Every Friday I try to visit our local Farmers’ Market. There are so many amazing vendors offering delicious farm to table foods. Our local organic farmer always has an amazing array of foods.
On the table between the veggies was a basket of whole oats or groats. Groats are what’s left after the inedible hull is removed from the wheat shaft. So of course I had to buy some. I have been to many farmers market and I usually don’t find groats.
Cooking groats takes the longest because the grain is in tack. In order to speed up the cooking time the oats can be cut, ground, rolled and/or steamed.
When you are shopping you will find the groats as steel cut oats, old fashioned, Irish oatmeal, Scottish oatmeal or instant.
Steel cut oats or Irish oatmeal is when the groats are cut with steel blades so more surface area is exposed to water so that it cooks faster.
Scottish oatmeal is ground instead of cut. Which makes this oatmeal creamier.
With Old fashioned oats the groats are steamed and rolled. This allows for even more surface areas to be exposed to water and the oats cook faster than steel cut.
Quick or instant oats are steamed and rolled thin. So these oats cook the quickest. Instant oats can have added sugars so choose plain and top with honey and nuts.
It doesn’t matter how the oats are handled they all are still whole grains. The germ and bran aren’t removed.
Healthy Oats
Whichever way you eat your oats including them in your diet is a great idea. Oats are rich in beta-glucans, a starch that binds with cholesterol and helps to remove it from your body. It also has anti-cancer properties and they help to keep you fuller longer.
How do you eat your groats?
Reference: http://wholegrainscouncil.org/whole-grains-101/oats-january-grain-of-the-month
Maryrose & Thyme 