Oatmeal and Veggie question?

canadacatman

I have 2 questions.

1. Is raw oatmeal as good for you as cooked. I mean does cooked (because it expands) better for you?

2. I plan on having 5 smaller meals and was wondering is 7 cups of veggies daily too many. I know there good for you but I also know that too much of a good thing can be bad too.

Thanks

RodaRose

I can't answer you about the oatmeal except to tell you that I would soak it before I ate it.
You can have tons of vegetables as long as you eat your macros and eat at a calorie deficit.

martyqueen52

Oatmeal raw is fine. It still has the same calories / carbs / etc. as when it's cooked. Just a different texture.

7 cups of veggies a day is a little overkill. I would cut back to 3 or 4.

hbmayes

More veggies are good! Don't feel like you have to have that much, but if you want to, there is no reason to limit it as long as (per previous comment) you make sure you get everything you need (especially protein) in your calorie budget.

Fiber in veggies will fill you up, and there are loads of vitamins. Also, a lot of veggies is really just water.

As for oatmeal, I have it both cooked and raw. I like a really easy and delicious raw oatmeal recipe: soak it overnight in almond milk (1/2 cup unsweetened almond milk = 15 calories) in the refrigerator. Add some fruit, and it is delicious. I find it tastier and easier than cooked.

canadacatman

Really only 3-4 cups a day? My salads are that big lol.

Francl27

Yeah I don't think there could be such a thing as too many veggies... I mean, nobody's going to eat 20 cups of them a day anyway.

climbing_trees

The only thing about too many veggies is that if you add them all of a sudden, your body isn't used to all of the fiber and you will likely have a lot of gas. This is temporary though, and will go away on its own.

Or if you add them slowly, like one cup more each week, then your body will adjust.

thinklivebefree

Stay away from Veggies and Oatmeal..eat raw eggs and beef!

njitaliana

Eating 7.5 cups of veggies per day is great! 1 cup of raw veggies is a serving. 1/2 cup of cooked veggies is a serving. Most health advocates recommend at least 5 servings a day. So you are doing really well.

Ang108

Oatmeal raw is fine. It still has the same calories / carbs / etc. as when it's cooked. Just a different texture.

7 cups of veggies a day is a little overkill. I would cut back to 3 or 4.

That sounds like the voice of someone who does not care for vegetables all that much....:o).
I eat easily 7 cups a day and most days more than that and even though I am past 65, I have no high BP, high cholesterol, digestive problems or any dietary restrictions due to problems with certain foods. I also eat grains and roots regularly and my doctor always mentions that I should continue on this path to age in a healthy way.

rsclause

Really only 3-4 cups a day? My salads are that big lol.

I don't really count a salad as a veggie. Now I do put some on it but lettuce is minimal. I do feel better about it when I get spinach but when I started looking at it I came to the conclusion that salads are overrated. I still like them but found I could do better skipping the salad and getting lean meat or fish with some grilled veggies. The dressing was always the downfall

HeidiCooksSupper

Raw oatmeal is fine. I like it in my yogurt. Makes it nice and chewy.

Oatmeal and veggies? Savory oatmeal is a thing. Look it up. Oatmeal makes a great mushroom 'risotto'

A recent meta-analysis found that 5 is the optimum number of servings of veggies for longevity. As number of servings increased from 0 to 5, so did average longevity. After 5 there was no increase. On the other hand, there's no reason to avoid eating 7 servings or more. http://www.hsph.harvard.edu/news/hsph-in-the-news/five-daily-servings-of-fruits-and-veggies-enough-for-health-benefit/

Francl27

Well, you got to define a 'serving' of veggies too. As far as I know, a serving is 3 ounces cooked. I've eaten 1.5 pound of veggies some days :laugh: :laugh: