Healthy Food Choices: Oatmeal

Oatmeal and other rolled whole grains are key foods in the grain food group. Try these tips for buying oatmeal in this healthy shopping video.

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Oatmeal is the perfect way to start the day
High in fiber
Helps you feel full
Try adding dried fruits, spices
Use milk to increase nutrition

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Michelle Cooper has been a registered dietician for more than 10 years. She currently works for the state of North Carolina for the New Hanover County School District in the Child Nutrition Department as the supervising registered dietician on staff. She specializes in child nutrition, child fitness and overall child health. She enjoys her job because it allows her to be a pivotal piece of child development.

MICHELLE COOPER: Next, we are going to talk about oatmeal. Eating a bowl of oatmeal is the perfect way to start the day. There are many benefits to eating oatmeal. Number one, it contains both soluble and insoluble fiber which is recommended for a healthy diet. Insoluble fiber helps to keep the body regular by ridding it of its waste, and soluble fiber actually helps to lower your LDL cholesterol or your bad cholesterol and raise your HDL cholesterol. Another reason it is a great way to start off the day is that oatmeal produces a feeling of satiety or fullness that stays with you throughout the day, so you tend to eat less later at lunch or to snack less. Oatmeal can be pretty bland by itself. So a way to increase its taste and nutritional value would be to add things like dried fruit, raisins, cranberries, nuts like walnuts, or you can add fresh blueberries, apple slices, cinnamon and natural sweetener. Also, make sure that you prepare your oatmeal with milk, especially skim milk. This will increase the nutritional value and increase the calcium without increasing your calories. So next time you are looking for a healthy way to start your day, reach for oatmeal. Remember, it is a great source of soluble and insoluble fiber. It will help keep you full throughout the day. And if you add some dried fruits or fresh fruits and some skim milk, you will increase its nutritional value and its taste without loading up on the extra calories.

Healthy Food Choices: Oatmeal Video

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