Steel cut oats are a great way to start the day, as a nice steaming bowl of porridge on a cold morning. But did you know that you can also use them in savory dishes, for a satisfying lunch or dinner? We tend to associate oats with breakfast, but they are actually a grain, like rice or quinoa, and work wonderfully well in a variety of dishes.
Nutritionally speaking… oats are great partly because of their particular type of fiber — water-soluble fiber– which leads to a nice feeling of fullness, can help with the regulation of blood sugar and lowers the harmful LDL-cholesterol, and so reduces the risk of heart disease and diabetes.
In addition to all of these great benefits, when oat fiber reaches the large intestine, it is metabolized by the good bacteria that live there, who then decrease inflammation and promote good gastrointestinal health. All in all, oats are one of nature’s most perfect foods.
Steel cut oats are particularly great because they are only very minimally processed. To get steel cut oats, the oat kernel (called a groat) is cut into two or three pieces with a sharp blade. They are not steamed and rolled, like old fashioned (regular) oats. They take longer to digest and absorb than regular (old fashioned), quick, or instant oats. That is a good thing – the longer they hang around in our intestines, the more good they can do, so be consistent in providing your body with this needed fuel.
by Judy Palken MNS, RD, LDN
Republished courtesy of: UMass Medical School
https://www.umassmed.edu/nutrition/ibd/ask-Nutritionist/why-steel-cut-oats/
