I have been asked which Oatmeal is the best to buy. There are many choices. You have Steel Cut Oats (also known as Irish Oats), Rolled Oats, Quick Cooking Rolled Oats and Instant Oatmeal. Oatmeal is great for breakfast but can also be used in many recipes such as muffins, pancakes, cookies.Steel Cut Oats and Rolled Oats are not that much different when it comes to calories, fiber, carbohydrates, fats until you look at the glycemic index. Steel Cut Oats is lower on the glycemic index with a rank of 42 and old fashioned rolled oats ranking is about 55.
Quick Cook Rolled Oats are more processed than the regular old-fashioned oats, so they cook up a bit quicker and are mushier in texture. These are oats that have been pressed slightly thinner than rolled oats. The glycemic index of the Quick Cook Rolled Oats is about 66.
The most processed of the oats is the Instant Oatmeal. Pressed even thinner than quick oats, instant oats oats often break into a coarse powder. They cook the quickest of all and make a very soft. These are the most heavily processed. The groats have been chopped fine, flattened, pre-cooked, and dehydrated. Instant oatmeal usually has added salt and sugar. The glycemic index of instant oatmeal is about 83. I would suggest you leave the instant oatmeal in the store and buy either the Steel Cut or the Rolled Oats.
A glycemic index of 55 and under is low and best, 56 to 69 is medium, and 70 and above is high. The lower the glycemic index the ranking of carbs based on their effect on blood sugar levels. The lower the ranking the slower the carbohydrate will break down. You want to avoid blood sugar spikes.
And for those who need gluten free oats, you can find those too.
Thanks for the information Donna. We had the steel cut oatmeal for breakfast this morning but I noticed on the container it has more fat and calories than the quick oats. The comparison was 1/2 cup of quick oats vs. 1/4 cup steel cut.
ReplyDeletecalories - 150 vs. 140
fat - 3 grams vs. 1.5
carbs - 27 grams vs. 26 grams
sugar - 1 gram vs. 0 gram
I have always heard steel cut was better for you but looking at these numbers, it makes it seem like the quick oats are better. Your thoughts??
Your welcome. I use both the steel cut oats and the rolled oats. Steel cut oats is processed less. However, in researching the difference between steel cut oats and rolled oats, it really just comes down to which type you prefer and how much time you have to cook. Nutritionally, it seems there is not a big enough difference, for me, to lean towards one or another.
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