Up your game and take a fresh look at rolled oats

Easy to ignore, the humble oat is a store cupboard staple which has a few tricks up its sleeve.

Known scientifically as avena sativa, all oats, great and small, start off life as an oat groat, but have the potential to end life as a smoothie, breakfast bowl, cookie or even, face mask.

Know your oats

Whether your oat groats are processed into steel-cut oats, rolled oats, old-fashioned oats, quick or quick-cooking oats or instant oats, try to choose organic to reap the maximum health benefits.

This modest grain hides so many impressive benefits in its hull. Just 1 cup of oats provides 6g of protein, 4g of fibre, a good amount of vitamin B1, magnesium and a whopping 70% of your daily requirement of manganese. And yet it will only ‘cost’ you 147 calories.

All the goodness

Unique among grains, oats almost never have their bran and germ removed in processing. So if you see oats or oat flour on the label, you're almost guaranteed to be getting the whole grain.

Humble beginnings

Oats were originally considered a nuisance weed, to be pulled up and burned when they appeared in fields of wheat and barley. Able to withstand poor soil conditions in which other crops are unable to thrive, quite often their primary use was as feed for horses and livestock.

Medicine

Oats are higher in protein and healthy fats and lower in carbohydrates than most other whole grains, containing more than 20 unique polyphenols with strong anti-oxidant, anti-inflammatory, and anti-itching properties. Oats are an effective traditional herbal remedy, used to soothe and heal the skin and reduce inflammation and redness. Studies have suggested that oat avenanthramides may help in the treatment of inflammatory bowel disease and colon cancer.

Selecting

Buy small quantities of (preferably organic) oats at a time. Oats have a slightly higher fat content than other grains and so will go rancid more quickly. If buying prepared oatmeal products, ensure that the product does not contain any salt, sugar or other additives.

Mask it

How it happened, we don’t know, but someone discovered that wet oats had an extremely soothing effect when applied to dry, itchy, irritated skin.

Many mothers know the benefits of the addition of a handful of oatmeal to the baths of children suffering from eczema, chicken pox and other inflammatory skin conditions, and it also makes a gentle exfoliator.

Prepare a DIY facial mask by blending oatmeal with yoghurt and honey. Apply it to the face, let it absorb for at least 20 minutes, then wash off gently.

...and relax...

Take a cup of oats, a sprig of fresh rosemary, lemon balm, sage or a few cinnamon sticks, wrap it all together in a piece of muslin or thin cotton material, tie it up and drop it into your bath as the water is running. The milk from the oats will leave your skin soft and hydrated.

Sugar stab

Studies show that Type 2 diabetes patients given oatmeal- or oat bran-rich foods experienced lower increases in blood sugar compared to those who were given white rice or bread. Starting out your day with oats may make it easier to keep your blood sugar levels under control.

Make your own oat milk

Cheap, easy and dairy- and nut-free. Be careful though, homemade oat milk separates, so shake or stir well before serving. Enjoy!

INGREDIENTS

1 cup steel-cut oats or oat groats (preferably organic)

3 cups filtered natural water

2 tsp finely chopped pitted dates, to taste

1 tsp pure vanilla extract

Small pinch of fine sea salt (to enhance flavour)

¼ tsp ground cinnamon (optional)

METHOD

Step 1 Rinse and drain the oats. Place them in a large glass bowl and cover with water. Soak for around 30 minutes, or longer, as it makes the milk easier to digest. Rinse and drain well.

Step 2 Place oats in a blender and add 3 cups of pure natural water. Start slow and then increase the speed gradually every five seconds until you blend at the highest speed for around 8-10 seconds only.

Step 3 Place a fine sieve over a large bowl and pour the oat milk through very slowly, gently pushing down the pulp with a spoon. Set aside the oat pulp (use in smoothies or mix it into yoghurt).

Step 4 Clean your blender then sieve the milk back into it. Add the dates, vanilla, fine grain sea salt, and cinnamon. Blend on high speed for not more than 20 seconds.

Step 5 Strain the milk one last time and serve immediately or store in a clean mason jar in the fridge for 4-5 days.