Oats are a staple in every single American home. Whether instant oats, steel-cut oats, or rolled oats, you’re guaranteed to find a container of at least one type in every home you visit.
Oats are really healthy food that’s easily available, doesn’t cost much, and is a favorite among many people. It has a taste that’s very easy on the palate, even pleasing the pickiest of eaters if accompanied with the right kind of flavors.
They are considered as the healthiest grains on earth. Boasting of numerous vitamins, minerals, antioxidants, and plenty of other nutrients, oats definitely have a lot of health benefits to give the human body.
First off, oats are very rich in healthy carbohydrates and fiber. They also have protein as well as healthy fat, but only contain a small amount of calories. Oats have the ability to make you feel full for a long period of time. This makes it perfect for losing weight the healthy way.
Second, plenty of people turn to eating oats in order to improve their heart health. And they’re right. Oats have compounds that can reduce LDL “bad” cholesterol, as well as total cholesterol levels. These compounds also help in the protection of LDL cholesterol from oxidation.
Diabetics can also benefit from the regular consumption of oats. Oats can lower blood sugar levels, especially in people who have type 2 diabetes or people who are overweight. Oats can also improve insulin sensitivity.
Another benefit of oats is they can improve digestion. They relieve constipation and increase the growth of good bacteria in the digestive tract.
While plenty of people prefer to eat oats during breakfast, in the form of oatmeal, oats actually make good lunches, dinners, or even desserts.
So long as you pair oats with healthy fruits and other ingredients, they can fill you right up for lunch or dinner as well.
Overnight oats are great examples for a possible lunch or dinner. Here’s one of our favorites, a classic recipe. It’s super simple to make and will leave you with a happy tummy. It works great either as breakfast, lunch, or dinner.
Classic Overnight Oats
The ingredients are all no-nonsense, but with plenty of flavor. Simply mix everything together, place in a mason jar, and refrigerate overnight. You can enjoy this treat any time the next day.
Ingredients:
⅓ cup plain Greek yogurt
1 tablespoon chia seeds
⅔ cup unsweetened almond milk
½ teaspoon vanilla extract
honey for sweetness
pinch of salt
Take note that you should still add some variety to your meals. Having just oats for every meal, and for snacks, will be monotonous and can make you feel bored. Have a limit of just one meal made up of oats in a day.
And of course, you can always thrown in those oatmeal cookies for snacks.
This blogpost is contributed by BeHealthy.today