There’s a lot of chatter going around right now about oatmeal. If you are confused, let me help clear it up.
People are saying oatmeal is the devil.
That oatmeal spikes your blood sugar.
That oatmeal is not healthy.
And that you shouldn’t be eating it for breakfast.
But here’s the TRUTH about oatmeal:
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Is oatmeal healthy? It depends on the type of oats you are buying, how you prepare them, and what you eat them with.
It’s true that I wouldn’t touch Quaker oats with a 10 foot pole.
That’s because it’s conventionally grown and tests have found it contains Roundup that is linked to cancer. (1)
But the solution is simple:
- I buy certified sprouted organic oats that are also glyphosate-free (such as One Degree brand), which means it’s verified not to have Roundup in it.
- There’s data that shows that steel cut oats don’t spike your blood sugar when it’s combined with healthy fats and protein. (2, 3, 4) This is why I eat mine with organic one-ingredient nut butter, freshly ground flaxseeds, and organic coconut milk. I sometimes add Truvani protein powder to it when I want extra protein.
- Oatmeal is full of soluble fiber that helps to actually REGULATE blood sugar, and it’s a much healthier carb choice than a muffin or bagel or pancakes or something like that full of refined flour. (5, 6, 7)
- When you buy SPROUTED oats, the phytic acid is deactivated in the oats, so that it’s more nutritious and easier to digest. (8)
So here’s the bottom line:
If you are buying steel cut oats that are organic, glyphosate-free, and sprouted, they are super healthy for you. Especially when combined with healthy fats and proteins.
Best of all – it takes me less than a minute to make in my slow cooker. Breakfast is ready to go first thing in the morning. What is better than that?
Steel cut oats are my go-to breakfast that my entire family eats almost every weekday morning!
Not only do steel-cut oats make a filling and healthy breakfast, but they are also easy to prepare ahead of time so that you don’t need to cook in the morning.
These creamy oats take less than a minute to pop into the slow cooker at night before bed. Compare this to cooking oats in the morning while you’re busy and waiting 30 or more minutes for them to cook, watching the stove, and stirring, or even worse, resorting to instant oats that are not as nutritious.
Top your oatmeal with a variety of healthy toppings like freshly ground flaxseeds, chia seeds, berries, walnuts, nut butter, and coconut milk.
Food Babe's One-Minute Slow Cooker Oats
Prep Time:
1 min
Cook Time:
8 hrs
Total Time:
8 hrs 1 min
Ingredients:
- 1 cup steel cut oats
- 4 ½ cups filtered water
Optional Toppings:
- 4 tablespoons ground flaxseed
- 4 tablespoons chia seeds
- 4 scoops Truvani protein powder
- 4 tablespoons nut butter
- ¼ cup walnuts
- ½ cup mixed fresh berries
- ½ cup peach, sliced
Instructions:
- Place the oats and 4 ½ cups filtered water in a small 1.5 quart slow cooker.
- Turn the heat to low and cook for at least 8 hours or overnight. Serve with a variety of healthful toppings.
Notes:
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If you know someone who says oatmeal is unhealthy, or perhaps they are still buying Quaker Oats, please share this with them!
Xo,
Vani
References:
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- https://www.ewg.org/news-insights/news-release/2018/10/roundup-breakfast-part-2-new-tests-weed-killer-found-all-kids
- https://www.cambridge.org/core/journals/british-journal-of-nutrition/article/impact-of-oat-processing-on-glycaemic-and-insulinaemic-responses-in-healthy-humans-a-randomised-clinical-trial/B81334B99F41D96F854D3986D4178592
- https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/29228348/
- https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/17292730/
- https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4690088/
- https://drc.bmj.com/content/10/5/e002784
- https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4950069/
- https://ift.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1111/1541-4337.12414
- https://www.hsph.harvard.edu/nutritionsource/anti-nutrients/
- https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1002/cche.10203
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Just wondering if this works with slow cooking oats, not steel cut? Thank you!
How about educating us on why steel cut is better or different than other oats like rolled oats, etc.
I agree. That is what I am curious about as well.
She did cite some data about why they are better when combined with fat and protein. I love when she gives a jumping off point for research.
From her blog post:
“There’s data that shows that steel cut oats don’t spike your blood sugar when it’s combined with healthy fats and protein. (2, 3, 4)”
please expand on the “sprouted” part of the oats you are referring to. when does the sprouting occur? could i buy organic glyphosate free rolled oats, ferment them, dehydrate them then use as instant oats for the same health benefits as the ones you recommend?
What kind/brand of slow cooker do you recommend? Thanks
Hi Bill! Vani just shared her favorite slow cookers here: https://foodbabe.com/does-your-slow-cooker-leach-toxins-try-these-safe-brands-instead/
Two words: OAT GROATS. That’s right. Buy sprouted organic oat groats and then …flake them yourself. Or cook them whole. I cook them on ‘keep warm’ setting in the instant pot overnight. I am going to buy a flaker. You get freshly rolled oats with unparalleled nutrition. Any grain that is broken out of its shell (steel cut oats included here) and then placed on a shelf for days have lost most of their nutrients. Regular rolled oat are also treated with high heat steam. Nutrition obliterated. Time to start milling our own flour, too. It’s not as hard as it looks and it tastes GREAT!