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No More Blood Sugar Blues!
Oats: The GREAT Blood Glucose Stabilizer!
by Alice Osborne & Patty Liston
 Oats are warm and comforting - and good for you, too. They've grabbed banner headlines for their heart-healthy goodness, but did you know oats also help stabilize blood glucose? Eating oats and other fiber-rich foods for breakfast appears to help keep blood glucose under control throughout the day.
During processing, the hulls are removed from oats without stripping away the bran or germ, so oats retain their beneficial fiber and nutrients. Roasting gives oats their distinctive toasty, home-style flavor. Further processing methods result in a variety of products. And one of the extra-nice features of oats is how many options there are:
 Oat groats: These whole oats have been hulled and roasted. Try them in hot breakfast cereals or stuffings. They take 30 to 40 minutes to cook.
Steel-cut oats: When roasted whole oats are cut into bits, they're called steel-cut oats. They take about 30 minutes to cook, but you can cook them ahead and reheat before serving.
 Old-fashioned rolled oats: These oat kernels have been steamed and flattened into flakes, which lets them cook in about 5 minutes.
Quick-cooking rolled oats: When old-fashioned oats are cut finer, they're called quick-cooking because they cook even faster -- in 3 minutes.
 Instant oatmeal: These oats are rolled very thin and precooked to speed cooking time to 1 minute. Added ingredients can affect the nutrition value, so read labels carefully.
Oat bran: Made from the outer layers of the grain, oat bran has a fine texture and is often used in oat products you buy. You can add it to recipes or cook it for hot cereal.
Oat flour: Whole oats are ground into flour for baking. But because oat flour contains less gluten, you should combine it with wheat flour for best results.
Now for your dining and glucose-stabilizing pleasure, some great recipes:
Toasted Oat Muesli
Yield: 7 (1/3-cup ea) servings
 1-1/2 cups rolled oats
1/2 cup sliced almonds, coarsely chopped
3 tablespoons flaxseeds
1/2 cup dried banana chips and/or raisins
1/2 teaspoon ground allspice or ground cinnamon
3-1/2 cups fat-free milk
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Place oats in a 15x10x1-inch baking pan. Bake for 8 minutes. Stir in almonds and flaxseeds. Bake for 8 to 10 minutes more or until oats are lightly browned and almonds are toasted, stirring once.
Cool in pan on a wire rack. Transfer to a covered container. Add dried banana chips and allspice or cinnamon; stir to combine. Cover and refrigerate for up to 2 weeks. Serve with milk. Makes 2-1/3 cups (seven 1/3-cup servings).
Carb choices: 1.5 Flaxseeds are a nutritious addition to this nutty cereal because they're rich in nutrients and omega-3 fatty acids. Look for them at health or natural food stores or larger supermarkets.
CARB GRAMS PER SERVING: 27
Nutrition Facts Per Serving: Calories 231, Total Fat (g) 10, Saturated Fat (g) 3, Cholesterol (mg) 2, Sodium (mg) 57, Carbohydrate (g) 27, Fiber (g) 5, Protein (g) 10
Diabetic Exchanges: Starch (d.e.) 1, Fruit (d.e.) .5, Milk (d.e.) .5, Fat (d.e.) 1.5,
 Download this recipe.
Blueberry-Oat Scones with Flaxseeds
Yield: 12 scones
 2 tablespoons flaxseeds, toasted*
1-1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 cup rolled oats
1/4 cup sugar or sugar substitute** equivalent to 1/4 cup sugar
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup cold butter, cut into pieces
1 6-ounce carton plain fat-free or low-fat yogurt
1 egg white, lightly beaten
1-1/4 cups fresh blueberries
Fat-free milk
Rolled oats and/or flaxseeds (optional)
Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with foil or parchment paper; set aside. Place toasted flaxseeds in a spice grinder and pulse until ground to a fine powder.
In a medium bowl, combine ground flaxseeds, flour, the 1/2 cup oats, the sugar, baking powder, and salt. Using a pastry blender, cut in butter until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Make a well in the center of the flour mixture; set aside. In a medium bowl, combine yogurt and egg white. Gently fold in blueberries. Add yogurt mixture all at once to flour mixture. Using a fork, stir just until moistened.
