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Oats as a Diet Food

Jun 9, 2011 | By Carly Schuna
Oats as a Diet Food
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Nutritionally, whole grain foods such as oats help to form the foundation of a healthy and balanced diet. Oats are a rich source of complex carbohydrates, which your body uses as a main energy source, and they're also high in lean protein and fiber. All of those qualities combine to make them an excellent weight loss food, even if they're not the lowest-calorie option around.

Benefits

Oats carry the same considerable health benefits of all other whole grains. According to ChooseMyPlate.gov, eating regular servings of oats may help reduce your risk of constipation, heart disease, obesity and overweight, diabetes and high cholesterol. In fact, MayoClinic.com ranks oats as the very best food to help lower cholesterol levels, noting that the high amounts of soluble fiber they contain can help hinder cholesterol from being absorbed into your bloodstream.

Oat Basics

Instant oats, quick oats, rolled oats and steel cut oats are all nutritionally identical, although their dry serving sizes and processing methods differ. Rolled oats are steamed, flattened and sometimes toasted before they are packaged and sold. Steel cut oats, in contrast, are more minimally processed and are simply oat groats that have been sliced into several pieces. You may eat oats raw, toasted or cooked with water or milk on the stovetop or in the microwave.

Nutrition Facts

According to the USDA, 1 cup of cooked oats prepared with water has approximately 165 calories, 6 g protein, 3.5 g fat, 28 g carbohydrates, 4 g fiber and 0.5 g natural sugar. As a diet food, oats stand out because of their low energy density level. MayoClinic.com reports that foods with low energy densities are best for weight loss because they have low fat and calorie counts and high fiber and water amounts per serving. In 100 g of cooked oats, nearly 84 g are made up of water.

Serving Suggestions

The add-ons you use when preparing and serving oats can make the difference between a complete, healthy meal and a meal that won't do your diet any favors. When your goal is weight loss, it's smart to try to minimize calorie count and maximize nutritional value. Cook the oats with a cup of skim milk instead of water, which will add about 80 calories and more than 8 g protein. To get more protein and some healthy fat into the meal, serve wheat toast or crackers with nut butter on the side. Avoid garnishing the oats with a lot of heavy cream, butter or added sugar.

References

Article reviewed by Jenna Marie Last updated on: Jun 9, 2011

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