Do you eat oatmeal for breakfast? While it certainly can be a solid, healthy option, most are heavily processed and absolutely TERRIBLE for you.
For example, I was just at the store and took a look at a brand of “heart-healthy” instant oatmeal (their claim), the “Maple and Brown Sugar” flavor.
First, there is no maple in it. There is also no brown sugar in it. Instead, it’s packed with artificial ingredients, colors, and flavors. It’s also packed with regular sugar and I’ve even seen some varieties with the “flavor” gel packets full of high fructose corn syrup…talk about royally screwing up oatmeal!
This product also has a significantly higher glycemic index than regular “old fashioned oatmeal” due to it’s instant nature where it’s been pre-cooked via high-heat processing. This high heat processing also robs the oatmeal of many important vitamins and minerals, making it an overall less nutritious product. So, if you’re going to go with oatmeal, please stay away from the instant, processed, sugar-laden versions.
Instead, the best choice is plain ol’ steel cut oats. While they take a few extra minutes to cook, it’s certainly worth it for the lower glycemic index, extra fiber, and greater vitamin and mineral content…all while avoiding all that processed garbage.
Steel cut oats will also leave you feeling fuller, longer, and you’ll probably find that you enjoy the more firm texture and nuttier flavor a LOT more than mushy instant oatmeal
anyway.