How to Eat Oatmeal as a Healthy Alternative

How to Eat Oatmeal as a Healthy Alternative

The habit of eating oatmeal has its health benefits. Oatmeal is usually eaten at breakfast though others make it as a snack or early evening meal. It is good for the young and old and is one of the most convenient healthy foods to prepare.

The health benefits of oatmeal is that it lowers cholesterol, it is high in fiber, it is low in fat, it has calcium, iron and other nutrients and vitamins, it is good for the heart, it helps in weight control, reduces type 2 diabetes and combats certain cancers. Since you know all of these health benefits, you can take your oatmeal in many ways to keep it a delicious and healthy meal at the same time.

It would be wise to choose what kind of oats you have in your oatmeal. There are the instant oatmeal packs and there are the old fashioned oats. The difference between the two is that the old fashioned oaks take a little more time to cook and are healthier than the instant oats. But, it is just as easy to just put a bowl of these in the microwave and cooking time is done in a few minutes.

Oats that look like kernels are known as Irish oats which have a denser and chewier texture and they require a slow cooking time as long as 30 minutes. These are the healthiest oats and are the most preferred. The rolled or old fashioned oats take about 5-7 minutes to cook. Quick oats are similar to rolled oats except that these are smaller in size and take about 3-5 minutes to cook. Then, there is the instant oatmeal which is dried and precooked. There is also sugar, salt and other additives in it and cooking takes only 2-3 minutes. This is the least healthy of all the oats.

You can choose which oats you prefer but the healthy choice would be any of the old fashioned oats. If you have time to cook it, then you get the healthy benefits the oats offer. Besides, you can add some more healthy ingredients in your oats such as blueberries, raisins, dates, slices of bananas, fresh strawberries, and apples. You can also add crushed walnuts, cashew and other nuts you prefer. You can add soya milk or any low fat milk in your oats. This would make your oats healthier because you get more calcium, protein and vitamin D. To make it taste a bit different, you can add cinnamon or a bit of butter. You can add honey instead of sugar to make it sweeter.

Now that you know how to eat oatmeal in its healthiest form, you can’t go wrong with it. It is always a healthy alternative and can be included in your diet. Oatmeal is a good choice because of the healthy benefits it gives, it is convenient to prepare and it is delicious. You can take it hot or cold, you can eat it in a bowl or you can drink it in a mug and it would last you until your next meal.