Oatmeal originated from an ancient cereal grain. It’s a popular and important global crop, as it grows in cool and moist climates, and doesn’t require as many nutrients as wheat. Interestingly, most of the world’s supply is used for livestock feed.
In today’s overwhelming market of fast foods and sugary treats, oatmeal is a favorite food of many nutritionists. It is available in five different forms, from least processed to most processed, and there are oat groats, steel-cut oats, Scottish oats, rolled or old-fashioned oats, and quick or instant oatmeal. There are likely many varieties of oatmeal on the shelves of any supermarket, and like most foods, the least processed is the healthiest; but many people opt for the types that they can prepare quickly and easily.
Oatmeal is rich in nutrients and has more protein than most grains. It also contains many vitamins and minerals. In addition, it contains antioxidants and a soluble fiber called beta-glucan, which can help several systems of the body.
Oatmeal provides many health benefits, including these:
The beta-glucan soluble fiber promotes regular emptying of the bowel and prevents constipation. It also supports healthy gut bacteria, which may reduce the symptoms of irritable bowel syndrome and other intestinal problems.
Soluble fiber like the beta-glucan in oatmeal lowers cholesterol. In one study, those who ate oat bran experienced a 23% drop in total cholesterol. Researchers believe that several mechanisms in the body are responsible for the lower cholesterol.
For a benefit of your heart health, oats are high in antioxidants called avenanthramides, not found in other cereal grains. These antioxidants reduce inflammation and relax arteries, improving heart health.
The soluble fiber in certain oats can keep blood sugar from rising after a meal. The glycemic load of less-processed oats is low to medium, making them a suitable carbohydrate for those with diabetes. Those who have diabetes should avoid instant oatmeal, which has a high glycemic index.
Eating fiber-rich foods like oatmeal produces a feeling of fullness, which can make it less likely that you will overeat. The particular fiber in oatmeal, beta-glucan, makes the contents of the intestines very concentrated and may make you feel full for a longer period of time.
Oatmeal is a gluten-free food, but many oat processing plants also handle wheat and other grains with gluten, so be aware of this.
Instant oatmeal is often loaded with sugar and sodium, so, if you’re seeking a healthy version of oats, check the label before you buy. In addition, if you start with less-processed oats, but add too much butter and sugar, you can still end up with a not-so-healthy dish. It will be more beneficial and just as tasty to add flavor with spices, and sweetness with fruit. Dried fruits with low or no added sugar, such as cranberries, cherries, or other berries are a great addition to any baking treat. Raisins, diced apples, sliced bananas, and chopped nuts are also excellent add-ins.
Oatmeal is most often eaten for breakfast, but it makes a great addition to meals and snacks throughout the day.
Per suggestions from other oatmeal lovers, these are simple, but healthy ways, to eat more oatmeal:
- Add oatmeal, instead of breadcrumbs, to meatloaf or burgers.
- Make oatmeal cookies instead of less-healthy treats.
- Make overnight oats and snack on them anytime you get hungry.
- Create your own granola with oats, nuts, and dried fruit.
- Add oatmeal to plain yogurt along with unsweetened or dried fruit for a healthy breakfast or snack.
- Make a crisp by topping fruit with a mixture of flour, oats, and sugar.
- Add oats to pancake batter.
- For a smoother texture, whip them in a food processor first.
Family Favorite Oatmeal Cookies
Throughout the past several years, these oatmeal cookies have become the most requested treats of my husband and children. I am also a huge fan because they are not only DELICIOUS, but perfect for my dietary needs of having to maintain low sugar amounts. Therefore, I use a minimal amount of sugar, and instead replace it with all types of dried fruits to satisfy my “sweet tooth.” I always make a double batch and roll the remaining dough into a log shape, wrapping it with parchment paper, and putting it into the freezer – so easy and accessible to take it out and make another quick batch.
When searching for the perfect oatmeal cookie recipe, I reached out to different family and friends, and with modifications here and there, and to satisfy my health needs, I ultimately decided on this particular recipe. Eventually, and in my opinion, I perfected the recipe by decreasing the sugar content and replacing it with a good amount of dried fruits. Ultimately, the final recipe for this particular cookie was unanimously agreed upon by those who are the most important critics – my family members.
The real secret of this recipe lies in 3 things – the butter, the temperature, and finally, the size of the cookie.
I have found that chewy, plump cookies are as a result of chilling the cookie dough, after it’s mixed together. Otherwise, if you are using warm cookie dough, your cookies will be flat and thin. You should chill the dough for at least 30 minutes; I prefer to chill it for an hour.
In addition, you need a lot of dough to yield a thick cookie, and more dough than you might imagine. You can’t have a thick cookie with crisp edges and chewy centers if the cookie is small. Therefore, I use a spring-release scoop that holds ⅓ cup of dough.
My Family’s Perfect Oatmeal Cookie
Ingredients
- 1 cup real butter melted then cooled, no substitution, salted or unsalted
- 3/4 cup brown sugar light or dark, packed
- 1/3 cup granulated sugar
- 2 large eggs – room temperature
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 1 and ½ cup all-purpose flour, first sifted, then measured
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 3 cups old-fashioned rolled oats uncooked (I do not use the instant oats)
- 1 ⅓ cup raisins, dried cranberries, dried cherries, or a combination of whatever you prefer
- ¼ cup shredded coconut (optional)
Instructions
- In the bowl of an electric mixer, beat butter, brown sugar, and granulated sugar until creamy.
- Add eggs and vanilla, beat well.
- Stop the mixer and scrape sides of the bowl.
- Mix again to combine.
- In another bowl, combine sifted flour, soda, cinnamon, and salt.
- Turn the mixer to low and slowly add flour and oats.
- Stop the mixer and scrape the sides.
- Add raisins or dried fruit and mix, until combined.
- Add coconut, until combined.
- Tightly cover the bowl with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 30 minutes to 1 hour. (You can refrigerate up to 24 hours, if you prefer.)
- When you’re ready to bake, preheat the oven to 350°F.
- Place a silicone mat (I prefer Silpat), parchment paper, or greased foil on a half sheet pan.
- I use a ⅓-cup spring-release scoop to make uniform shaped balls of cookie dough and place them on the silicone mat.
- Do not flatten the dough.
- Bake at 350°F for 12 to 14 minutes, depending on how crunchy or chewy you want them. The top of the cookies will change from ‘shiny’ to ‘matte’ when they’re cooked in the center.
- Watch the edges for the degree of brown/crisp that you want. They will firm up as they cool.
- Allow cookies to cool on the baking sheet for about 3 to 4 minutes, before removing and transferring to a wire rack to finish cooling.
- Store cookies airtight at room temperature for up to 1 week, or in the freezer for up to 4 months.
- Alternatively, the unbaked cookie dough can be stored airtight in the refrigerator for up to 5 days, or in the freezer for up to 4 months, so consider baking only as many cookies as desired, and saving the remaining dough to be baked in the future, when the family requests another “batch made in heaven” of oatmeal cookies.
