Oatmeal Benefits

January 20, 2009

Steel Cut Oatmeal

Steel cut oatmeal is crunchy, flavorful and good for you. Photo by Corey Lugg | THE NIBBLE.

WHAT IT IS: Steel cut oats enhanced with egg whites and ground flax seed.

WHY IT’S DIFFERENT: The egg whites add protein to the oatmeal, and ground flax seed adds omega 3s, fiber and more nutritional benefits. The oatmeal can be used in all recipes that require oatmeal—from cookies to meatloaf—and can be ground into powder for health drinks, too.

WHY WE LOVE IT: Oatmeal is healthy, delicious comfort food...and Earth Born Plus is better for you!

WHERE TO BUY IT: EarthBornProducts.com.

Earth Born Steel Cut Oats Plus: Health Tastes Great!

Page 2: Oatmeal & Flax Seed Benefits

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INDEX OF REVIEW

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Oatmeal Benefits

First, the bad news. Instant oatmeal packets that come in different flavors are not health food. They’re full of sugar, and many of the nutrients have been stripped in the processing. Plain rolled oat flakes, be they Quaker Oats or another brand, are what you want to reach for.

Oats are a whole grain, a good source of both soluble and insoluble fiber. According to the American Cancer Society:

Insoluble fiber has cancer-fighting properties. The phytochemicals (antioxidants) in oats may also have cancer-fighting properties.
Soluble fiber may reduce LDL (bad) cholesterol without lowering HDL (good) cholesterol.
Soluble fiber slows down the digestion of starch, which may be beneficial to diabetics.
Studies show that those who eat more oats are less likely to develop heart disease.
Oats are a good source of many nutrients, including copper, iron, magnesium, manganese, selenium, vitamin E and zinc, and are a good source of protein.

Steel Cut Oats

Steel cut oats. The tiny cut nuggets of groats cook up with more texture than flat rolled oats. Photo by Corey Lugg | THE NIBBLE.

Dietary guidelines released by the U.S. Department of Agriculture in 2005 recommend that Americans consume at least half of their grain servings as whole grains (cereals are grains). That means 48g of whole grains per day, or 3 to 5 servings. One serving is equal to:

1 slice of whole grain bread
1/2 whole grain English muffin or whole grain bagel
1/2 cup cooked oatmeal (also see Holly’s Oatmeal, another Top Pick Of The Week)
1/2 cup cooked whole wheat pasta
1/2 cup cooked brown rice, bulgur, barley or other cooked whole grain
2 cups cooked popcorn

Three half-cup servings of oatmeal would meet your 48g daily whole grain quota; or a cup of it for breakfast would get you two-thirds of the way there. (Read our in-depth article about the benefits of whole grains, which foods are whole grain and which aren’t, and lots more.)

While some people don’t like the blandness of plain oatmeal, there are much better alternatives to piling on the white sugar or even brown sugar, which is nothing more than white sugar colored with molasses, and not to be confused with a more nutrient-rich raw sugar like turbinado sugar. Follow us to the next page to see our favorite ways to eat oatmeal.

If you’re going to have a bagel, make it a whole grain bagel like this one from French Meadow Organic Bakery, another Top Pick Of The Week. Photo by Claire Freierman | THE NIBBLE.

Flax Seed Benefits

The ancient flax seed is a modern healer’s darling.

It is rich in fiber and alpha linolenic acid, a plant-derived omega 3 fatty acid, similar to that found in salmon.
Studies show that flax seed lowers total cholesterol and LDL (bad) cholesterol while maintaining HDL (good) cholesterol levels.
Flax seed may also help lower blood triglyceride and blood pressure, and keep platelets from becoming sticky, therefore reducing the risk of a heart attack.
Rich in the phytoestrogen and antioxidant lingan, flax seed shows promise in fighting breast cancer and other diseases, including Crohn’s Disease and colitis.

And, it adds a delicious, nutty flavor to the oatmeal that gives a relatively bland cereal something special.

Continue To Page 3: Serving Suggestions For Oatmeal

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