Although the packaging has changed over the decades, Quaker Oats products provide the same health benefits as they did in the 1850s, when they began marketing oats as a breakfast food. Oat is a grain that consists of four parts: an inedible hull, removed during milling; the bran or coarse outer layer, which contains soluble fiber; the endosperm, which contains carbohydrates and protein; and the nutrient-filled germ.
Company History
Until the mid-1800s, Americans thought of oats as mainly food for livestock. An Ohio oat-factory owner, Ferdinand Schumacher, was the first person to market oats as a breakfast cereal in 1856. A number of oat-milling companies consolidated during the last half of the 19th century, eventually becoming the Quaker Oats Co. in 1901. In 2001, Quaker Oats became part of PepsiCo.
Company Symbol
In 1866, Henry Parsons Crowell, owner of the Quaker Mill in Ravenna, Ohio, registered the well-known trademark of a man in Quaker clothing. This symbol of Quaker Oats was never a real person but represented the principles of honesty, integrity, purity and strength. The Religious Society of Friends, sometimes called the Quakers, have never had a role in the production of Quaker Oats, according to the website Funding Universe.
Products
Quaker Oats introduced its familiar round box in 1915. In 1922, the company began marketing Quaker Quick Oats, one of America's first convenience foods. Today the Quaker Oats Co. produces many cereal products, including Oatmeal Squares, Life, Puffed Rice, Honey Graham Oh's and Simple Harvest. Quaker Oats also produces snack foods including granola bars.
Health Benefits
Oatmeal lowers LDL--low-density lipoprotein or "bad" cholesterol. Cholesterol is naturally manufactured by the body. Too much can cause arterial damage and heart disease. The soluble fibers in oatmeal bind with cholesterol in the digestive tract, allowing it to be expelled. In 1997, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration approved the first food-specific health claim for oatmeal because of its heart-healthy benefits
Fiber Value
By eating oats, you gain the benefits of both soluble and insoluble fiber. Soluble fiber facilitates healthy blood sugar levels while reducing blood cholesterol levels. Insoluble fiber promotes a healthy digestive system. Both the old-fashioned and quick varieties of Quaker Oatmeal contain 2 grams of soluble fiber and 4 total grams of fiber. Most Americans do not get enough fiber, according to the FDA. The recommended amount of dietary fiber for someone consuming 2,000 calories a day is 25 grams; for 2,500 calories, it's 30 grams. By eating a bowl of oatmeal topped with a fiber-rich fruit for breakfast, you are well on your way to meeting your fiber quota for the day.
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