Turn out dough onto a lightly floured surface. Knead by folding and gently pressing dough for 10 to 12 strokes or until dough is nearly smooth. Pat or lightly roll dough into a 10-inch circle. Cut into 12 wedges. Place wedges 1 inch apart on prepared baking sheet. Brush tops of scones with milk. If desired, sprinkle lightly with additional oats and/or flaxseeds. Bake for 16 to 18 minutes or until golden brown. Serve warm. Spread them with light or fat-free cream cheese or low-sugar preserves.
*Test Kitchen Tip: To toast flaxseeds, place in a small dry skillet over medium heat. Cook and stir until the seeds are fragrant and begin to pop.
CARB GRAMS PER SERVING: 22
Nutrition Facts Per Serving: Servings: 12 scones, Calories 148, Total Fat (g) 5, Saturated Fat (g) 3, Cholesterol (mg) 11, Sodium (mg) 133, Carbohydrate (g) 22, Fiber (g) 2, Protein (g) 4
Diabetic Exchanges: Starch (d.e.) 1.5, Fat (d.e.) 1
Download this recipe.
Incredible Apple Tart
Jonathan, Rome Beauty, Winesap, and York Imperial are all great choices for the apples in this party-special tart.
 2/3 cup quick-cooking rolled oats
1/2 cup white whole wheat flour or whole wheat flour
1/4 cup pecans, toasted and ground
1 8-ounce package reduced-fat cream cheese (Neufchtel), softened
2 tablespoons butter, softened
2 tablespoons packed brown sugar*
1 teaspoon finely shredded orange peel
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/8 teaspoon salt
Nonstick cooking spray
1/3 cup light dairy sour cream
1 egg white
2 tablespoons low-sugar orange marmalade
1/4 teaspoon ground cardamom
2 medium red cooking apples, cored and very thinly sliced crosswise**
2 tablespoons low-sugar orange marmalade
For tart dough: In a small bowl, combine oats, whole wheat flour, and ground pecans; set aside. In a large bowl, combine half of the cream cheese and the butter; beat with an electric mixer on medium to high speed for 30 seconds. Add brown sugar, orange peel, baking soda, and salt; beat until well mixed. Beat in as much of the oat mixture as you can with the mixer. Using a wooden spoon, stir in any remaining oat mixture. If necessary, cover and chill for 30 to 60 minutes or until easy to handle.
Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Pat dough evenly on the bottom and up the sides of a lightly greased 9-inch tart pan with a removable bottom. Line pastry with a double thickness of foil that has been coated with nonstick cooking spray. Bake for 4 minutes. Remove foil. Bake for 3 minutes more. Cool completely on a wire rack.
Meanwhile, in a medium bowl, combine the remaining cream cheese, the sour cream, egg white, 2 tablespoons orange marmalade, and ground cardamom; beat with an electric mixer until smooth. Spread into crust.
Arrange apple slices in two concentric rings atop the cream cheese mixture in tart pan, overlapping slices slightly. Cover top of tart with foil. Bake for 35 minutes. Uncover and bake for 10 to 15 minutes more or until crust is golden brown and apples are just tender.
Place 2 tablespoons orange marmalade in a small microwave-safe bowl. Cover; microwave on 50 percent power (medium) for 10 seconds. Stir; microwave about 10 seconds more or until melted. Brush over apples. Serve tart slightly warm or cool. Makes 12 servings.
*Sugar Substitutes: We do not recommend using brown sugar substitute for this recipe.
**Test Kitchen Tip: If you have a mandoline, use it to slice the apples about 1/8 inch thick.
CARB GRAMS PER SERVING: 15
Nutrition Facts Per Serving: Calories 153, Total Fat (g) 9, Saturated Fat (g) 5, Cholesterol (mg) 21, Sodium (mg) 149, Carbohydrate (g) 15, Fiber (g) 2, Protein (g) 4
Diabetic Exchanges: Other Carbohydrates (d.e.) 1, Fat (d.e.) 1.5
Download this recipe.
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