I consider myself a very fortunate person. My worst trauma as a child was being forced to eat porridge three mornings a week... 😉 I detested it and maintained that when I grew up I would never eat it, let alone force my kids to. Funny how you do become your mother! My daughter and I are now obsessed with our morning steel cut oats! We recognize the high nutrient value of this breakfast and enjoy its deliciousness and versatility.
I remember waking up to my mom in kitchen with her glass measuring cup layered with Red River cereal, wheat bran, oat bran, and ground flax. That picture is etched into my brain. Those weekday mornings I tried to choke down my porridge without gagging before the school bus arrived. Eventually I got smart and started hiding my porridge in my napkin and flushing it down the toilet! What a wasteful brat I was!
If I can become a porridge/oat lover, anyone can!
What are steel cut oats?
Remember learning about the parts of a grain in science class as a kid? Steel cut oats retain the bran, the germ and the endosperm. The only part removed is the outer husk. This is as close as you can get to a whole grain, so is the most nutritious variety to consume.
The benefits of eating steel cut oats:
- the soluble fibre in oats, called beta-glucan, helps to reduce LDL cholesterol levels and decrease the risk of developing heart disease
- the antioxidants in oats can help decrease high blood pressure, as well as lower the risk of developing type-2 diabetes
- oats are high in complex carbohydrates and are filling
- are very high in fibre and will help us stay full for hours
- they rate low on the glycemic index which means they help keep blood sugar levels stable
- can help lower cholesterol
- they are simple to cook
- you can cook a large batch and keep in the fridge all week
- you can top them with just about anything
- they are delicious
Some examples of how we dress up our oats:
Are quick oats and rolled oats as healthy as steel cut oats?
The quick answer is no, but don’t discount them!
Oats come in numerous forms. From most processed to least processed, they go in this order…
- Pre-cooked instant oats
- Quick oats
- Rolled oats – also known as old fashioned oats
- Scottish oats – stone ground instead of steel cut
- Steel cut oats
- Whole oat groats
Steel cut oats are coarser than quick and rolled oats. The kernel of the oat is cut into two or three pieces, using a steel blade. Hence the name “steel cut.” They are more dense than regular oats and have double the amount of fibre of rolled oats. Steel cut oats provide a healthy amount of manganese, magnesium, copper, iron, antioxidants, B vitamins and potassium.
To make rolled oats, whole oat groats are first steamed to prevent them from cracking or breaking. They are then rolled through mills to be flattened. This results in rolled oats that have a squished, round textured appearance. Quick oats are rolled even more thinly and cut into smaller pieces.
All oats are nutritious, just watch out for the prepackaged varieties that contain more sugar than they should. You’re better off to make your own and add fruit, dates, nuts, seeds, etc. to sweeten it naturally.
Quick oats and rolled oats are better for baking or tossing in a smoothie, where as steel cut are better cooked on the stove for breakfast.
Just experiment with different types of oats to see what you prefer. I’m pretty sure you will find that they are very addicting!
Tips for buying steel cut oats:
- Choose organic if you can, to avoid any nasty chemicals.
- Oats are not GMO crops, however glyphosate is often sprayed on non-organic oats to help dry them out.
- You can buy a 3.2 kg bag at Costco for $12.99. That makes a LOT of servings!
Topping ideas: www.thevibrantveggie.com 
Ingredients
Instructions
If you love this breakfast, you might also like to try my Quinoa Breakfast Parfait and Cinnamon, Vanilla Quinoa Oatmeal.
References:
1 Rolled vs Steel-Cut vs Quick Oats: What’s the Difference?Written by Jillian Kubala, MS, RD on May 4, 2018
2 Oldways, Whole Grain Oats Council