Scientifically known as Avena sativa, oats is a type of cereal grain which has gained a lot of popularity in the last decade for all good reasons. Most common variety of oats consumed by humans are rolled oats and oatmeal. But, do you know why oats have made their way to almost every household and what is all the buzz around them?
Well, it is time you stop blindly following the herd and know some amazing facts about oats and how you can add them to your daily diet.
Health Benefits of Oats
1. Highly Nutritious Oats are a good source of carbohydrates and fiber. Half a cup of 78 grams oats contains 51 grams of carbs, 13 grams of proteins, 5 grams of fat, 8 grams of fiber, manganese, phosphorus, magnesium, copper, iron, zinc, folate, Vitamin B1 and B5 and only 303 grams of calories.
This is the reason they are classified as "superfoods".
2. Rich source of anti-oxidants
Apart from being highly nutritious, oats are high in anti-oxidants: polyphenols and avenanthramides. This group of anti-oxidant is known to lower blood pressure by increasing the production of nitric acids. It also has anti-inflammatory and anti-itching effects.
3. Lowers Cholesterol levels
Oats contains high amount of powerful soluble Beta-Glucan, which may increase the excretion of cholesterol-rich bile, thereby, reducing circulating levels of cholesterol in the blood. It also regulates blood sugar levels, gives a feeling of fullness and helps in the growth of good bacteria in the digestive tract.
4. Helps in Weight Loss
Oats is very filling, which keeps us full and helps in eating fewer calories. Thus, keeping a check on our weight gain.
5. Relieves Constipation
Oats has a good amount of fiber, which can help in relieving constipation, especially in elderly people.
How to add oats in your diet?
Oats are very versatile, you can add them in any of your meals. Because they do not have any flavour of their own, they blend well with almost all kinds of foods.
- If you are someone who likes to eat something with a tad bit of sweetness for breakfast, go for a perfect bowl of oatmeal sprinkled with a dash of cinnamon powder; topped with fresh seasonal fruits, nuts and seeds for added flavour and nutrition. Check out this recipe for quick breakfast oatmeal with four different variations. For something in savoury, you can try this Oats Paniyaram recipe which gets ready in under 20 minutes and is packed with benefits of rolled oats, vegetables and Indian spices like mustard seeds.
- For lunch/dinner, you can make oats khichdi, oats cheela, masala oats (savoury oatmeals) or oats bisibelebath. All your spices to add in to your oats, from turmeric powder to garam masala powder, hing to coriander seeds are available on Tassyam.com.
- By now you must have become aware of the varied ways you can incorporate oats in your diet. And desserts is no exception. From classic Indian sweets to foreign desserts, oats is so much fun to play with. To satiate your sweet tooth, you can make oats payasam with Tassyam cardamom powder, oats kheer, oats and raisins cookies or these vegan oatmeal cookie bars. Let us know what is your favourite way to eat oats.