Oatmeal is a common breakfast and snack option for many people. Whether you reach for a few packets to microwave with water or heat up milk to mix with your oatmeal, it seems to be good for you. With so many different recipes available, from overnight oats to those with plenty of mix-ins to make it tasty, it certainly seems as though oatmeal is not only good for weight loss, but it's also healthy.
The real question is: is it? Is oatmeal as healthy as you believe?
What's Good About Oatmeal?
As it turns out, oatmeal is indeed good for you, and it can also help you lose weight. Of course, everything comes with a caveat, as not every type of oatmeal should be reached for when you're trying to lose weight. However, we'll start with the many good things about this simple breakfast.
Oatmeal Makes You Feel Full Longer
You've probably heard about the benefits of foods that make you feel full for longer. They prevent you from reaching for snacks throughout the day, and they take longer to digest, so they help you lose weight since you aren't immediately going for more food.
Oatmeal is one of these foods. It's a hearty breakfast that sticks with you, so you'll lose weight just by eating it.
Oatmeal Regulates Your Blood Sugar and Digestion
Since oatmeal takes a while to digest, it's considered low on the glycemic index. When you eat foods full of sugar that are digested quickly, your blood sugar levels spike as your pancreas kicks into action.
However, when foods are digested more slowly, you don't have that extreme spike in blood sugar. Not only is this good for people who are diabetic or have blood sugar issues, but you also don't get that sugar crash feeling half an hour after you eat.
On top of this, oatmeal regulates your digestive system. It's high in fiber, which keeps you regular, and the fact that it takes a while to digest means that it doesn't rush right through your system. As a result, you get all of the nutritional benefits of oats.
Oatmeal Might Help Your Immune System
In this day and age, everyone is worried about their immune systems in order to avoid getting sick. According to some recent studies, oatmeal has been found to contain beta-glucan, a variety of soluble fiber. This substance makes the blood cells responsible for fighting infections jump into action, making them more likely to fight off anything that comes their way.
Other Potential Benefits of Oatmeal
As though the above benefits aren’t enough, oatmeal can help you in more ways.
- Oatmeal may help control insulin levels, which helps the body absorb glucose.
- Oats may help lower cholesterol levels—both total and LDL.
- Oats may help reduce the risk of heart disease.
How Healthy Is Oatmeal?
Oatmeal is incredibly healthy. Not only does it contain a type of sugar (beta-glucan) that can boost your immune system, but it also has several important vitamins and minerals. Oatmeal contains plenty of grams of fiber and grams of carbs, which keep your digestive system regular and fuel your body. Those complex carbohydrates force your body to work harder to digest them than simple ones. In addition, it has healthy fats, which is good for those who count their macros.
In addition to protein, fiber, and fats, oatmeal is also a source of many nutrients, vitamins, and minerals. One serving of oatmeal contains phosphorus, copper, manganese, magnesium, zinc, folate, iron, and vitamins B1 and B5. If you add any mix-ins to your oatmeal, you get all of the health benefits of those foods as well.
Counting the Food Groups
The daily food plate, which replaced the classic food pyramid, has clearly marked the grain and dairy groups. Both of those arepresent in oatmeal, as long as you add a little milk (whether you choose traditional milk or almond milk) to your grains.
When you essentially take care of those two food groups at once, then you're starting your day off right. This makes oatmeal an important part of your daily routine.
Can You Lose Weight While Eating Oatmeal?
The quick answer here is: yes. Oatmeal can help you lose weight, and it's a very important part of a dieter's, well, diet.
Since it keeps you full longer and regulates your digestive system, oatmeal makes you less likely to reach for snacks while your body burns off a few calories during the act of digestion. However, you need to be careful about which types of oatmeal you make and what you add to it.
Choose the Best Type of Oats
There are numerous types of oatmeal in the grocery store and specialty market. How do you know which to buy for your morning breakfast?
When it comes to oatmeal, stick with the whole grains. Sure, instant oatmeal might be easier to make, but it's highly processed. This means that even though it's as good for you as far as vitamins and minerals are concerned, it doesn't have the low glycemic index and slow digestive properties of whole oats.
Instead of getting the boxes of instant oatmeal, reach for the rolled oats. Steel-cut oats are another good option. You might find some on the shelf labeled as Scottish oats, Irish oats, or old-fashioned oats. All of them are better for you than the instant variety, as they are whole, not highly processed. They might take a bit longer to make, but the health benefits make it worthwhile.
Watch Those Mix-Ins
Mix-in ingredients are trendy, and you can really make your oatmeal taste like anything you want. The overnight oats recipe trend is here to stay. The only problem with this is that sometimes those mix-ins make your oatmeal into an unhealthy meal.
Some mix-ins are good for you, while others add calories and sugar that you just don't want. Avoid honey, brown sugar, or maple syrup. They might make the oatmeal taste sweet, but that will take away from its health benefits.
Instead, look for healthier options, like fresh fruit, a dash of vanilla extract, or a sprinkle of cinnamon. Toss in some freshly washed berries or dried fruit, and your oatmeal will not only have an added hint of sweetness, plus a few extra health benefits. You can also experiment with adding nuts, chia seeds, or a spoonful of Greek yogurt to add a few extra grams of protein.
Portion Control Is Key
One of the issues with oatmeal is portion control. When you like it, you undoubtedly want to eat more of it. Plus, if you decide that instant oatmeal is the best option for you because of morning time constraints, it can be tough to determine exactly what a proper portion is.
Keeping an eye on the portion size of your bowl of oatmeal can also help your diet, as you know exactly how many calories you're eating.
Oatmeal Is Indeed Healthy and Good for Weight Loss
As you can see, there are many different health benefits to eating oatmeal. Not only is it very good for you, as it helps keep you fuller longer and balance out your blood sugar, but it's great for those on diets, as you won't reach for sugary foods that cause your blood sugar to spike. Also, oatmeal can regulate your digestive system and boost your immune system.
The key to healthily adding oatmeal to your diet lies in your ability to limit your mix-ins and stay in control of your portion size. Not adding in too many sugary items (except for fruit) and only eating one portion at a time of the right type of oats will help you lose weight and feel healthier, especially when you mix it with exercise.
So, next time you’re craving this delicious breakfast option, reach for that bowl of oatmeal with confidence. It’s good for your body in so many ways.
Sources:
Is Oatmeal Good for Weight Loss? | Insider