This is what the oat plant looks like. So many amazing things grow naturally on this amazing planet and keep your body strong! Eat these things!
Not all oats end up the same, but ALL forms of OATS are pretty darn good for you!! There are Oat Groats, Steel-Cut or Irish Oats, Scottish Oats, Rolled or Old Fashioned Oats and Quick or Instant oats.
There is some very cool stuff about oats!
OAT GROATS (least processed)-this is what an oat looks like right out of its hard inedible outer shell. They take a long time to cook and soften up. This is what “porridge” or “gruel” is made out of and reminds us of Medieval Times before there were machines to cut it up or flatten it out.
STEEL-CUT/IRISH OATS (medium processed)-Same as groats but are chopped up into smaller pieces using a big steel blade, so they cook faster. They retain most nutrients because processing is minimal and are trendy in health food circles right now.
OLD-FASHIONED/ROLLED OATS (most processed)-the oat groat is pressed in a machine to flatten it. These cook the fastest and are good in recipes because they are softer. Even though these are “processed” they still retain most of their nutrients because the processing is just flattening and not removing or changing any of the natural goodness!
QUICK/INSTANT OATS (most processed)-These oats have been precooked so they lose some of their nutrients but just have to be heated up to enjoy.
Healthy Cool Stuff About Oats!
- Oats have the MOST PROTEIN of all the whole grains! So if you are looking to cut down on eating animal products, you can get some of your protein needs met, with the AMAZING OAT! It is also naturally gluten-free, so if that’s an issue, you’re issue-free with this bad boy! A healthy bowl of oatmeal will keep you full all morning because of the high fiber and protein!
- Try oat flour (high nutrients) as a substitute for white flour (low nutrients) substitute. It’s easy to make by grinding oats down to a powder in a high speed blender or food processor.
- Endurance athletes, like Ironman (triathlon) competitors and marathon runners, like to eat oats/oatmeal because oats release their energy slowly over time, and can therefore sustain an athlete for a long race or competition.
Not THIS kind of Ironman….
THIS kind of Ironman!
- Quaker Oats is arguably the most popular brand of oats in the United States. It actually was started by the Quaker people in 1877! It is still one of the best tasting and most popular instant oats brands today!
- Americans eat around 500 million bowls of oatmeal each year! There are about 350 million people in America. So picture every single person in America eating around 1-2 bowls of oatmeal per year. Wow, that’s a lotta fiber!
- National Oatmeal day is October 29! No one knows who picks these “National Days” for all the foods, but it probably is a mix of the companies that sell them!
- In Scotland, oatmeal (or porridge) is celebrated every year in the World Porridge Making Championship in the village of Carrbridge. It’s famous and delicious!
Find America, look right and that little red dot above Europe is SCOTLAND!
Historically Cool Stuff About Oats!
- Oats have been around for more than 30,000 years! They were hand ground by “Paleolithic hunter-gatherers” (aka “Cavemen”)! We know this because we have found it in their preserved stomachs (Aka “MUMMY TUMMIES”)!
- Oats have also been found plentiful in Egyptian culture back around 2000 B.C. At this time, they were considered weeds, and feed to animals, which they still are today because of their abundance and low cost.
- Oat straw (the dried plant) has been used as bedding for horses and other animals, woven into baskets, hats, and mats. The straw mixed with mud is used to build houses and thatch roofs! So useful!
More Culturally Cool Stuff About Oats!
- Oats, as a symbol, represents kindness, health, wellness and treasures. It is said that if you dream about oats, there is a hidden treasure waiting for you!
- The phrase “SOW YOUR WILD OATS” comes from oats being fed to horses to energize them and encourage them to mate.
- Oats are anti-inflammatory and they help to soothe and heal dry, itchy skin. Many common moisturizers and beauty products, contain oatmeal for its soothing properties. Aveeno is one of the most popular in the United States.
- Oats can absorb odors! Place a bowl of oats in your refrigerator to get rid of stinky smells.
- Ever heard of Oatmeal, Texas? It’s about 56 miles northwest of Austin!
Jill’s Jokes!!
Why did the farmer start a rock band??
Because he was tired of haulin’ oats (Ha ha…Ask your parents!)
These are the BEST containers to store oats so you don’t get pantry moths!
Enjoy your OATS friends!! Here are some recipes using OATS:
What do you think?