Oats began their history as a weed among more popular ancient grains like wheat and barley. They slowly crept into Europe and North America and eventually became a staple grain in both animal and human diets. When you visit your grocery store today, you will likely find a wide selection of oat types. These range from instant oats that take a minute or less to prepare to “old-fashioned” oats that undergo less refinement from the harvested grain.
Raw Oats
Whole grain oats that are not rolled have some of the highest nutrient content of all oats. A 100-gram serving has 389 calories, 6.9 grams of fat, 66.3 grams of carbohydrates, 10.6 grams of dietary fiber and 16.9 grams of protein. University of Nebraska experts say oats have more protein than any other grain, so they can be an excellent source of protein in your breakfast in place of fatty meats or high-cholesterol eggs. Raw oats also have 26 percent of your daily iron requirement, 51 percent of the thiamin you need, 44 percent of the magnesium, 52 percent of the phosphorus, 26 percent of the zinc and 246 percent of the manganese. All these values are based on a 2,000-calorie per day diet.
Quick Oats
Quick oats have had the slower-cooking parts of the oat removed, such as the bran and germ. The oats pass through industrial rollers that crush the bran, germ and endosperm, leaving the oats flat and separated from the slow-cooking portions. While this allows the oat to cook faster, it also reduces the nutrient content slightly. Compared to the same serving size of raw oats, quick oats have 379 calories, 6.25 grams of fat, 10.1 grams of dietary fiber and 13.2 grams of protein. The carbohydrate content increases slightly with quick oats to 67.7 grams. The vitamin and mineral content of remains similar in most cases to that of raw oats, but there is a 5 to 20 percent loss in the B-vitamins thiamin and folate, as well as a 9 percent drop in magnesium and a 64 percent loss in manganese.
Fortified Instant Oats
Eating fortified instant oats is a way to have both a vitamin-rich and a fast-cooking meal. The oats are rolled, cooked and dried so they do not take long to prepare, but this leeches out a significant amount of the nutrients. A 100-gram serving of instant oats contains 68 calories, 1.36 grams of fat, 11.7 grams of carbohydrates, 1.7 grams of dietary fiber and 2.4 grams of protein. Magnesium and manganese drop to only 7 and 28 percent of your daily value, respectively. The benefit of fortified instant oats, however, is that they contain some vitamins in higher quantities than are naturally present in the oats. Vitamin A, iron, calcium, riboflavin, niacin and vitamin B-6 are just a few of the essential nutrients added to fortified oats to make them more nutritious.
Whole Grain Importance
Quick-cooking or instant oats are a time saver, but the extra nutritional value in whole grain oats may be worth the wait. It is becoming increasingly clear that the quality of the carbohydrates you consume is just as important as the amount, according to Harvard University experts. The fiber in the oat bran and germ prevents your body from quickly breaking down the carbohydrates into glucose. The nutrients in whole grains also may help to prevent heart disease, high cholesterol, Type 2 diabetes and some types of cancer.
References
- Iowa State University; Origin, History, and Uses of Oat (Avena sativa) and Wheat (Triticum aestivum); Lance Gibson and Garren Benson; January 2002
- HealthAliciousNess.com: Side by Side Nutrition Facts Comparison: Quick Oats and Instant Fortified Oats
- University of Nebraska: Oatmeal
- Harvard University: Health Gains From Whole Grains
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