Shelly Koon
Contributing Writer
I became a big fan of oatmeal in while in college. It was simple to make in the microwave and didn’t cost that much. Now, I eat it all year long as an alternative to fast food and doughnuts for breakfast.
I like a warm bowl of cooked oatmeal in winter, sometimes for dinner. The simple act of stirring the oatmeal as it cooks calms my mind and soothes my soul after a long day.
This past year, I have recently tried the overnight oats that seem to be all over my social media feeds. Overnight oats are eaten cold right out of the fridge which cuts down on preparation time in the morning. The texture can be a bit weird but the taste is good.
Oats date back about 32,000 years when wild oats were hand ground by paleolithic hunter gatherers. There are many wild oat species, but only four have been cultivated for today’s use. The species Avena sativa is on grocery store shelves. Avena byzantina and Avena strigosa are for animal feed. Avena abyssinica is exclusive to Ethiopia.
The popularity of oats grew when the Romans introduced it to the British Isles, especially Scotland, where they flourished. Oats came to North and South America in the 17th century and used primarily as animal feed. Today, Europe is the leader in oat production.
There are many varieties of oats on shelves, and knowing which to use for your bowl of oats can be overwhelming. There are six main varieties of oatmeal.
Whole oat groats are the hulled kernels of whole-grain oats, also known as hulled oats and hulled whole oats. They’re super nutritious and very chewy, making them a great substitute for rice and other whole grains. Prepare oat groats as you would pasta – simply boil in salted water until tender, then drain.
Steel cut oats, also known as Irish oatmeal, steel cut oats have a great chewy texture and nutty flavor. Steel cut oats are whole, hulled oats that have been cut once or twice with steel blades into smaller pieces. They take a little longer to cook than rolled oats, but have a wonderful, satisfying texture. Enjoy steel cut oats for breakfast, or as an awesome alternative to other grains, like in shrimp and grits.
Scottish oats are oats that have been stone ground, almost to a powder. This centuries-old process results in a creamy, hearty porridge, which cooks a little faster than steel cut oats. Oatmeal historians consider Scottish oats the “original oatmeal.”
The most common oats you’ll find are rolled oats. They are also referred to as old-fashioned or regular oats. Rolled oats are whole oats which have been toasted, hulled, steamed and then rolled. These oats absorb a lot of liquid, cook fairly quickly and will hold their shape well when cooked. Rolled oats are mainstay ingredients in granola and overnight oats.
Quick oats, or “quick-cooking” oats, have been cut, steamed and rolled into thinner flakes, making them quicker to cook than rolled oats. With quick oats, you can have a hot, healthy breakfast on the table in less than five minutes, and because of their finer texture they’re frequently used in muffins, cookies and breads. These are the oats you usually find in single-serving oatmeal packets, often with added flavoring, that you can microwave with water for a quick breakfast. They have been pre-cooked, then dried, cut and rolled for instant preparation.
Nutrition wise, all types are pretty much the same, as they’re made from oats a nutritious whole grain, providing complex carbohydrates, fiber (especially beta-glucan), and protein. They are also a good source of essential minerals like magnesium, phosphorus, zinc, and manganese, along with B vitamins. A one-cup serving of cooked oatmeal contains around 154 calories and 4 grams of fiber.
Overnight oats are a cold oatmeal-based breakfast that originated in Switzerland. It’s also referred to as Bircher muesli, named after Swiss nutritionist Maximilian Bircher-Benner. The 1900’s original recipe consisted of oats, nuts, apples, lemon juice, honey and cream. These days, it’s made in different ways using various ingredients. According to Google trends, searches for overnight oats started to rise around 2012.
Regular oatmeal is cooked and eaten the same morning and enjoyed warm, while overnight oats are prepared the day before and are eaten cold. They’re actually uncooked; the oats soak in milk or yogurt overnight in the fridge, becoming soft and creamy without the need to be heated.
There’s so much you can do with a container of oats. You can enjoy them warm, soak them overnight, bake them into bars or muffins, or even add them to meatloaf.
Easy Overnight Oats
Servings: 1
Ingredients
⅓ cup milk
¼ cup Greek yogurt
¼ cup rolled oats
2 teaspoons honey
2 teaspoons chia seeds
¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon or more to taste
¼ cup fresh blueberries
Instructions
Gather all ingredients. Combine milk, yogurt, oats, honey, chia seeds, and cinnamon in a 1/2-pint jar with a lid; cover and shake until combined. Fold in blueberries. Cover and refrigerate, 8 hours to overnight. Enjoy!
Easy Baked Oats
Servings:1
Ingredients
1/2 cup Mixed berries, Use fresh or frozen
1 Egg
½ cup Rolled oats
¼ cup Milk, Whole, semi-skimmed or dairy free
1 tsp Runny honey
¼ tsp baking powder
To serve:
Spoonful of yogurt, a few berries, drizzle of honey
Directions
Preheat oven to 350F. Mix your berries, eggs, oats, milk, honey and baking powder together until combined. Pour into a small dish. Bake for 30 minutes until golden and cooked though. Top with a spoonful of yoghurt, a couple of whole berries and a drizzle of honey. Grab a spoon and enjoy!
Cooked Oatmeal
Ingredients
1 cup rolled oats
2 cups milk (I use 1% milk but any kind of milk works)
1 medium banana mashed
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
pinch of salt
Directions
Combine all ingredients into a small saucepan and turn heat to medium/high. Bring to a boil. Then, turn the heat down to low/medium and continually stir for around 3-5 minutes as the oatmeal cooks and thickens. Once oatmeal is at the desired consistency, remove from heat, and serve immediately.
Bacon and Cheddar Savory Oatmeal
Servings: 2
Ingredients
4 bacon strips thick-cut, diced
4 green onions sliced
1 cup quick oats
2 cups water
salt pinch
1/2 cup cheddar cheese grated, divided
black pepper to taste
2 eggs optional
Directions
In a medium saucepan, sauté bacon over medium-high heat until crisp. Transfer to a paper towel-lined plate to drain. Remove bacon fat from pan, leaving only a thin layer to sauté the onions in. Sauté just the white parts of the onions for 30 seconds. (Save the green parts for garnish.) Add oats and sauté with the onions for about a minute, stirring constantly. The oats will absorb the remaining bacon fat. Add water and a generous pinch of salt, and bring to a simmer. Reduce heat to medium low and cook, stirring occasionally, for 5 minutes. Adjust seasoning, adding pepper to taste. Stir in cooked bacon and most of the cheese. Divide oats between two bowls. Top each portion with remaining cheese and reserved green onions. Next level – top each serving with a perfectly fried egg.