Quaker Oats Hot Oatmeal Nutritional Information

Oats are a chewy, nutritious whole grain food. Quaker manufactures a variety of oat-based breakfast cereals, hot and cold. Its hot cereals include old fashioned oats, quick oats and instant oatmeal in packets. All of these are quick and healthy breakfast options. However, old fashioned oats are less expensive than the instant packets and are nearly as quick to prepare. Quaker Old Fashioned and Steel Cut Oats contain no artificial ingredients or sugars, just 100 percent rolled oats.

Types

Steel cut oats are whole oats that are cut into thirds, approximately, instead of being rolled into flakes. They have a heartier texture than traditional oats and take longer to cook, about 30 minutes. Steel cut oats may be referred to as Scotch oats, Pinhead or Irish oats. Quaker Old Fashioned Oats are made from steel cut whole oats that have been rolled to flatten them. Quick Quaker Oats and Quaker Instant Oats are also made from steel cut oats but they have been rolled thinner than Old Fashioned Oats for quicker cooking time. All forms of Quaker Oats are whole grains.

Old-Fashioned

Prepare Old-Fashioned Oats in the microwave or on the stovetop. The ratio for one serving is 1/2 cup of oats to one cup of liquid, either water or milk. One serving, cooked in water, provides 150 calories, 5 g of protein, 3 g of fat, 0.5 g of saturated fat, 27 g of carbohydrates, 1 g of sugar and 4 g of dietary fiber, half of which is soluble fiber. Quick Quaker Oats have the same nutrient values per serving. Steel Cut Oats offer the same nutrient values but provide .5 g less of total fat per serving.

Instant

Quaker Instant Oats cook quickly. They are made with whole grain rolled oats and oat flour but also contain colorings, thickeners and often, sugars. This variety comes in individual packets plain or flavored. One packet of unflavored, cooked in water, provides 100 calories, 4 g of protein, 2 g of fat, 0 g of saturated fat, 19 g of carbohydrates, 1 g of sugar and 3 g of dietary fiber. The flavored Quaker Instant Oats range in calories from 130 to 150 per packet. For example, one packet of the Raisins 'N' Spice flavor provides 150 calories, 4 g of protein, 2 g of fat, 0 g of saturated fat, 32 g of carbohydrates, 14 g of sugars and 3 g of dietary fiber.

Vitamins and Minerals

Quaker Old Fashioned, Steel Cut and Quick Oats are not vitamin and mineral fortified, like the instant oatmeal. As a whole grain, oats are naturally rich in nutrients such as thiamine or vitamin B-1, iron, phosphorus and magnesium. In fact, a 1/2 cup serving, prepared with 1 cup of water, meets 10 percent of the recommended daily value or DV for thaimine and iron; 15 percent for phosphorus and 25 percent for magnesium. According to the McKinley Health Center, iron helps to carry oxygen to your tissues and muscles and magnesium is needed for normal muscle, nerve and immune function. Magnesium works with phosphorus and calcium to maintain bones and teeth while phosphorus, along with thiamine, helps to convert the food you eat into energy.

Cholesterol-Lowering Food

Quaker Oats offer, on average, 4 g of dietary fiber per serving, 2 g is in the form of beta-glucan, a type of soluble fiber. Several research studies, such as one published in the "Journal of the American Dietetic Association" in February 2010, have shown that consuming hot oatmeal or an oat-based cold cereal lowers cholesterol levels. Study participants with total cholesterol levels of 220mg/dL or higher added a whole oat breakfast cereal to their weight-loss diet and enjoyed a reduction in blood cholesterol levels of 8 percent to 23 percent. Other compounds in oats, known as saponins, work with the soluble fiber to reduce the absorption of cholesterol in the intestinal tract and carry it out of the body.