Oats

Oats are most well known for the warm gooey breakfast called porridge that people have been eating for many years and probably remember their grandmother making up a batch. Muesli also uses rolled oats as the main component.

Oats are a soft grain that are rolled and flattened which makes them cook faster. Oatmeal or porridge is a healthy breakfast option as it contains a high amount of complex carbs for energy for the day. Oat flour can be used instead of wheat flour for breads and biscuits and oat bran is a good alternative to wheat bran for those sensitive to wheat and needing some extra fibre or needing to lower their cholesterol levels.

Oats are 10-15% protein and have a good level of fibre as well as a mixture of B vitamins, decent amounts of iron, magnesium, zinc, potassium, manganese, calcium and copper. They contain great phytonutrients such as luteolin and carotenes.

Oats can help soothe the nervous system, removes cholesterol from the digestive tract, helpful for diabetes, hepatitis, indigestion and abdominal bloating.

Oats or oat bran can be used as a poultice for itching or you can pour some oat bran into a bath to soothe itch associated with rashes, bites and eczema.

Make sure when you are looking at buying oats you don’t buy the highly processed flakes that cook in a matter of seconds as these are more refined and have lost some of their nutrition. Also some of these quick flavoured oats have more sugar than nutritional value.

Summer is just about here, so use oats in healthy biscuits, muffins and home-made muesli’s instead of the hot porridge that is so satisfying in winter!