Steel Cut Oats?

[RunningPirate]

Right, then...

OK, so the Dr says that my cholesterol is a bit high and that I should do something about that. I know - via Wilford Brimley, disturbingly enough - that oatmeal lowers cholesterol. I have heard that steel-cut oats are better than rolled oats (a la Quaker). Problem is that steel-cut oats - even the quick-cook kind - are a bit of a PITA to cook, compared to rolled oats.

My question, then is, is there that much of a difference between steel-cut and rolled oats? I mean, by sheer virtue of eating oats instead of a deep-fried bacon, butter and cheese sandwich every morning, I'm doing better. But am I just wasting my time if I take the easy way out with the rolled oats?

...and yes, this is a first-world problem

RP

 

[skedaddle]

Oat milk might be your solution, comes in a variety of flavors and has been proven to lower cholesterol, just open carton, drink, belch, job done.

 

[ChasingShadows]

I'm sure I read of a study that concluded there was no significant difference. I appreciate that's about as useful as saying I heard it down the pub, if I remember anymore I'll let you know!

 

[RunningPirate]

So, after doing some light Googling, I realized that - nutrition-wise - steel cut v. rolled v. quick-cook are somewhat similar. Some folks like the steel-cut better for their taste and lack of processing, but it seems that the only processing that happens with rolled oats is that they are a) steamed, and b) rolled - so it's not like they're adding MSG or HFCS or anything. Some also claim that steel-cut leave you "satisfied" longer, but so far, personal experience has not validated that point.

Interesting bit on the Oat milk, Skedadle - never heard of it, but judging by the description, sounds like I'm not missing much. Also, while I have had my periods of breakfast smoothies, I prefer to eat breakfast, than drink it (though drinking my breakfast sounds like something I used to do on vacation in Key West )

 

[Barefoot TJ]

Just cook the steel-cut oats longer, and they will eventually get mushy enough for your palate. You just have to let them cool longer too. I would think since they are steaming the rolled oats first, that they loose a lot of the nutrition that you need to lower your cholesterol. So if you are eating oats to lower your cholesterol, then go with the steel-cut oats.

 

[Abide]

Soaking them overnight works too, and or cook a bunch at once and refirigerate the rest for the week.

 

[RunningPirate]

Soaking them overnight works too, and or cook a bunch at once and refirigerate the rest for the week.

That's something I'm considering - I already do that with stuff for dinner - make a big ol' batch of soup, mete it out and freeze it.

 

[Barefoot TJ]

Ick! What would frozen, thawed-out oats taste like? I see adding lots of milk to get it moist and eatable again.

 

[ChasingShadows]

May I second TJ's "Ick" to the through of frozen/thawed oats.

How about Bircher museli? I'm sure there's a host of variations, but basically soak your oats in apple juice overnight & it's ready for breakfast.

 

[Barefoot TJ]

Yum, that sounds good! And you don't have to add sugar either.

 

[RunningPirate]

Ick! What would frozen, thawed-out oats taste like? I see adding lots of milk to get it moist and eatable again.

...or - dare I say it - edible?

I like the idea of soaking the oats in apple juice, though.

I see I'm going to have to experiment with this. The main thing is time - on the morning that I go in to work (I'm self-employed, so some days I'm at home, and others I'm on a customer site) I try to cycle commute or run-commute. Either of which means I'm up at 5:15 to get ready - make breakfast, pack lunch, etc..; that also means that mentally, I'm not my sharpest (not that it gets much better throughout the day) so quick and easy is key.

 

[Barefoot TJ]

Dammit! Dammit! Dammit! You smart ass! I thought that word looked wrong when I typed it, but I didn't get a red squiggly line, so I thought it must be okay. Ptttth!

 

[Barefooting Bob]

Actually precooking steel cut oatmeal and reheating is not bad, we do it all the time. Cook a huge pot on Sunday, and put into smaller containers for reheat during the week. Unless you know it was reheated you would never know the difference. By this is coming from a person who really does not like eating leftovers, bleech

 

[Agnesd]

I cook steel cut oats in a slow cooker overnight, then dish it out into smaller sized mason jars with some cut up fruit, or raisins, or whatever you want to add. All you have to do it pull it out of the fridge, nuke it, then I add a little almond milk (or liquid of choice) to make them a little less solid and more like oatmeal.

There's also Scottish oats, which are slightly ground up steel cut oats. They don't have to cook as long and are less chewy.

