Everyone's Health

Give oats high marks for health

Sharon Thompson

The “fad” diet of the year doesn't have a snazzy name. It's simple: Get active and eat better.

Adding more nutrient-dense foods to our diets is strongly recommended by nutritionists, and one of the super foods we should be eating more of is oatmeal.

For years, Dr. James Anderson, a researcher at the University of Kentucky, has studied the ability of oats to lower serum cholesterol, and other studies continue to tout its health benefits.

“Oats are overflowing with health benefits,” said Patti Geil, a registered dietitian and certified diabetes educator. “In addition to lowering blood lipids, particularly the LDL (“bad”) cholesterol, oats slow the rise of blood glucose after eating, which is important for diabetes control.

“There is also evidence that because oats improve satiety – they keep you feeling full – they are helpful in a weight-loss plan.”

In addition, she said, fiber sources such as oats can help to reduce blood pressure.

Geil said the secret ingredient in oats is beta-glucan, a soluble fiber, and that experts recommend 3 grams of beta-glucan daily for maximum health benefits. This is the amount in 11/2 cups cooked oats or 1/4 cup of uncooked oatmeal, which can be used in other recipes, such as meatloaf or soups.

The latest Dietary Guidelines for Americans emphasize fruits, vegetables and whole grains as part of a healthy diet. Oatmeal is the only whole-grain food recognized by the Food and Drug Administration for lowering cholesterol and reducing the risk of heart disease.

There are many ways to add oats to your diet other than eating a bowl of oatmeal. Quick or old-fashioned oats can be substituted for as much as a third of the flour called for in recipes for muffins, biscuits, pancakes, loaf-type quick breads, coffeecakes, yeast breads, cookies and bars.

Oat forms

Groats: All oats start out as whole oat seeds on the stalk. Once they are cleaned and the thick hull has been removed, they become oat groats. They can then undergo further processing.

Rolled: Steamed, rolled groats become whole rolled oats, also known as the familiar old-fashioned oats.

Steel-cut: When neither steamed nor rolled but cut into pieces, groats become steel-cut, or Irish, oats. Cut groats require a long cooking time.

Quick: Steel-cut oats can n be steamed and rolled thin to create quick oats. They often are used interchangeably with rolled oats in baked goods.

Instant: Made from cut groats that are cooked and dried, instant oats are not suitable for baking.

Oatmeal five ways

Prepare your oatmeal with milk or soy milk instead of water to add protein, minerals and vitamins. Here are some flavor variations:

1. Pumpkin spice: Stir in a dollop of canned pumpkin purée, plus a sprinkle of ginger, nutmeg, cinnamon and brown sugar.

2. Strawberry swirl: Add sliced fresh berries or thawed frozen strawberries with their juice to your cooked oatmeal. Then swirl in a little strawberry jam for sweetness.

3. Fruit and nut: Add chopped dried apricots, dried plums and raisins to your oatmeal as it is cooking, so the fruit plumps up a little. Then add some toasted, chopped walnuts and almonds and a touch of honey.

4. Banana walnut: Top your cooked oatmeal with sliced bananas, chopped toasted walnuts and a bit of honey.

5. Oatmeal cookie: Add all the flavors that make oatmeal cookies so good: a drop of vanilla extract, some raisins, cinnamon and a little brown sugar.

Sources: Cook's Illustrated; “The Good Cook” by Anne Willan; the “Betty Crocker Cookbook”; “Small Changes, Big Results” by Ellie Krieger.

Wonderful ways to feel your Oats
Overnight Peach Oatmeal
Chocolate-Chunk Oatmeal Cookies With Dried Cherries
Fruit and Nut Granola

Overnight Peach Oatmeal

Makes 6 servings

• 1 cup steel-cut oats (or Irish oatmeal)
• 4 cups water
• 1 cup dried peaches, chopped
• 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 1 cup white grape juice
• 1 (6-ounce) carton peach or vanilla flavored low-fat yogurt
• 6 tablespoons English walnut pieces, toasted

Combine oats and 4 cups water in 31/2-to 4-quart slow cooker. Cover and cook on low setting 6 to 8 hours, or until oats are tender and cereal is thick.

