Breakfast is my favourite meal of the day. I’ll happily eat it for breakfast, lunch and dinner if you give me half a chance.
My favourite thing to eat for breakfast is muesli, and if I don’t get it for breakfast I’ll eat it for lunch because more than breakfast a good dose of oats are something I need every.single.day. Much like with running, if I miss a few too many days of oats then I start to get a little bit cranky.
Truth be told porridge isn’t my favourite, I am much more of a muesli person. I have been making my own muesli religiously now for months. I love it so much I made a video how to for your enjoyment (yes, please have a giggle at my expense!)
When I embarked some nutrition study early in the year I had a few A-HA moment about why oats everyday are important and make me feel great. I rank them more of a super food than most, if not all, of the high priced ‘superfoods’ on the market with names you might struggle to pronounce.
Here’s why:
Oats are a wholegrain. Wholegrains are really good for you because they still have all of their bits so they provide you with more of the good stuff, whatever that ‘good stuff’ may be for that particular cereal or grain. In the case of oats the ‘good stuff’ includes B group vitamins B1, B2, B6 and folate, antioxidants galore plus minerals Iron, manganese, phosphorous and zinc.
Oats are ranked as one of the top five foods for lowering LDL (bad) cholesterol levels.
Oats are high in fibre so they give you that great ‘leave you feeling fuller for longer’ effect that is constantly spruiked for weight management. More importantly the high insoluble fibre content allows for it to absorb many times its weight as it passes through the digestive system. This makes your stools heavier which in turn allows them to pass more rapidly through your system.
Removing wastes from system more quickly and effectively means that there is less time for your body to soak up the stuff it doesn’t need or want. If you are keen to learn a bit more about the function of our digestive system then pop over and read this fantastic post where Katie 180 breaks it down into an easily understood explanation.
Oats are a low GI carbohydrate. What this means in simple terms is that they are a slow release high carbohydrate source, giving you sustained energy release over a period of time. In short they won’t spike your blood sugar like a bowl of cocoa pops will and have ready for a second breakfast by the time you reach your desk or school drop off is done.
Oats are a really well balanced food. They are ideal fodder for everyone, especially vegetarians because they are high in protein with one of the best amino acid profiles of any grain. They also contain essential fatty acids and as mentioned previously they are an excellent source of a range of vitamins and minerals.
Because I eat oats every day I choose to purchase the best quality. When considering your options for organic/non organic foods my general opinion is that choosing the highest quality of the things we eat most often is of most benefit. You can read more about my thoughts on how I choose what I buy here.
The oats I buy are Australian, biodynamic and unstabilised. Unstabilised oats haven’t been heat treated to extend their shelf life. Steel cut oats are another non heat treated option.
Once oats have been heat treated they don’t break down as easily in your digestive system (you’ll already know that if you’ve watched the muesli video). For me that meant I ended up with a pain in the belly that often came with bloating, gas and general discomfort.
If muesli isn’t your thing then there are plenty of other options for eating oats. Porridge is the most obvious. Bircher muesli is a favourite of mine during the warmer months. If you need something fast then blending half a cup into a smoothie is another excellent option.
Do you eat oats everyday too? Do you think you will consider making it a habit?
Tatum xx
