Oats: Not just for Horses

 

Despite their widespread praise by nutritionists and popularity as a healthy breakfast food, oats have a humble origin. They were the last of the major cereal grains to be domesticated, around 3,000 years ago in Europe, and apparently originated as weeds that grew within cultivated fields of various other crops. Greeks and Romans considered oats to be nothing more than a diseased version of wheat. Oats were a lowly horse food for the Romans, who scoffed at the "oat-eating barbarians". The medieval English carried on the scoffing tradition, considering oats to be fit only for "horses, livestock and scots".

In fact, oats are packed with good nutrition including protein, B vitamins, zinc, folate and magnesium. They are also rich antioxidants and an excellent source of beta-glucan, a soluble fiber proven to help manage cholesterol. Oats do not contain any gluten but they are often milled in facilities that also process wheat, so read the labels.

Oats are available in three main forms. Rolled oats are separated from the bran (a thin layer that separates the husk from the tender inner "grout"), steamed and softened before being rolled flat. They have a slightly blander flavor than steel cut oats but cook faster. Steel cut oats (also called Scottish oats) are also separated from the bran and then cut up. They require a bit more cooking time than rolled oats do. Finally, there is oat bran. The bran has a nutritional value similar to the grout and will cook up much more quickly. All three are excellent and healthy foods.

If your mornings tend to be a little pressed for time, you can make oatmeal overnight in a slow cooker or even mixing it 1::1 with milk and leaving it in the refrigerator overnight. In the morning you can eat it cold or warm it up. Dress up your oats with nuts, fruit and spices (skip the sugar) and you have a breakfast that is both filling and good for you.