Combine peaches, nutmeg and white grape juice in a small saucepan. Cover and heat to boiling. Reduce heat and simmer 8 minutes, or until peaches are tender. Uncover and cook 2 to 3 minutes, or until liquid is slightly reduced.

To serve, spoon cooked oats into individual serving bowls. Top each with 2 to 3 tablespoons warm peaches and syrup, then a dollop of yogurt. Sprinkle with walnuts.

Per serving: 214 calories (24 percent from fat), 6 g fat (1 g saturated), 1 mg cholesterol, 37 g carbohydrates, 7 g protein, 22 mg sodium, 4 g dietary fiber. (From home economists Kathryn Moore and Roxanne Wyss in The Kansas City Star.)

Chocolate-Chunk Oatmeal Cookies With Dried Cherries

Makes 16 (4-inch) cookies.

• 1 1/4 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
• 3/4 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 2 1/4 cups rolled oats, old-fashioned (see note)
• 1 cup dried tart cherries, coarsely chopped, or 1 cup dried cranberries
• 4 ounces bittersweet chocolate, chopped into chunks about the size of chocolate chips (about 3/4 cup)
• 12 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened but still cool
• 1 1/2 cups packed brown sugar, preferably dark
• 1 large egg
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Place oven racks in upper and lower positions. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line 2 large (12-inch by 18-inch) baking sheets with parchment paper.

Whisk flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt in medium bowl. In second medium bowl, stir together oats, cherries and chocolate.

In standing mixer fitted with flat beater, beat butter and brown sugar at medium speed until no sugar lumps remain, about 1 minute. Scrape down sides of bowl with rubber spatula; add egg and vanilla, and beat on medium-low speed until fully incorporated, about 30 seconds. Scrape down bowl; with mixer running at low speed, add flour mixture; mix until just combined, about 30 seconds. Gradually add oat mixture; mix until just incorporated. Give dough final stir with rubber spatula to ensure that no flour pockets remain.

Divide dough evenly into 16 portions, each about 1/4 cup, then roll between palms into balls about 2 inches in diameter; stagger eight balls on each baking sheet, spacing them about 21/2 inches apart. Using hands, gentlpress each dough ball to 1 inch thickness. Bake 12 minutes, then rotate cookie sheets front to back and top to bottom and continue to bake until cookies are medium brown and edges have begun to set but centers are still soft (cookies will seem underdone), 8 to 10 minutes longer. Do not overbake.

Cool cookies on baking sheets on wire rack 5 minutes; using wide metal spatula, transfer cookies to wire rack and cool to room temperature.

Note: Quick oats used in place of the old-fashioned oats will yieldld a cookie with slightly less chewiness.

(From Cook's Illustrated magazine.)

Diane's Fruit and Nut Granola

Makes 20 1/2-cup servings

GRANOLA

• 4 cups old-fashioned rolled oats
• 1 cup pecan pieces
• 1 cup sliced almonds
• 3/4 cup sweetened shredded coconut
• 1 cup golden raisins
• 1 cup dried cranberries
• 1 cup dried cherries

  SYRUP

• 1 cup light corn syrup
• 2 tablespoons molasses
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
• 1/8 teaspoon allspice
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
• Pinch salt

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees. Place the old-fashioned rolled oats in a single layer on a large cookie sheet. Toast the oats in the oven for 12 minutes.

Add the pecans and the almonds to the cookie sheet, and toast for 4 minutes more. Add the shredded coconut, and toast the mixture for 4 minutes more.

In a large bowl, combine the corn syrup, molasses, cinnamon, nutmeg, allspice, vanilla and salt. Add the toasted oatmeal mixture, stirring to evenly coat the granola with the corn syrup and spice mixture.

Spray the cookie sheet with nonstick cooking spray, then top with the granola. Evenly spread the granola out on the pan. Bake in a 325-degree oven for 30 minutes, stirring every 5 minutes.

Remove the granola from the pan, and stir in the raisins, dried cranberries and cherries. Cool the granola completely before serving.

(From Diane Scott Kellum, co-author of “Calorie Queens: Living Thin in a Fat World.”)

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