There are so many important reasons to include oats (old fashioned, steel cut, oat bran, oat flour, etc.) in your diet.


First, the oat bran. It’s the outer protective coating of the kernel and a good source of silicon, a trace element needed for healthy joints and normal bone growth. Studies show that oat bran helps reduce blood cholesterol and help prevent heart attacks. It’s the fiber in oatmeal that gets credit for this.

Next, the grain itself. It has excellent nutritional qualities. It’s complete with proteins, B vitamins, calcium, unsaturated fats, and the already mentioned fiber. Because of these superb nutritional qualities, oats boost immunity, protecting against recurrent infections.


They strengthen the immune system as well. Oats are a rich source of selenium, which works with Vitamin E to bestow antixodiant benefits throughout your system. Which means lower risk of asthma, and a reduced risk of cancer—especially of the breast and colon.

Also, oats are seen to be particularly beneficial for post-menopausal women, protecting them from raised blood pressure and thickening of arteries.

And type 2 diabetes patients have reported lower blood sugar levels after starting their day with oats.

And dieters take note: Oats keep you feeling fuller longer, which helps with weight loss.


Finally, oats are a hardy grain. Even though oats are usually hulled, this process doesn’t strip away their bran and germ, so they retain their concentrated fiber and nutrients.

All praise aside, have you ever wondered which of all the oat choices is best? Exhaustive research finds that it doesn’t matter which type you choose because they all pack the same nutritional punch. Great news, right? If you don’t like oatmeal, then just bake more with oat flour. But the bottom line? However you choose to do it, just eat some oats every day. Your body will thank you.

This said then, let’s look at some oat-eating ideas from one of my favorite websites, www.care2.com:

For a savory side dish, heat a little olive oil, and pop some mustard seeds into it. When the mustard seeds begin crackling, add some chopped vegetables, salt and pepper to your taste, and cook until they are tender but slightly crunchy. Now add the oats, and cook for a couple of minutes. Sprinkle some freshly chopped cilantro or parsley leaves on top, and enjoy hot.

Grind some oats to a powder, and knead them into your tortilla dough, pizza or pie mix for a power punch.


Mix old fashioned oats with fresh yogurt and fold in your favorite fresh fruit, flaked almonds, chopped walnuts, sunflower or sesame seeds, sultanas, raisins or dried cranberries, and so on. You’re limited only by your imagination.

Thicken your soups and stews with oats.

And one of my own tips:

Increase the amount of your sloppy Joe or taco filling by adding oats. They take on the flavor of the seasoned meat and cook up so that they’re not even noticeable. This is one of my favorite ways to cook frugally. This adds fiber (which meat lacks), boosts nutrition, and makes it all more digestible as well.

And if you have some delicious, offbeat ideas for harnessing the healing power of oats, please share them with us.

Finally, here’s a delicious and quick way to indulge in oats that’s hard to resist. It’s a 3-ingredient, no-bake oat bar that Shelly on www.cookiesandcups.com shared last year.




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