 

[Barefooting Bob]

There's also Scottish oats, which are slightly ground up steel cut oats. They don't have to cook as long and are less chewy.[/quote]

Ahhh lassy, Scottish oats, good call.

 

[Longboard]

Screw the oats, get a scan.
Who cares what your lipid profile says if your coronary arteries are clean as a whistle!
And there's not a shred of evidence that dietary changes will improve the cholesterol numbers.
If you have calcified blockages take a statin as well as a daily low dose aspirin.
If you don't, go ENJOY some bacon & eggs!
Seriously, coronary function studies (treadmill tests) and coronary artery imaging are a much better predictor of heart health than blood lipid studies are.
My numbers are great, but my images suck!
My father's numbers were SUPERB, but he suffered through heart attack, bypass graft surgery, and valve replacement despite a lifetime of oats and exercise.
Neither oats nor cholesterol numbers are any more important than orthotics.

 

[scedastic]

My guess is also that studies are often confounded by what subjects replace in their diet in favor of oatmeal, or other changes that are made simply by being more conscious of what they are eating.

If it's poptarts for breakfast for you, well, quit with the poptarts and choose nearly anything else that's not poison, and you'll be healthier overall for it.

If you already have a decent diet, and eat a relatively healthy breakfast, then I'm with longboard.

My dh has genetically high cholesterol, and for years he was on this ridiculously stringent low fat low cholesterol diet. Thank goodness those studies have been supplanted and we can eat eggs/meat/fat without me having to sneak it in while he's not looking.

In general, eating the food doesn't mean your body carries more of the thing you are eating. Metabolic processes are more complicated than all that, though the idea is appealing.

That said, if you like oatmeal, you're probably not going to die from eating it for breakfast once in a while. Just don't choke on the dry bits (my friend eats his oats dry and uncooked! weird! like a horse! don't do that it'll clog your esophagus even if it doesn't clog your arteries!)

 

[RunningPirate]

Screw the oats, get a scan.
Who cares what your lipid profile says if your coronary arteries are clean as a whistle!
And there's not a shred of evidence that dietary changes will improve the cholesterol numbers.
If you have calcified blockages take a statin as well as a daily low dose aspirin.
If you don't, go ENJOY some bacon & eggs!
Seriously, coronary function studies (treadmill tests) and coronary artery imaging are a much better predictor of heart health than blood lipid studies are.
My numbers are great, but my images suck!
My father's numbers were SUPERB, but he suffered through heart attack, bypass graft surgery, and valve replacement despite a lifetime of oats and exercise.
Neither oats nor cholesterol numbers are any more important than orthotics.

There is some merit to this. I always wondered if some folks have naturally higher LDL numbers than what is considered "normal" but are actually perfectly healthy. Breakfast, up to this point, was an egg (over medium) and a piece of rye toast every day - so I reckon the switch will have some effect as a) oats are not eggs, and b) oats have soluble fiber which something something something blah blah blah...

[I chuckle because while writing this, I see my avatar and I'm enjoying BBQ oysters which - while they are seafood - aren't the healthiest things on the planet...I must get back to New Orleans, but I digress].

I mean, admittedly, I am exponentially better than I was in my 20's when dinner was Ruffles dipped in Alfredo sauce and washed down with beer*. What I'm trying to avoid is not actually death itself but winding up on meds. If a piece of pepperoni pizza clogs my heart and I fall out, I'm cool with that; if I wind up spending the rest of my life in a chair and taking pills, not so much.


* Good Times.

 

[NickW]

My father in law has high cholesterol, not because he eats like crap, but because of his genetics. I've seen him go on these strict diets and exercise regimes where he loses 40-50 pounds and is fit as a fiddle, and then they test his cholesterol. Guess what they found out, despite doing exactly as the docs recommended his cholesterol went up slightly. Say wha??? Ya, apparently his father had this problem too. Now he's on medication to keep the cholesterol down. He's a special case, but it makes me wonder if bad cholesterol (L for lowsy, LDL) is really as bad as they think. I wonder if they are misinterpreting what blood work readings even mean, or maybe they are just reading more into something than is really there (my wife does this, ugh! ) .

 

[Agnesd]

I see enough people on my job and talk to them about their diets that I firmly believe diets do matter. And I have talked to many patients who have made a huge change in their health by improving their eating habits. People are able to stop their blood pressure, cholesterol, or diabetes meds by working hard at improving their food choices. When I ask the people who are on 20 medications a day what they had for lunch, it's usually a meal missing any kind of fruits, vegetables - it's all processed food.