Is Oatmeal A Good Breakfast For Weight Loss?

A bowl of piping hot, creamy oats can start your day off right. But the same bowl of oatmeal has benefits beyond just being a filling breakfast. Whether you are just starting a weight loss diet, or are looking for a new idea for breakfast foods, a bowl of oatmeal most days a week is a wise addition to your eating plan.

Types of Oatmeal

The types of oatmeal are whole oats, which still have their hard outer hull; oat groats, which have their outer hull removed; steel-cut oats, which are groats roughly cut, but still with an intact bran; and rolled oats, which are steamed, flattened groats. The last type of oats are softer due to an extra processing step and cook relatively quickly. Avoid instant oatmeal, which usually has added sodium and instead choose old fashioned or steel cut oats, which have no added sodium. The less processed the oats, the more fiber the oatmeal contains, which is beneficial when losing weight.

Calories

Eating low-calorie oatmeal for breakfast can help you stay within your weight-loss calorie range of at least 1,200 total calories for women and 1,800 total daily calories for men. One cup of regular, quick and instant unenriched oatmeal cooked with water has about 166 calories, according to the USDA Nutrient Data Laboratory. If you cook the oatmeal with 1/2 cup of skim milk rather than water, add 40 calories. Fruit toppings such as one-half sliced banana or 1/4 cup of raw strawberries adds 53 and 27 calories, respectively.)

Benefits to Weight Loss

In addition to being low in calories, oatmeal provides about 4 g of fiber per cup. Eating a high-fiber diet can help you lose weight due to the filling nature of fiber. Foods such as oatmeal that are high in fiber are low-energy density foods, which means that there are relatively few calories compared to the bulk of the food. In addition, oatmeal for breakfast is easy and quick to prepare, making it less likely that you will skip a filling breakfast, or pick up a sweet pastry or fast-food meal to supplement your breakfast.

Expert Insight

Eating oatmeal as part of your breakfast routine can do more than help you lose pounds. A 2010 study published in the "Journal of the American Dietetic Association" found that the participants who ate whole-gran oat cereal as opposed to eating the same number of calories in a low-fiber food experienced a significant reduction in LDL cholesterol levels. Although both the control group and the oat group lost weight, the oat group participants also enjoyed a greater decrease in their waist circumference measurement.