Oatmeal: Beneficial Grain That's Not Just for Breakfast

Hearty, conducive to a healthier lifestyle featuring a multitude of uses and key ingredient employed in many recipes affords oatmeal to be considered a beneficial wonder food. From snack to entree and the myriad of recipes that call for oatmeal or that can be supplemented for, ground oat grouts are as common in today's society as that proverbial cup of java is at the breakfast table.

Oatmeal is nothing more than dehusked, heated and cooled oat groats or seed. Oatmeal has a nutty flavor due to its heating and is milled to produce either a fine, medium or coarse grain of oatmeal. Rolled, steel cut, quick and instant represent the commonly found oat types available in supermarkets and health food stores. These same oats are incorporated into many dessert, bread, cake and entree recipes at restaurants, bake shops and homes throughout the world's cultural infrastructure.

Rolled oats are nothing more than steamed and then flattened oats. Steel cut oats are the same as rolled oats, in that they are steamed and flattened but are usually smaller in size from the dehusking process or as a result of the heating(steaming) and flattening procedure. Quick oats are cut into small pieces prior to their being steamed and rolled while instant oats have been pre-cooked and dried similar to instant rice and are, often times, flavored, sweetened and sold as individual convenient packets.

Health benefits of oatmeal have been studied and recognized for many years. The main focus of oatmeal research has been its link to reducing cholesterol and heart disease. Because of oatmeal's water soluble fiber content, it basically soaks up and removes cholesterol from within the body. Oatmeal's ability to reduce the risk of heart disease can be attributed to its beta-glucan content This statement was recently recognized by the Food and Drug Administration back in January of 2007 in conjunction with a low fat diet. Since oatmeal has a high amount of water soluble fiber and represents a viable source of complex carbohydrates, many athletes rely on oatmeal for its slow digestion process and ability to stabilize blood sugar levels.

Their are a myriad of uses that affords oats the popular choice in the culinary world and home front. Used in cakes, cookies, as a thickening agent in some cultures, porridge, muesli, stuffing ingredient, gruel, Brose and as a major component of haggis, oatmeal is truly a versatile ingredient that provides the health benefits mentioned above. Moreover, many cereals, granola's and breakfast bars feature oats as a main ingredient as well due to its high level of B vitamins and fiber.

Some tasty dishes that can be easily created offering a delightful twist to the standard bowl of oatmeal include tropical fruit mixed in with a coconut glaze, bananas added and topped with a rum raisin sauce, vanilla bean incorporated and topped with a pecan praline sauce, pumpkin mixed in with a peanut butter or cranberry sauce or how about adding chocolate to your next bowl of oatmeal and top it with a marshmallow hazelnut topping. Try incorporating oatmeal into your chicken dish and top it with a cranberry orange sauce and you could add sausage to your plain bowl of oatmeal and top it with a cheese sauce or pure maple syrup supply a consistency variation and taste explosion. This represents just a small list of the combinations you can create to incorporate whole grain oats into your diet to receive oatmeal's health benefits.

Now, go out a pick up that canister of dried oats and be creative while doing your body good...