9 Oatmeal Recipes to Start Your Day with Healthy Whole Grains (2024)

FAQs

What is the healthiest way to eat oatmeal? ›

Fresh fruit will add fiber, vitamins, minerals and some sweetness to your oatmeal. Fruit's fat-soluble vitamins like A, E and K will best absorb if you add in a fat source like nuts, which will also add extra fiber and protein.

High-sugar toppings like chocolate, syrup, and dried fruit

As Best points out, "some of the worst ingredients that are mistakenly added to healthy overnight oat recipes include chocolate sauce, sugar, syrup, and dried fruit."

If you want to lose weight sustainably, try making oatmeal with steel-cut or rolled oats, Nikolakopoulos says. "Steel-cut oats can absorb more water than instant oats, and they're also superior to instant oatmeal because they are less processed and have a better nutrient profile,” she says.

Nuts and seeds can be a great grain-free substitute for oatmeal if you're following a paleo diet. In addition to being rich in heart-healthy fats, fiber, and protein, foods like almonds, pumpkin seeds, sunflower seeds, walnuts, and pecans are all high in plenty of essential vitamins and minerals ( 6 , 7 , 8 , 9 , 10 ).

Compare 100 calories of baked potato to 100 calories of oatmeal, and you find a bit less protein (3 grams vs. 4), a bit more starch (18 grams vs. 16) and a similar mineral profile (potatoes have more potassium, but oats have more selenium). But potatoes beat out oats in just about every vitamin, as well as fiber.

Oats contain phytic acid, an antinutrient that is known to interfere with the absorption of the vitamins and minerals from oats into your body. So, you need to include a variety of fruits and vegetables in your diet to make up for the possible nutritional loss.

Oats can cause gas and bloating. To minimize side effects, start with a low dose and increase slowly to the desired amount. Your body will get used to oat bran and the side effects will likely go away. When applied to the skin: Lotion containing oat extract is possibly safe to use on the skin.

5. A Bowl of Oatmeal May Help Reduce Belly Fat. Another win for oatmeal's soluble fiber: It may help reduce visceral fat, the type of fat in your midsection that hugs your organs and raises your risk of heart disease and stroke — even if your body mass index is deemed normal, notes the AHA.

How to eat oats to reduce belly fat? ›

Try steel-cut oats.

"You can cook them to eat hot or making overnight oats by preparing the night before. Add healthy additions like banana slices (a prebiotic food that helps feed the good gut bacteria) or berries (healthy addition of fiber and antioxidants).

Add different spices, such as nutmeg, ginger, allspice, or cloves. Add different sweeteners, such as honey, maple syrup, brown sugar, or coconut sugar. Top your oatmeal with nuts, seeds, dried fruit, or fresh fruit. Add a dollop of yogurt or Greek yogurt to your oatmeal for extra creaminess and protein.

Greek yogurt – try a dollop on top or my Greek yogurt oatmeal. Nuts and seeds – add almonds, pecans, walnuts, sunflower seeds, chia seeds and/or flaxseed to your oats for some crunch and a touch of protein. Nut or seed butter – top your oats with almond butter, peanut butter, cashew butter.

Cooking increases their nutritional value

According to Harvard Health , there are no benefits to eating raw oats. Cooking your oatmeal or making overnight oats is probably your best (and tastiest) option. The end result is a delicious breakfast that is nutritious.

Steel-Cut Oats

Dietitians Say: These are your best bet if you're seeking the healthiest option. Steel-cut oats are processed the least of the three oat varieties, which means they're the most beneficial for blood sugar control.

Raw oats provide plant-based protein, soluble fiber (beta-glucan), and nutrients that help lower cholesterol, benefit heart and gut health, control blood sugar, promote weight loss, and improve digestion. Cooked oats deliver fewer nutrients, but they come with both pros and cons, just like raw oats do.

Milk is rich in fats, calcium, and Vitamin D that complements the nutrients in oats. Thus oats cooked in milk have benefits over oats cooked in water. Milk has fats, calcium, and Vitamin D that is normally absent in processed oats. Apart from adding a flavour, it also helps in keeping your muscles and bones healthy.