30 Recipes using oats-a cheap pantry staple (2024)

FAQs

What not to mix with oatmeal? ›

High-sugar toppings like chocolate, syrup, and dried fruit

As Best points out, "some of the worst ingredients that are mistakenly added to healthy overnight oat recipes include chocolate sauce, sugar, syrup, and dried fruit."

The bottom line

Adding nutritious toppings to oatmeal can boost its flavor and contribute to its health benefits. Try adding fruit for sweetness, veggies or eggs for a savory twist, or sources of protein and fat to make it a balanced meal.

Old fashioned oats give baked goods more texture but take longer to cook, which is why some recipes call specifically for quick oats. Quick cook oats are processed more, so they don't have to cook as long. In many cases, you can use the two interchangeably.

She recommends including spices, such as cinnamon, paprika, black pepper, vanilla, ginger, cayenne, and apple pie spice. These spices can transform a standard oatmeal and offer both sweet and savory flavor options for a healthy oatmeal recipe.

Oats contain phytic acid, an antinutrient that is known to interfere with the absorption of the vitamins and minerals from oats into your body. So, you need to include a variety of fruits and vegetables in your diet to make up for the possible nutritional loss.

Oats can cause gas and bloating. To minimize side effects, start with a low dose and increase slowly to the desired amount. Your body will get used to oat bran and the side effects will likely go away. When applied to the skin: Lotion containing oat extract is possibly safe to use on the skin.

Compare 100 calories of baked potato to 100 calories of oatmeal, and you find a bit less protein (3 grams vs. 4), a bit more starch (18 grams vs. 16) and a similar mineral profile (potatoes have more potassium, but oats have more selenium). But potatoes beat out oats in just about every vitamin, as well as fiber.

Oatmeal is good for your gut.

Oats are a prebiotic food and the beta-glucan fiber helps feed the good bacteria. The fiber helps to keep you full for hours by slowing down digestion AND contributes to keeping bowel movements regular. A healthy gut decreases the risk for disease and inflammation.

Although this food is often associated with the start of the day, oats can make a great bedtime snack as they're a source of melatonin. Melatonin has been reported to improve sleep efficiency and consuming sources of melatonin-rich foods may help to improve sleep.

Speaking of, what is the difference between oats and oatmeal? Technically, oats refers to the whole grains themselves, and oatmeal to the porridge-like dish often made from them, and/or to the processed form of the whole grains—but now, the terms are often used interchangeably.

Why can't you use quick oats in cookies? ›

You can use quick oats in a pinch, but it will result in a texture difference. In my experience quick oats make for a kind of thicker, denser cookie. They aren't quite as melt in your mouth. And the oats themselves will kind of disappear into the cookie more.

Scottish oatmeal is a stone-ground oatmeal. The groats are ground and broken into small bits. Rolled oats (old-fashioned), are the oat groats steamed and rolled into flakes. This means the oils are stabilized, and the oats stay fresh longer.

Cardamom and cinnamon give them an especially earthy, perfumed aroma, and toasting the oats in butter before baking them lends nuttiness and depth. They're also extremely easy, and you can assemble the dish the night before, then bake them in the morning.

When in doubt, add nut butters for creaminess, sweetness, and plenty of good protein. We like crunchy peanut butter for added texture, almond butter, cashew butter, and even tahini. Throw a chopped banana and a smudge of vanilla paste into stovetop oats for creamy, delicious, banana bread oatmeal.

According to Healthline.com, oats are a good source of carbs and fiber and are even filled with "important vitamins, minerals, and antioxidant plant compounds." When combined with the natural energy found in pure honey, there is no doubt that honey and oats pack a powerful punch when enjoyed together.

Raw oats can be eaten with milk or water, but it is generally not recommended as they can be difficult to digest and can cause digestive discomfort.