Should instant oats be cooked more than reccomended 5 min?

freal

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Ray Peat says oats should be well cooked, if you buy the instant ones should you cook them more than the 5 minutes reccomended in the instructions?
 

4peatssake

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Re: Should instant oats be cooked more than reccomended 5 mi

freal said:
Ray Peat says oats should be well cooked, if you buy the instant ones should you cook them more than the 5 minutes reccomended in the instructions?
I don't think instant oats are very healthy.

I use steel cut oats and cook them for 30 minutes stove top or 8 hours on low in the slow cooker.(Thank you HDD!) They taste a lot better than rolled oats in my opinion. I've just begun experimenting (haven't eaten oatmeal in decades!) but have found they helped greatly with bowel function.

Here's some info on the different types of oats.

Oat kernels are processed in a variety of ways, and the amount they are processed has everything to do with the impact on blood sugar. In general, the less the cooking time the oats require, the more glycemic the oats will be:
• Groats - Whole oat kernels are called "groats". They can be cooked and eaten, but are sometimes difficult to obtain. They aren't as popular as other forms because they take a fairly long time to cook (soaking overnight helps). They have the least impact on blood glucose.
• Steel-Cut Oats (also called coarse-cut oats, Irish oats, or Scotch oats)- In steel-cut oats (such as McCann's brand), the kernels are cut into two or three pieces, making them cook faster than groats (about 10-15 minutes).
• Rolled Oats - Rolled oats are what we usually think of as "oatmeal". The whole oat kernel is steamed, rolled flat(ish), steamed again, and toasted. This process means that the integrity of the grain is diminished, and the oats are partially cooked. Because of this they cause a faster and higher blood sugar rise.
• Quick-Cooking Oats - Quick-cooking oats similar to rolled oats, but broken up into smaller pieces so they will cook faster.
• Instant Oatmeal - Usually purchased in individual serving packets, the rolled oats are pre-cooked, and then dried. Usually flavorings and sugar are added. It's best to stay far away from instant oatmeal.
• Ready to Eat Cereals (Cheerios, etc) - Yes, they are technically "whole grain", but they have been processed to the point where the starch in them turns to sugar very quickly.
Carbohydrate and Fiber Counts for Oats
• ½ cup cooked oatmeal: 14 grams effective (net) carbohydrate plus 2 grams fiber, 3 grams protein, and 83 calories
• ¼ cup uncooked oatmeal: 12 grams effective (net) carbohydrate plus 2 grams fiber, 3 grams protein, and 74 calories
• ¼ cup uncooked steel-cut oats: 24 grams effective (net) carbohydrate plus 3 grams fiber, 4 grams protein, and 150 calories
• ½ cup cooked oat bran: 10 grams effective (net) carbohydrate plus 3 grams fiber, 3 grams protein, and 44 calories
• ¼ uncooked oat bran: 12 grams effective (net) carbohydrate plus 4 grams fiber, 4 grams protein, and 58 calories
Glycemic Index for Oats
The glycemic index (GI) of cooked steel-cut oats is in the range of 42-50. The GI of oatmeal made from rolled oats is 51-63, with an average of 55. Instant oatmeal has a GI of 82.
Glycemic Load of Oats
• ½ cup cooked oatmeal: 7
• ½ cup cooked steel-cut oats: 6
• 1 packet instant oatmeal, unsweetened: 18
• ¼ cup uncooked oatmeal: 7
Health Benefits of Oats
Oats are a very good source of manganese. In addition to the 1.5 grams of soluble fiber discussed above, a half-cup serving provides about 8% of the daily requirement of magnesium, zinc, and selenium.
Source

HDD posted this recipe for steel cooked oats in the slow cooker.

I found and am using this one. I prefer the liquid ratios with this recipe.
 

BingDing

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Re: Should instant oats be cooked more than reccomended 5 mi

I don't think it matters, freal. I think the starch is already pretty broken down. It would also turn into a glutinous mush.

I agree with 4ps, steel cut oats taste the best. But unlike her I've been eating it for decades, it just always agreed with me. A scoop of vanilla ice cream and a big dollop of maple syrup was my favorite topping but I'm using simple syrup now, as long as I'm trying to be strictly Peat.

The recipe on the link 4ps gave is the one I've always used, 4 parts liquid to 1 part oats and simmer for 45 minutes. I tried cooking it for 55 minutes once, I don't think it made much difference.

FWIW, the soluble fiber in oats is called beta-g and the science of it reducing cholesterol is good enough that the FDA allows Quaker to make the claim on its packaging.

Sorry for hijacking the thread but I want to go on. In June 2012 my doctor didn't like my cholesterol numbers so I started thinking about my health and diet. The standard advice was 25g of fiber a day so I upped my oatmeal intake and started using psyllium. Being a guy I figured the more the better, and after a few weeks I was getting 60+g of fiber a day. Bowel function indeed; usually twice a day and it's never been more enjoyable.

If that's tmi, stop reading now. Because towards the end of that experiment I was seeing bacterial colonies on the exterior of my stool. Of all things. Once it was a bunch of small, bright yellow dots and once it was a skein of thin red lines.

Being a guy, I just said "isn't that interesting". I was reading a lot about the benefits of bacteria in the large intestine at the time and figured it was all OK. And I guess it was.
 
EMF Mitigation - Flush Niacin - Big 5 Minerals

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