with Cheese. But not always. McDonald’s Fruit and Maple Oatmeal has more calories than their cheeseburgers and more sugar than a Snickers bar. With 32 grams of sugar, according to McDonalds website, you’re better off using these strategies to quickly make your own oats at home. Take a look at the calorie comparisons of different kinds of fast food oatmeal from Chow here.
What’s more instant than instant oats? Drive-thru oats. Quick serve restaurants like McDonalds, Starbucks, Chik-fil-A, Jamba Juice, and most recently Burger King are jumping on the oatmeal for breakfast bandwagon. If you are in a rush and simply must get fast food, oatmeal can be a better option than, say, a Quarter Pounder with Cheese. But not always. McDonald’s Fruit and Maple Oatmeal has more calories than their cheeseburgers and more sugar than a Snickers bar. With 32 grams of sugar, according to McDonalds website, you’re better off using these strategies to quickly make your own oats at home. Take a look at the calorie comparisons of different kinds of fast food oatmeal from Chow here.
As
Mark Bittman put it in his opinion piece in the New York Times, “…in
the time it takes to go into a McDonald’s, stand in line, order, wait, pay and
leave, you could make oatmeal for four while taking your vitamins, brushing
your teeth and half-unloading the dishwasher.” Actor Rain Wilson seemed to agree when he tweeted to McDonalds a refusal to buy their oatmeal due to the 32 grams of sugar it
contains.
 |
| via Eater.com |
Maybe fast food restaurants could collaborate with nutritionists to take some of
the strange chemicals out and figure out a way to sweeten their oatmeal without
all that added sugar. Oatmeal CAN taste like dessert if it’s done right.
What’s
your experience with fast food oatmeal? How
much time do you commit to cooking breakfast in the morning? What kinds of
recipes would you like to see posted on Oats Magotes?
Check back soon for oat
recipes that will leave you drooling…and not because you have no teeth.
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