Old Fashioned Oatmeal vs. Instant Oatmeal

In trying to find ways to manage both my hunger and my weight, I finally hit upon the idea that eating high fiber foods might be the best thing I could try.  That’s when I started reading about old fashioned oatmeal.  According to my reading, the average American gets about half of the fiber in their diet they should anyway, and fiber helps keep you feeling full.  Perhaps this is a way to make oatmeal healthy again?

Old Fashioned Oatmeal vs. Instant Oatmeal

I don’t like most of the flavored microwavable oatmeal on the market.  The little packs of flavored stuff you pop in the microwave for 30-seconds — I think they taste like flavored mush.  Too soggy.  The traditional “instant oatmeal” most of us grew up eating is much more palatable.  Recently however, I’ve discovered steel cut oats, also known as “old fashioned oatmeal.”  You may also see it as “irish steel cut oatmeal” or “pinhead oats.”  As oatmeal goes, this stuff is the cat’s meow.  Healthy oatmeal that has far better texture and flavor than the quick-cooking mush in a pouch.

Once hulled, oats are comprised of two parts.  The bran, and the endosperm (flour).  When processing oats for consumption, the endosperm is separated from the bran, and in the case of “instant” oatmeal, the endosperm is then steamed, rolled flat, and the process repeated.  The greater the extent of processing, the faster the oats will cook.  Naturally, more processing means less nutrition, so the convenience for the consumer means that “instant oatmeal” is actually among the least healthy types of oatmeal we can buy.  That’s not saying its bad, because compared to a lot of alternatives, its not.  However, since I discovered you can find “steel cut oats” at big box stores, I’ve been playing with them in the kitchen.  Steel cut oats leave more of the bran intact, which increases the fiber content.  From the cook’s perspective, it also lengthens the cooking time.  To give you a rough comparison,

“instant” oats are ready to eat after 5-10 minutes in hot water.  In my experience, “steel cut” oats require 15-20 minutes in boiling water before they’re done.  We’ve taken to preparing 4-8 cups at night and storing them in the refrigerator.  They’ll keep for a few days, and can be warmed in the microwave with little change in flavor or texture.

So, how do they differ in taste from the instant oats?  I think you’ll find them to be more flavorful.  They have more texture, and the bran portion imparts a slight “crunch” that my wife and I find very tasteful.  And, they’ll keep you full MUCH longer than cold cereal.  Most of your cold cereals will have between 1 and 2 grams of fiber per cup.  A cup of oatmeal generally has about twice that.  Step up to a cup of steel cut oats, and you’re into 6-8 grams of fiber.  That will keep you full for quite a while!