Quaker is part of PepsiCo, and its products include oats, snack bars, rice snacks, and cereals such as corn bran and granola. Quaker instant oatmeal products come in single-serving packets that you can make by adding boiling water or by microwaving in water. Along with regular, flavored and lower sugar varieties, Quaker makes high-fiber instant oatmeal that can help you meet your daily recommendations for dietary fiber.
Nutritional Background
Quaker high fiber instant oatmeal comes in cinnamon swirl and maple and brown sugar flavors that have the same nutritional information. The serving size is one packet, or 45g. It has 160 calories and 2g fat with no saturated or trans fat. Each packet has 4g protein and 34g total carbohydrate, including 7g sugars. Sweeteners in the oatmeal include sugar and sucralose, an artificial sweetener that does not provide calories.
Fiber
Dietary insoluble and soluble fibers come from the parts of plant-based foods that your body cannot digest. According to the Linus Pauling Institute, high-fiber diets may reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease and promote bowel health. A packet of Quaker high-fiber instant oatmeal has 10g, or 40 percent of the daily value for total dietary fiber. It has 8g of soluble fiber. Fiber sources in this oatmeal are oats, guar gum and maltodextrin.
Whole Grains
People who eat more whole grains may have better heart health and weight management than people who eat more refined flours. Whole grains are natural sources of vitamins, minerals, dietary fiber and antioxidants. The soluble fiber from whole grain oats may decrease LDL cholesterol levels in your blood and help regulate blood sugar levels. Try to get at least 1/2 your grains from whole-grain sources, such as the oats in Quaker high-fiber instant oatmeal.
Vitamins and Minerals
According to QuakerOats.com, its high-fiber oatmeal is a source of seven essential vitamins and minerals. Each packet has 10 percent of the daily value for calcium and 20 percent of the daily value for iron and thiamin. It has 25 percent of the daily value for vitamin A and the B vitamins riboflavin, niacin, vitamin B6 and folic acid. It also has 11 percent of the daily value for sodium, or 210mg. The American Heart Association recommends keeping sodium intake to under 1,500mg per day to reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease.
Heart Check Mark
The heart check mark is a symbol to help consumers easily identify heart healthy food choices. The American Heart Association allows manufacturers to place the symbol on food products that meet standards such as being low in fat and saturated fat and high in fiber and other beneficial nutrients. Quaker High Fiber Instant Oatmeal meets the nutritional criteria for heart-healthy whole-grain foods, which means it is over 50 percent whole grain and has less than 20mg cholesterol and 480mg sodium per serving.
References
- QuakerOats.com: Products: High Fiber Instant Oatmeal: Cinnamon Swirl
- American Heart Association: Sodium
- Linus Pauling Institute Micronutrient Information Center: Fiber
- United States Department of Health and Human Services: Dietary Guidelines for Americans: 2005
- American Heart Association: Heart Check Mark Nutritional Criteria
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