Is it okay to chew the oatmeal you bought?

Among the cereal family, oats can be called an "old star". They are indeed rich in protein, dietary fiber, vitamins B1 and B2, and minerals calcium and magnesium. Whether it is to maintain a good figure or control the three highs, they are very popular.

However, looking at the market, we find that there are many "peripheral" products of oats, such as many "chewable" oatmeal, which are particularly popular among office workers. Compared with the traditional boiling or soaking, "chewing" is indeed much more convenient, which has brought oats closer to everyone.

So how is the oatmeal that we chew and eat made? What is its nutritional value? Is it recommended for everyone to eat it?

For this reason, I basically looked at all the oatmeals on the market and found that most of the "chewable" oatmeals are cereal oatmeal crisps or puffed oatmeal, and their processing technology is mainly made by baking or puffing. There are mainly three problems:

(1) The β-glucan content of oatmeal that is “chewed” is reduced

We know that oats are high in dietary fiber, especially soluble dietary fiber, and soluble dietary fiber has more health benefits than insoluble dietary fiber, especially in delaying the rise of blood sugar after meals and controlling blood lipids. Among them, the most "famous" is soluble dietary fiber such as β-glucan. β-glucan is also the main component that gives oats a sticky texture. The stickier it is, the higher the content, especially in the bran.

The processing of chewed oatmeal will cause the loss of bran, which will naturally reduce the β-glucan content and viscosity. In addition, most of these oatmeal are not pure oats, but are mixed with puffed grains or grain crisps such as corn, wheat, and rice, so it is difficult to fully exert the health benefits of oats themselves.

(2) Chewable oatmeal contains a lot of sugar and oil.

Pure oatmeal has a rather bland taste. Many commercially available oatmeals that are eaten by chewing often add some oil, sugar (white sugar, malt syrup, etc.) and flavors to make the taste crispier and sweeter and capture the taste buds. Obviously, these are nutritional pitfalls.

(3) In addition to directly adding sugar and oil, some products also add more dried fruits and nuts.

A moderate amount of nuts and dried fruits are good for the body. If they are added in large amounts, the staple food value of oats will be greatly dispersed, and the calories and fat content will increase, making them unsuitable to be eaten as a staple food frequently.

In short, if you want to buy some oatmeal to enrich your life, it is best to choose sugar-free and oil-free products. On this basis, it is okay to use it to replace part of the staple food or eat it as a snack. In addition to replacing part of the staple food, if it contains nuts or dried fruits, you also need to reduce the daily intake of nuts and fruits to maintain a balanced diet.

However, for those who want to lose weight or control the three highs, it is more recommended to use whole oatmeal or oat rice as the staple food, so that the nutritional and health value of oats can be obtained to a greater extent. The second is to use whole oatmeal or oat rice to make pure raw oatmeal. Chewable oatmeal can only be regarded as an occasional supporting role to adjust life and enrich the variety.