Oats (Avena sativa)

Oats are a grass grown for their sweet flavored, edible seed that makes it well-liked as a breakfast cereal. Oats are unique as they almost never have their germ and bran removed in processing; so even when you see oats or oat flour on the label you are almost guaranteed to be getting the whole grain.

In the US most oats are flattened or steamed. These are also called rolled oats. The more the oats are flattened the quicker they cook. Other types of oats are:

• Old fashioned oats
• Regular oats
• Quick oats
• Instant oats

In Europe you find predominantly steel-cut oats. They look like grains of rice. The whole oat is sliced once or twice into smaller pieces allowing liquid to penetrate when being cooked.

Oats are naturally gluten-free, but are frequently contaminated with wheat during growing or processing. So be careful if you need to be on a gluten free diet, you might need to look to other grains instead.

Oats are an excellent source of thiamine and iron. Oats are also an excellent source of dietary fiber. Research has shown that eating oats on a regular basis can lower cholesterol levels in the bloodstream. Oats are also the only source of antioxidant compounds known as avenanthramides, a type of antibiotic produced by plants; these are believed to have properties which help to protect the circulatory system from hardening of the arteries.

Oat products also contain beta-glucan, which may help Type 2 diabetics control their blood sugar level, and might also help stimulate the immune system to fight off bacterial infections.

So how do we add this wonderful “hero” grain into our diets? Well cookies of course. YEAH! But really there are many ways. You can even substitute oats for breadcrumbs in recipes like meatloaf and meatballs.  try these ways as well:

• Oatmeal Cranberry Bars
• Granola
• Whole Grain Muffins
• Yogurt Oat Bread
• Oat Cookies
• Blueberry Oat Muffins
• Strawberry Oat Muffins
• Oatmeal Apricot Clusters
• Fruit and Muesli Slices