Reasons You Should Be Eating More Oatmeal

For some of us, the word "oatmeal" conjures up images of steaming hot bowls of whole grain goodness, perhaps gently rising above a pool of milk, a pat of butter or dollop of jam melting slowly on top. In other words, perhaps some of us have fond, happy memories of eating oatmeal as children. I don't. In fact, until just a few years ago, when I was very poor and very hungry and oatmeal was all I could afford, I hated the stuff. I remembered the way my dad used to cook it in the mornings - adding boiling water to a packet of powdery, flavorless, colorless...stuff, and stirring merrily until it had sucked up all of the water and became a lumpy mess in my bowl. However, regardless of your personal feelings for oatmeal, there is no denying that it may be one of the healthiest foods on the planet. And luckily, there are hundreds of different ways you can enjoy it, that don't involve lumps or paper packets.

Throughout history, oatmeal has been primarily used to feed livestock, and even now, this illustrious title remains its chief purpose. Well over half of the oatmeal grown and processed in the world goes to feed livestock, and is used in dog food and chicken feed as well. What's leftover for us is processed into two different categories:

1. Whole oat groats. After harvesting, the oat seeds are cleaned, then de-hulled using centrifugal force. Basically, they spin it around until the hulls fly off. As you can well imagine, some oat groats (the digestible bit that's left) are broken during this process, while others remain whole. These whole oats are separated and then divided into three categories: regular, medium, and thick. They are sold as "rolled oats." Rolled oats are not necessarily any more nutritious than other types of oats, but many people proclaim them to be far superior in taste to the chopped alternatives.
2. Steel-cut oats. Those broken groats from the dehulling process are usually enough to satisfy the manufacturer's need for oats in this category, but when it's not, some whole groats will be sent into the steel-cutting area, where they are chopped and sorted into, again, three different sizes: instant, baby, and quick.

While oatmeal contains an absolutely huge number of health benefits, probably the most prominent and useful one is its soluble fiber content. It contains more of this powerful stuff than any other grain in the world (an amazing 3.98 grams per cup). Soluble fiber has been shown in study after study to reduce the risk of heart disease and heart failure by clearing out the build-up of cholesterol in arteries. In fact, it has been proven almost beyond a doubt that consuming about a cup of oatmeal a day can lower a person's cholesterol by an astounding 8-23%, which can reduce the risk of heart disease by up to 50%!

If that isn't reason enough right there, oatmeal also contains a protein content nearing or equivalent to soy protein, long-suggested by the World Health Organization to be equal in quality to meat, egg, and dairy proteins. One whole oat groat contains 13-24% protein, higher than any other cereal grain on the planet.

Additionally, oatmeal contains selenium, which is a vital part of your body's antioxidant systems, as well as your body's ability to repair DNA. Selenium has also been associated with a reduced risk for colon cancer. Even more spectacular is oatmeal's ability to stabilize blood sugar and reduce the risk of Type 2 diabetes. It has been suggested through study after study that oatmeal consumption may be just as important as the consumption of fruits and vegetables for a healthy diet.

And do you have to eat it in a bowl, with butter and milk, every single day? Absolutely not! Try cooking up a batch as normal, and add a tablespoon of chocolate chips, a tablespoon of peanut butter, and a tablespoon of grape jelly for a chocolate-peanut butter-and-jelly treat that will put a smile on any child's face (it put a smile on both of my children's faces, which is hard to do in the kitchen!). Or, try mixing it with a cup of brown sugar dissolved into 1/2 cup of water, then spreading it out on a pan and toasting it for 45 minutes at 300 degrees F. Toss with dried fruit and nuts for a frugal and delicious homemade granola. Finally, you can't beat a good, old-fashioned oatmeal cookie; try your favorite recipe, substituting mashed banana or applesauce for the butter for a healthier, tastier snack!

So overall (say it with me now)...

THERE'S NO GOOD REASON NOT TO EAT OATMEAL!

Thank you to:

World Health Organization (http://www.whfoods.com)

Wikipedia (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oats )

SparkRecipes (http://recipes.sparkpeople.com )