Nutritional Info
- 370 kcal,
- 12 g protein,
- 7.5 g fat,
- 59 g carbohydrate, and
- 9 g dietary fibre.
If you’re looking for tasty recipes that have your heart health in mind, be sure to take a look at Flora’s selection of healthy recipes.
As the name suggests, oatmeal is made from oats, which is ideal for those who are conscious of their heart health. Whole oats are rinsed, heated, de-husked and then rolled. Oats are naturally gluten-free, but as they are often processed in companies that also process wheat, they may still contain gluten. That is why oatmeal is often not suitable for a gluten-free diet. However, gluten-free oatmeal is available. Another option is multigrain oatmeal, which combines the oats with other grains such as rye and barley flakes.
Oatmeal contains vitamins B1, B5 and B6, folic acid, phosphorus and magnesium. Oatmeal also has a lot of soluble dietary fibre (beta-glucans), which absorbs a lot of moisture in the intestines, binding substances such as cholesterol, bile salts and fatty acids. The binding of fatty acids can lower the cholesterol levels in the blood. The carbohydrate in oatmeal is ingested slowly, so you feel satisfied for longer.
Availability
Natural oatmeal comes in two varieties: a precooked version in which the oats have been treated so that they will cook in three to five minutes and a slow-cooking variant, usually sold by health food stores, which has a preparation time of about 15 minutes.
We all know that oatmeal is the main ingredient of porridge, but oatmeal has many other uses. Because oatmeal contains a lot of starch, it is a good binding agent and absorbs moisture very well. For example, it is an excellent product to thicken and bind soups. However, you can also use oatmeal as a replacement for breadcrumbs when whipping up a tasty meatloaf or to coat your meat in a delicious crispy crust.
Oatmeal is a versatile ingredient in sweet dishes as well. It can be sprinkled on to the bottom of a fruitcake to keep it nice and crispy. Mixed in with other crumble ingredients, it creates a tasty crumble topping on cakes and pies. It is a healthier alternative to flour when added to pancake batter. In biscuits and bread, oatmeal adds a lovely taste and crispy bite. Simply try these delicious recipes for oatmeal biscuits, oatmeal muffins and oatmeal crumble.
- Quick and easy breakfast: bring 250 ml of water, 250 ml of almond milk, soy milk or semi-skimmed milk to the boil. Stir in 6 tablespoons of quick-cooking oatmeal and simmer for one minute while stirring. Allow to rest for a while and stir in some cinnamon powder, nuts, honey and/or fruit.
Preparation time
- Quick-cooking oatmeal: approx. 5 minutes
- Slow-cooking oatmeal: approx. 15 minutes
