Nutrition 202 – Superfoods
Nutritionists tend to talk in a lot of nutritional
terms like ‘carbs’, ‘protein’,
‘vitamins’ and ‘minerals’.
But we don’t eat vitamins and minerals
do we? We eat food! So in this current series,
I’ll be discussing those foods you hear
recommended all the time – things like
green tea, garlic, oily fish and more - explaining
just why they’re so good for you, how
much you should have and which superfoods you
should regularly include in your diet. This
month…
Oats
Thought to have been cultivated in Western
Europe from wild grass cousins around 5000 years
ago, oats have been a staple food in many Northern
areas where few other grains would grow. By
the 1200’s oats were part of every Scot’s
daily fare.
Unlike other popular grains like wheat and
rice, most oats are not highly refined. The
tough outer husk is removed, but not the nutritious
germ. Rolled oats are made by hulling, steaming
and then flattening the grain. Instant oats
are rolled thinner and pre-cooked so they cook
quicker, though contain less of their original
nutritional value.
Why they’re good
In addition to being a good source of carbs,
oats are high in both soluble and insoluble
fibre, meaning they release their carbs slowly,
without raising blood sugar levels dramatically.
For this reason, oats are my number one recommendation
for breakfast. Everyday. They keep mood and
energy levels even for hours after eating them.
Research has revealed that oats can lower cholesterol
by carrying it out of the bowel and preventing
its re-absorption. For years this advice has
failed to be publicised nearly as effectively
as cholesterol-lowering drugs. There’s
clearly not as much money in selling oats as
drugs, though oats can be very effective at
lowering cholesterol and with no adverse side
effects. I’m pleased to see that cereal
manufacturers are now starting to market oat-based
products with claims like ‘helps lower
cholesterol re-absortion’, which nutritionists
have known for years. The more people know the
better, I reckon.
Oats contain the highest quality protein of
any grain, and are also loaded with B vitamins,
vitamin E and minerals like iron and zinc. Herbalists
recommend oat tincture – Avena sativa
– as an anti-anxiety remedy, as the B
vitamins and minerals support your nervous system.
The humble oat really is a superfood.
How to eat them?
As rolled oats, every day for breakfast! Make
them tasty with honey, dried fruit, nuts, seeds,
or your favourite packaged breakfast cereal,
but make oats the mainstay of your breakfast
meal, served with cow’s, soy, rice or
almond milk. They’re worth it. In the
cooler months cook them up into hearty porridge
with sultanas – they plump up when cooked.
Yum! Whole oat grains, known at oat groats,
can be cooked like rice, but to be honest I
prefer brown rice, and think rolled oats are
just too tasty and easy to bother with other
forms.
Other ways you can enjoy this versatile grain
in the rolled form include homemade oaty snack
bars, or mixed with a little organic raw sugar
as an apple or berry crumble topping, baked
in the oven till the sugar melts and binds the
crunchy oaty top. Much healthier than pastry,
and easier too! Those with an intolerance to
gluten should avoid oats. While they contain
less than wheat, they do contain gluten and
are often processed with machinery that also
processes wheat. But for everyone else –
eat ‘em up!
And how important is it to get organic oats?
Very. Most non-organic grains are grown in vast
monocroppings to which massive amounts of synthetic
fertilizers, herbicides and pesticides are applied.
Stick with organic.
Did you know?
Oats, or rather the lack of them, encouraged
the invention of the bicycle! In 1816, global
climate change caused by the largest eruption
ever recorded, Mt Tambora in Indonesia, resulted
in massive crop failures and a drastic shortage
of oats. This led to the starvation of many
horses, which in turn led to transportation
problems, which Baron Karl von Drais attempted
to solve by inventing the ‘dandy horse’,
the direct precursor to the bicycle.
Shane Heaton
Nutritionist
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