Crock Pot Oatmeal:Quick Oats vs. Steel Cut Oats
VS.
When I talk about the benefits of whole grains, I often mention oats. They’re easy, contain the phytochemical terpenoid and most people like them! In order to really understand which is better, we need to define what each type of oat is.
- Steel-cut oats are the whole oat kernel, which is cut into two or three pieces using steel discs. They are a better source of fiber than rolled oats, but take longer to cook.
- Rolled oats have the bran mostly removed and are rolled flat to make them easier to cook. With the bran removed, they have less fiber than steel-cut oats.
- Quick-cooking and instant oats are rolled oats that have been cut into smaller pieces and rolled thinner, thus cook quickly. They are an easy source for preparing many oatmeal dishes.
When comparing the different types of oats, the steel-cut oats are definitely less processed and have a higher nutrient content. However, when we make them it can take a LONG TIME (20 minutes or more).
Quick cooking oats are still considered a whole grain and have less fiber, but not by much. They are certainly more convenient and I would consider them very healthy. The ones you want to stay away from are the individual packets that contain sugar and other flavorings!
Your best bet is to cook your oatmeal and flavor it yourself.
Personally, I like the texture and flavor of the steel cut oats but often eat the instant because it takes less time. If you want to save time though, try this recipe for steel cut oats in a crockpot. They can be refrigerated or frozen into individual portions once they are cooked.
Crock Pot Oatmeal:
Crock Pot Oatmeal
Crock Pot Oatmeal: *For non-dairy oatmeal, try adding applesauce, apple butter, or almond butter instead of dairy products.*
- 1 cup steel-cut oats
- 1 cup raisins (cranberries, or dried fruit of choice)
- 4 cups water
- ½ cup milk (half and half, or buttermilk)
- 2 tablespoons of cinnamon or pumpkin spice
- 2 tablespoons of maple syrup
- In a crock pot, combine all ingredients.
- Cook on low heat (covered) for 7-9 hours.
- Stir and serve.
For your personal enjoyment, I have included a poem that my dad wrote about oats. Now you know where I get my writing skills!
A Toast to Oats:
Quaker Man, Quaker Man, in your box so round,
Taking nature’s oats and grinding them on down.
Sheaths with grains of goodness, waving forth and back,
Cut and ground and stored in boxes red and black.But now I hear this oft refrain:
Steel-cut, Steel-cut, it is nutrition’s gain.
So tell me, Miss Fooditian, in your blog so soft and low,
Is this really right, or is it just not so?
I hope I’ve answered the rhyme master’s questions!
– Julie
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Those of us who eat instant oatmeal are not children of a lesser god. Instant oatmeal has never been scientifically proven to be less nutritious than other oats. There is an especially irrational avoidance of packets. I don’t know why. Also, instant oatmeal deniers paint all instant oatmeal with the same ( steel cut ? ) brush. I eat wonderful instant oatmeal frequently and it is free of the nefarious substances attributed to all instant oatmeal.
Julie, Have you got any evidence (other than anecdotal) to support your claim that steel cut oats are better?
What more proof would you need. At the very least, the steel cut oats should have the same nutrition as the rolled oats, but given that the steel cut are minimally process my guess would be that they are more nutritious. They taste a hell of a lot better…
Most of my information is actually not anecdotal. If it is, it should be very clear. I spend a fair amount of time verifying information from credible sites including the American Institute for Cancer Research, the Center for Science in the Public Interest and the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics. I’m sorry to say that I can’t remember exactly what I read as background information for this particular article, as it’s almost 4 years old now. However, maybe I can do an update of the topic soon! Thanks for the comments! – Julie
If possible, please update this post, and also, please address the safe/unsafe glyphosate levels found in various oatmeal brands.
Good idea! Quick answer – you don’t need to worry about it. In order to eat enough oats to expose you to even a minimal amount, that we’re still not certain would cause any problems, you would have to eat A LOT of oats. I mean WAY MORE than you ever actually could. It’s an important discussion to be had, but EWG laced all their information with so much fear that it was irresponsible.
Remember that the nutrition benefits you get from oats and other whole grains, fruits, vegetables, nuts, seeds, etc. FAR OUTWEIGH any risk of a minuscule amount of pesticide. So I will not let the recent report, from an unverified “study” using questionable methodology, deter me from enjoying my oatmeal and granola!
