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Healthy Recipe Oct 08
This month we're looking at oats...
Oats are a wholegrain carbohydrate food, and as such, are packed with vitamins (including B vitamins and vitamin E), minerals, anti-oxidants and phytochemicals. They also have a low glycaemic index.
In otherwords, when we eat them, they provide a slow, sustained release of glucose into the blood stream, which can help keep energy levels stable – so they make an ideal start to a busy working day. This sustained energy release also helps keep hunger at bay until lunch time, which is great if you are watching your waistline.
If that wasn’t enough, oats also contain soluble fibre, which helps lower cholesterol and so maintain heart health (as part of a low fat diet), while adding to overall fibre intakes for a healthy bowel. Other foods that contain soluble fibre include fruit, vegetables, peas, beans (all types), lentils and barley.
The most traditional way of eating oats is porridge. One bowl of porridge (made with 40g or 6 dessertspoons of oats) is equivalent to 2 servings of wholegrains. If you are not a porridge fan, try adding 20g (3 dessertspoons) of oats to a smoothie (equals 1 serving of wholegrains). American based dietary guidelines recommend we have 3 servings of wholegrain foods daily which, as part of a healthy balanced diet, may help reduce risk of heart disease, type 2 diabetes and certain cancers. Also, people who eat more wholegrains tend to have a healthier body weight.
There are a variety of different types of oats available from the supermarket – have a look and consider experimenting:
Pinhead oatmeal is a very traditional porridge and probably one of the most unprocessed forms of oat you can buy. It is basically the oat kernel with the outer husk removed, and the inner grain or ‘groat’ chopped up into 2 or 3 pieces. It’s more of a weekend breakfast, as it takes 20 minutes to cook properly. It makes a really satisfying morning meal that literally keeps you going for hours.
Oatbran, high in soluble and insoluble fibre, makes a delicious porridge also. Or alternatively, add some oatbran to your traditional porridge oats before cooking to increase the fibre content.
Oatflakes – this is the traditional porridge most of us grew up with. You can make this porridge in the microwave or on the hob. The secret to cooking porridge in the microwave is to make sure you use a big enough bowl to allow the porridge to swell up as it is cooking.
More recently, instant oat porridges have crept onto supermarket shelves. While these are handy in that they can be bought in individual portions and so are convenient, many of them are pre-sweetened (particularly the flavoured versions). Check the nutrition label per 100g – 5g sugar/100g is considered low, while 15g sugar/100g is considered high. And watch out for the new range of oatflakes with added fruit and seeds, although they can be a healthy option, you still need to check the label for added sugar and whether they overall are high in sugar and fat.
This is a good opportunity to mention granola – which strictly speaking is more of a muesli, than pure oats. However, oats do form the basis for any granola recipe. Be warned, granola can be high in added fat (for baking the oats). So check the label for fat and compare against porridge or muesli. Watch your portion if you are watching your weight.
Finally, we now have a plethora of cereal bars on supermarket shelves, many of which are oat based. While oats are a super healthy food, adding lots of sugar, and in some cases fat to them to make a bar negates much of the goodness. If a cereal bar is being used instead of a bar of chocolate, then it’s not so bad. However, if you are taking cereal bars instead of breakfast, be aware you’re taking in more sugar than you may realise. Also, if you have a cereal bar rather than a bowl of cereal, you are missing out on the calcium, protein, vitamin B12 and other nutrients that the milk in cereal would have provided. Most cereal bars will provide 100-200 calories and 2 to 3 spoons of sugar. Lastly, a bowl of porridge will sustain you for longer helping you to avoid snacking before lucnchtime.
Recipe: delicious porridge
This porridge is made in a couple of minutes. I make it on low fat/skimmed milk so it also counts as one of my three servings of dairy daily. Also, it makes a really creamy porridge.
Ingredients:
6 dessertspoons (40g) porridge oats
200mls low fat/skimmed milk or water (1 teacup)
1 dessertspoon jumbo sultanas
Place all ingredients in a saucepan, bring to the boil and cook briskly for 3 minutes, stirring all the time, then serve. You can also microwave this, so if you’re rushing to work just bring it with you and pop it in the microwave a work. Delicious!
When we are ready to lose weight, we all do things differently: some like to go it alone, some like to join forces with a friend or two, whilst others find a group setting most helpful. Whatever you prefer, we have an approach to suit you.
