Oatmeal Ingredients

Marketed in the form of cut oats, oat groats, rolled or crushed oats, oatmeal is a popular breakfast food. The oatmeal that we consume actually comes from the cereal grass called oats. A lot of behind the scenes work goes on for us to have our bowl of cooked oatmeal on the table. The cereals are cleaned, toasted, hulled, and cleaned again to form groats. When steamed and rolled flat, they form the product that we call oatmeal.

The quick cooking oats that we find in the stores are groats rolled and steamed twice so as to make thinner, faster cooking oats. Cut oats are rolled groats cut with a knife. They are either consumed independently or with milk and honey or even added into thick soups. Today we have ready to eat oatmeal cookies, bars, bread, cakes, muffins, porridge, etc.

In terms of nutritional value half a cup of rolled oats features 27 g carbohydrates, 5.5 g protein, less than 1 mg sodium, 3 g fat, 0 mg cholesterol, 1 mcg vitamin K, 0.5 g sat fat, 1 g mono fat and 151 calories.

As far as the different ingredients in an oatmeal breakfast go, they are as follows:

• Milk, 2 cups
• Rolled oats, 1 cup
• Apple, 1 cup (diced)
• Raisins, ½ cup
• Walnuts, ½ cup (chopped)
• Brown sugar, ¼ cup
• Butter, 1 tablespoon (melted)
• Cinnamon, ½ teaspoon
• Salt, ¼ teaspoon

Oatmeal Preparation
To prepare yummy oatmeal for breakfast, one needs to put all these oatmeal ingredients into a greased, slow cooker crockpot. Mix and whisk all of them well. Cover the crockpot and leave it at a 'low speed' overnight. Your tasty, piping hot oatmeal will be ready in the morning.

If you don't own a slow cooker crockpot or don't have an entire night to wait before having oatmeal, then you can opt for the instant oatmeal pack. The supermarket aisles are stocked with all kinds of quick-cooking options which have been processed with additional amounts of sugar, salt, colorings, and flavorings.

The label on the pack will reveal the list of ingredients used. While choosing an instant oatmeal pack, opt for the one which has 300 g of sodium or less. Avoid packs with added sodium. Look for packs with 0% trans fat and while considering the sugar content, make sure you do not buy a pack that has more than 200 calories per serving.

Instant Oatmeal Preparation
To prepare a mouth-watering instant orange oatmeal, you need ½ cup orange juice and a packet instant oatmeal. In a microwave serving bowl, heat the juice for 30 seconds. Empty the contents of the oatmeal into the bowl with warm juice and microwave it for another 30 seconds. To add more flavor, add fresh or frozen diced fruits, dried fruits, chopped nuts, maple syrup, yogurt, jam, or any fruit preserves to enhance the flavor.

Oatmeal can be used to prepare cookies, muffins, and cakes as well. Here is a recipe for oatmeal muffins.

Ingredients

• Sour cream, 1 pint
• Flour, 2 cups
• Oatmeal, 2 cups
• Brown sugar, 2 cups
• Cranberries, 1 packet
• Eggs, 4
• Butter, 2/3 cup (melted)
• Salt, 1 tablespoon
• Baking soda, 1 tablespoon

Preparation
Into a mixing bowl, add oatmeal and sour cream and mix well. Next, add brown sugar, eggs, and melted butter. After sifting the remaining dry ingredients, add them into the oatmeal. Dollop the mixture into greased muffin tins and bake for 22 minutes at 375 degrees Fahrenheit.

Scores of different oatmeal preparations are available. One can choose to prepare and relish any of these. The different ingredients present in oatmeal conduce to various health benefits.

Consumption of oatmeal on a regular basis is believed to lower blood cholesterol, stabilize blood glucose levels, control weight, reduce risks of heart diseases, stabilize blood pressure levels, and also lead to healthier metabolism.

The phytochemicals present in the oats have cancer fighting properties. Moreover, oats are a wonderful source of nutrients like zinc, copper, magnesium, vitamin E, manganese, and selenium.