Oatmeal is a type of healthy food that’s usually consumed by people who follow a diet plan.
Also, this meal is served as the main breakfast menu because it is considered more practical and nutrient-dense.
However, did you know that actually, types of oatmeal are quite distinct? To find out more about the various kinds of oatmeal, check out our list below!
1. Steel cut oats
If someone asks, “Is oatmeal good for you?” the answer is definitely yes. Oatmeal makes you full longer due to its high fiber content, and also reduces the risk of heart disease.
In addition to this, steel cut oats are one type of oatmeal that offers many health benefits for you.
This oat has a slightly rough texture. Steel cut oats come from whole grains which are roughly cut into 2-3 parts. And to cut this type of oat, growers usually use a special steel cutting machine.
Because each type of oat has a different texture, the cooking time may also be varied.
To cook steel cut oats, for instance, you will need about 10 to 30 minutes. These cooked oats will give you a chewy texture, but their original form does not change.
2. Rolled oats
Often served as a diet menu, oat nutrition is very good for the body.
One of the great benefits of oatmeal is its ability to reduce the level of “bad” fat (LDL-Low Density Lipoprotein) in the body.
As for the nutrients found in oats, you will get benefits from calcium, folic acid, magnesium, phosphorus, potassium, manganese, fiber, and iron. Not only that, but oatmeal also contains a fiber known as beta-glucan.
This fiber helps control blood sugar and insulin levels, as well as reduce bad cholesterol in the body.
You can also get those benefits by regularly consuming rolled oats.
This type of oatmeal is made from oat groat through the steaming process. By doing so, the oat texture becomes softer and easier to form.
After that, the steamed oat groat is pressed until flat by using a milling machine. The final result of this oat has a flat and thin shape or an irregular round with a bit of texture.
Unlike steel cut oats, which require a long cooking time, this type of oat is very easy to absorb water. As a result, rolled oats do not take long to cook, only about 2-5 minutes.
However, just like steel cut oats, rolled oats also retain their original shape after being cooked.
Steel cut vs rolled oats, which one is better? In terms of nutritional content, both are equally healthy. The focal difference between them lies only in the length of cooking time and serving process.
Rolled oats are easily processed into various foods such as granola, muesli, cereal bars, and oat porridge.
Meanwhile, steel cut oats are usually served in an old-fashioned way, which is suitable for a warm dish during winter.
3. Instant oatmeal
If you need overnight oatmeal, this type of oat is a great choice. Moreover, instant oats are one of the most popular types of oatmeal.
Apart from being easily found in the supermarket, its cooking process is also fast.
However, this type of oatmeal experiences the most processing steps. To get instant oatmeal, whole oat groat will go through a chopping process first.
Then, the oat groat is pressed and cooked. Lastly, the cooked oats are dried again.
Usually, this type of oat has been added to salt.
Even in some brands, instant oatmeal has been added sugar and seasoning, as well as some fortified vitamins and minerals such as vitamin A, iron, and calcium.
4. Quick cooking oats
Just like instant oatmeal, this type of oat is very easy to find in supermarkets and food outlets. This oat type is often consumed because its serving process is very fast.
No needs to cook, quick-cooking oats only require boiling water. This type of oat is made from whole oat groat that has been ground and thinned.
After that, oats are cooked and sometimes given a little spice to strengthen the taste. Then the oats are dried, so they can be consumed anytime when needed.
Once cooked, this oat texture is very soft, almost like porridge.
However, if you ask between white rice porridge vs oatmeal, which one is healthier? Of course, oatmeal porridge is healthier because it is low in calories and high in protein.
A bowl of quick-cooking oatmeal contains 140 calories, which include 19% fat, 69% carbohydrate, and 12% protein.
As for a bowl of white rice, it contains 204 calories covering 2% fat, 89% carbohydrate, and 9% protein.
5. Oat groats
Oat groats can be served as a healthy menu for those of you who are maintaining a diet.
This type of oat comes from whole seeds, which are only separated from their hull.
Because oat groats do not go through any processing, many assume that it is very healthy.
However, the process of cooking oat groats is tricky. If you cannot cook them properly, the result will be too acidic.
Still, the nutritional content of oat groats is certainly high. In 250 grams of oat groats, for example, you will gain around 160 oatmeal calories and 1.5 grams of fat.
6. Scottish oats
What are the Scottish oats? This type of oatmeal is also known as Scottish porridge. So, this type of oat is not cut or flattened, but it is ground.
That process makes Scottish oats have a fairly smooth texture, although they are still more rugged than flour.
Almost similar to quick-cooking oats, this type of oat can be served by adding boiling water.
The texture of cooked Scottish oats will be softer and thicker. This type of oat is also good for baking due to its coarser texture than flour.
After reading our list, you will certainly understand more about the types of oatmeal. Thus, you can now customize your oat choices according to your needs.
In our opinion, rolled oats are a win-win option because this type doesn’t need a long cooking time and its texture is just better than other oatmeal types – not like porridge.
Plus, rolled oats do not contain any additional ingredients or are essential to nature.
