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Dani Spies is a Certified Health and Nutrition Counselor, Fitness Trainer and Mom who is passionate about finding simple ways to make real, whole, nutrtious foods a part of an everyday kitchen. More about Dani »

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Oatmeal "101" - Video

Eating oatmeal is one of the quickest, easiest, and tastiest ways to incorporate a whole grain into your kitchen!! 

The one question I get the most often in regards to oats is...

"What is the difference between all the different types of oats out there?".  So in this 101 video, I try to answer this question as simply as possible!

After watching the video, if you guys have any more questions regarding oats, send then my way.  AND OF COURSE, if you have any tips, tricks, facts, recipes, etc. of your own, please feel free to share them in the comments!
Some oatmeal recipes you may enjoy:
Pear Cobbler Oatmeal
Chocolate Peanut Butter Oatmeal
Banana Oat Muffins
Oatmeal Pancake w/ Mashed Banana from Kath Eats Real Food
Mark Bittman Savory Oatmeal w/ Scallions and Soy Sauce from Serious Eats

Want to learn 30 different, d'lishes ways to eat your oatmeal? Be sure to check the 30-Day Oatmeal Challenge over at LiveWell 360.

Comments

Anticiplate :

Dani, this is my new recent obession. OATMEAL! I just made pumpkin oatmeal with agave syrup and dried cranberries. Soooooo good:)

posted on February 21, 2009 9:20 AM

Jaya :

Dani, I know I've said it before, and I know this should probably be more focused on the content, but you look sooo beautiful! I hope you feel great, because you look absolutely radiant.
Sidenote: I also love steel cut oats. Check out LiveWell360 for the most amazing repertoire of oatmeal breakfast ideas. I actually ate mine a la savory a few weeks ago and was surprised at how delicious it was!

posted on February 21, 2009 5:59 PM

Channing :

Hey Dani - I'm sure you've already figured something into your repertoire, but regarding the oats, could you demo or suggest a few recipes with them not in a porridge-type state? My biggest obstacles with my palate are textures, and I can't stand mushy/gooey/gloppy things (no pies, preserves, puddings, oatmeal, grits, polenta, cooked gourds... you get the picture). I'd love to incorporate oats into my diet, I just lack ideas.

Thanks so much for your hard work - and I agree with the above poster, you look radiant!

posted on February 22, 2009 12:20 AM

andrea montler :

Dear Dani,
I love oatmeal, it tastes so delicious
I was wondering what you think about puffed oats though
It is a cereal by Kashi and it taste fabulous but I am wondering if it is still good for you
It is called 7 whole grain honey puffs

posted on February 22, 2009 1:26 PM

Dani :

Anticiplate - How good is pumpkin oatmeal?! I just LOVE it!

Jaya - Thanks for the compliment:). I'm actually about 5 months in this video. As for the savory oatmeal, I've never tried it. Thanks for the tip! I am going to link to the reference you mentioned!

Channing - Hmmmm, we may have to come up with some cookies or some granola for you. Have you ever tried using oats as breadcrumbs? Try adding them to turkey burgers or even meatloaf!

Andrea - I always think of healthy foods like a stair well. For instance oat groats (least processed form of oats - super healthy!) then steel cut, then rolled, then quick cooking... you get the picture. The least processed the better but still and all they are all healthy options at the end of the day. As for your cereal, I would have to read the label but it sounds like it would be a healthier option. One little culprit to look out for when it comes to the word "honey" in the title is how much sugar is in the cereal. If sugar (or any form of sugar) is listed in the top 5 ingredients, you may want to beware. I try to keep my cereals under 5grams of sugar per serving. Hope that helps!

posted on February 22, 2009 4:09 PM

Rachael :

Hi Dani,
I have been doing a lot of research lately regarding soaking of whole grains to remove phytates that bind with minerals. Have you ever heard of this? From what I've learned it is recommended that oats be soaked for 24 hrs with water in an acid medium to remove the phytates.

You can find some more information about this at http://www.passionatehomemaking.com/2008/04/whole-grains-grinding-soaking.html and http://www.westonaprice.org/foodfeatures/be_kind.html

I recently started soaking my steel cut oats with water and lemon juice for 24 hrs on my countertop and have found the flavor has not been altered at all, and the texture seems more creamy. I also feel good knowing that I will get all the nutritional benefits oats have to offer!

Thanks,
Rachael

posted on February 23, 2009 7:50 AM

Dani :

Rachael - I have heard of this process but have never tried it myself. I have to be honest... I can't even begin to think about soaking my oats for 24 hours before I eat them. At this point, I'm just grateful to be eating oats and not donuts for breakfast;).
But thanks for the link, it's a great reference for anyone interested in this process, I

posted on March 7, 2009 3:21 PM

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