Oats are a great source of soluble fiber, and as the specific fiber contained in whole oats, beta-glucan soluble fiber, has been shown to help control cholesterol, some oat products are allowed to claim that they reduce the risk of coronary heart disease. These products include oat bran, rolled oats or whole oat flour, and they also must meet the FDA's standard for "low fat" foods. The Quaker Oat company has requested - and temporarily received (pdf) - an exemption to the "low fat" standard for some of their other oat products, like instant oatmeal. The exemption allows qualifying products to make the claim that they coronary heart disease right on the packaging by allowing them to increase their oat content to acceptable levels, even if by doing so they surpass the federal maximum for low fat products. Not all oat products will be eligible, but Quaker's reduced sugar instant oatmeal products would qualify under the new plan.
Posts with tag oat
Change in low fat standard for some whole-oat products
Food Porn: Homemade Granola
Gone are the days when granola was stigmatized as a crunchy, hippy food. Now, granola is considered to be a tasty addition to breakfast, due to the fact that it is a combination of some foods touted for their health benefits: oats, nuts and fruit. This homemade version from Cheryl at Free Range Living uses all those ingredients, with the addition of shredded coconut for some extra flavor. She sweetened hers with honey and maple syrup, and it looks better than most store-bought versions.
Healthy ingredients or not, granola is also high in fat and calories, so it should be eaten in small portions. Cheryl suggests using it as a topping for yogurt parfaits, mixtures of fruit and plain yogurt, for a nice, healthy breakfast.
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