Here’s a useful article: https://www.health.com/nutrition/pesticides-in-oatmeal. They say the following:
“Now, the better news: The tolerable limit for glyphosate residue in grains, set by the Environmental Protection Agency, is 30 ppm. The quantities found in that research, then, were well below that limit. (They were below Europe’s stricter limit of 20 ppm, as well.) At the time, an FDA spokesperson told Health that the oatmeal testing was done as part of an independent research project, and the results had not been published or peer-reviewed. Since then, the Agency says, preliminary testing of other food products have found no glyphosate residues over the allowable limits, either.
The new EWG report contains numbers that sound a bit more alarming, but they should also be looked at in perspective. The EWG’s tests found gyphosate levels ranging from 0 to 1,300 parts per billion (ppb). Take note: That’s parts per billion, whereas we were previously talking about parts per million. When the numbers are converted, even the highest concentration found in the new EWG report—1,300 ppb, or 1.3 ppm—is still in line with what the FDA announced previously, and still lower than the EPA’s tolerable threshold. ”
The concerning exposure to pesticides comes when someone is applying it (farm workers and landscapers), because they are exposed to very concentrated amounts.
Thank you for the thorough reply! My grandma, who is a breast cancer survivor, eats a bowl of Quaker oats for breakfast every morning, so I was a bit concerned when I heard about the possible link between glyphosate and an increased risk of cancer from articles like (https://www.theatlantic.com/science/archive/2018/08/glyphosate-breakfast-controversy/567784/).
I am curious as to why Europe has a stricter limit for glyphosate residue in grains than the FDA’s tolerable limit. Would the organic oatmeal brands be safer since most of them have lower levels of glyphosate detected in them or is the difference not significant? I did notice the small sample size in the EWG study.
Also, why do quick-cooking and instant oats have a higher glycemic index? How about their glycemic load? Is there a difference in the GI between plain oats and flavored ones?
I would also recommend citing your sources if and when you update your article. Thank you again!
When you read Julie’s piece she wasn’t bashing rolled, packet oatmeal. I read it as saying they were both nutritious. My common sense tells me that if time is a factor I am going to cook rolled oats. If I have more time will prepare steel cut oats.
I will say this as an fan of oatmeal, I like the taste and texture of the steel cut oats better than the more processed rolled oats.
I don’t think Julie was bashing the oatmeal packets. She was just telling the truth. They are filled with sugars and flavoring which on a regular basis is definitely not good for you. It is certainly not good for children, as they become accustomed to the sugars and processed flavorings. Then it becomes a lifelong “habit” of consuming foods that will wreck your body. Less sugars, less processed foods, less health problems in the future. We have to train our bodies to accept and love healthier versions of any food choice. After suffering from two massive heart attacks (and they hurt!) in a one month time span and having stent(s) surgery it was a no-brainer to me to change my lifestyle and food choices. I am still healing…and when I see those commercials on TV offering up bacon bowls, multi stacked hamburgers, pizzas with crusts filled with anything you can imagine (but not veggies, lol) restaurants offering multi-course menus filled with all kinds of drippy, greasy, cheesy stuff. They even now allow you to call ahead to have your order ready for you to pick up. anything to sell this unhealthy food that used to only be for special occasions. The way people respond (including myself in the past) is just the dumbing down of America. Shorter life spans, painful deaths, all in favor of fun eating. Today, I eat well and I enjoy it…but my life span has already been shortened by my prior choices. Little every day choices may allow you the chance of not just meeting and knowing your grandchildren someday, but perhaps your great-grandchildren too.
Congrats on making those changes! It’s certainly not easy. And you’ve been through a lot! You’re right- you can change your taste buds. Thanks for sharing your story!! 🙂 Julie
I was looking into this myself, here is another analysis:
http://www.quickanddirtytips.com/health-fitness/healthy-eating/are-steel-cut-oats-healthier?page=all
If you look at the labels – which I have, all had the same nutritional content including fiber by the way.
I like the quick and dirty tips info!! Thanks for sharing the link. 🙂
What about raw oats….steel cut or rolled? VEry delicious with yogurt and berries.
She is so cute