Instant Oatmeal?

2live4ever79

Ouaker Oats Instant Oatmeal is very conveient for me but is it a bad choice? I know that the flavored ones are not great because they contain so much sugar. If you do eat the flavored ones, for example the maple and brown sugar one, do you lose the benefits of oatmeal? Oatmeal has a low glycemic index but I read that with the flavored ones and because instant oatmeal is cooked at a fast paced that it loses the attributes of being low in glycemic value and the feeling "full" benefit is lost. Any opinions or suggestions?

stevenleagle

Don't know the answer but I would assume traditional oatmeal is better for you. Why not use the instant variety when you are in a rush and slower oatmeal when you have the spare 4 minutes it takes to make...

jlewis2896

I'm interested to hear the responses to this. I use instant oatmeal, flavored, one packet, before every long run and it is sufficient in keeping me full until lunch.

I know that steel cut oats are healthier because they are unsweetened, but I'm a lazy fan of easy.

Sorry I don't have an answer for you, but thanks for asking the question!

MsBaby117

I would say the tradition is better but the instant is more convenient for me to grab on my way to work...I just buy the low sugar version...

Fatbuster205

OK - oatmeal or porridge (my locality) is low GI. It is also great for counteracting cholesterol. How fast or slow it is cooked in my opinion makes no difference. We need some sugar. I guess you just balance the rest of the day by making sure if you go for a sweeter version that you don't overload elsewhere. I do eat porridge from time to time but i am still struggling with breakfasts anyway. But porridge is good. Have you tried buying raw oatmeal rather than processed? If you do, add fruit, nuts etc In a microwave oven it takes a maximum of 2 minutes! Just a thought! I prefer to work with raw ingredients as a principal (although I have been buying ready meals deliberately to learn portion control! Anyway, hope it was helpful!

glenbabe

well I have a way round it I use ordinary oats in the microwave ......weigh 50gms on kitchen scale .....add 2 teaspoons of sugar......a little skimmed milkto allow for cooking.....stir and pop in micro 850 watt for 2 mins check and stir well.....add 2 more 30 secs intervals keeping an eye on it that way so it doesnt boil over in the dish......stir again and add a little water till it reaches the texture you like and voila instant oats in 2 .5 secs just like the packs you can add cinnamon or fruit as you wish....its a lot less sweet and so much cheaper to buy.....hope this is helpful

eviltwinkie

If you're going to do instant, maybe get the unflavored ones so you control the sugars and flavorings used. An instant packet, a 'cup' (one of those lunch pack ones) of peaches sweetened with splenda, and a shake of cinnamon has worked for me. plenty of things you can do to flavor plain instant that is quick. I was using sugar free maple syrup in it after I cooked it for awhile.

I haven't liked most of the splenda sweetened oatmeal I've tried because they seem to overcompensate and make it hugely sweet. The squirt of maple syrup flavoring was way preferrable to the SF Oatmeal I'd tried.

I also get the irish quick oats, 5 minutes in the micro. Usually just toss some stevia and blueberries in it. Sometimes an egg. Hmm, it is a little random what I put in it.

Oh, plain instant oatmeal, 1/2 banana sliced, some cinnamon, cooked, then stevia added. I use a shaker of pumpkin pie spice for oatmeal ALOT and a shaker of cinnamon. Banana cooked into your oatmeal is heavenly. Honestly, could do that one every morning.

OnMyWeigh464

Here's my thought on this...

If you track it, nothing is off limits. I swear by the instant oatmeal...I love the raisins and spice one, even with the sugar. So when I do have it, I usually have only one pack. There have been days when I have two packets. But you know what? It keeps me full. On the days I have two packs, I can go til lunch time without hunger striking. I add a hard boiled egg on the side, or yogurt and a piece of fruit. Or sometimes I put in some fruit into the oatmeal. Yummmm.

OnMyWeigh464

I found this recipe online for homemade instant oatmeal...control how much sugar goes into it!

Homemade Instant Oatmeal

3 cups Quick-Cooking Oats
Salt
Small sized Zip Baggies

Put 1/2 cup oats in a blender and blend on high until powdery. Set aside in a small bowl, and repeat procedure with an additional 1/2 cup oats. If you're using a food processor, you can do the 1 cup of oats in one batch. Put the following ingredients into each zip baggie: 1/4 cup un-powdered oats, 2 Tbsp. powdered oats, and 1/8 tsp. salt. Store in an airtight container.

To serve: Empty packet into a bowl. Add 3/4 cup boiling water. Stir and let stand for 2 minutes. For thicker oatmeal, use less water - for thinner oatmeal, use more water.

Variations:

Apple-Cinnamon Oatmeal- To each packet add 1 Tbsp. sugar, 1/4 tsp. cinnamon, and 2 Tbsp. chopped dried apples.

Sweetened Oatmeal- To each packet add 1 Tbsp. sugar or 1 packet 'Equal' artificial sweetener.

Brown Sugar/Cinnamon Oatmeal - To each packet add 1 Tbsp. brown sugar & 1/4 tsp. cinnamon

Oatmeal w/Raisins & Brown Sugar - To each packet add 1 Tbsp. packed brown sugar and 1 Tbsp. raisins.

Health Nut Oatmeal - To each packet add 2 Tbsp. any kind of wheat germ

Fruit & Cream Oatmeal - To each packet add 1 Tbsp. non-dairy coffee creamer and 2 Tbsp. dried fruit

Fun Fruit Oatmeal - To each packet, add 6 or 7 pieces of 'fruit snack' type dehydrated fruit.

Confetti Oatmeal - To each packet, add 1 tsp. decorative cake/cookie sprinkles.

S'More Oatmeal - add 6 miniature marshmallows and 1 Tbsp. Milk Chocolate Chips to each packet.

Cookies n Cream Oatmeal - add 1 crushed Oreo cookie and 1 Tbsp. non-dairy coffee creamer to each packet.

Exploding Oatmeal - add 1 tsp. sugar, and 1/2 tsp. 'Pop Rocks' candy to each packet. This one is fun for celebration days, such as birthdays.

Bart-man Oatmeal - add 2 Tbsp. 'Butterfinger B.B's' candies to each packet

daydream58

If you're going to do instant, maybe get the unflavored ones so you control the sugars and flavorings used. An instant packet, a 'cup' (one of those lunch pack ones) of peaches sweetened with splenda, and a shake of cinnamon has worked for me. plenty of things you can do to flavor plain instant that is quick. I was using sugar free maple syrup in it after I cooked it for awhile.

I haven't liked most of the splenda sweetened oatmeal I've tried because they seem to overcompensate and make it hugely sweet. The squirt of maple syrup flavoring was way preferrable to the SF Oatmeal I'd tried.

I also get the irish quick oats, 5 minutes in the micro. Usually just toss some stevia and blueberries in it. Sometimes an egg. Hmm, it is a little random what I put in it.

Oh, plain instant oatmeal, 1/2 banana sliced, some cinnamon, cooked, then stevia added. I use a shaker of pumpkin pie spice for oatmeal ALOT and a shaker of cinnamon. Banana cooked into your oatmeal is heavenly. Honestly, could do that one every morning.

Cooking the banana right in the oatmeal... now that I never would have thought of trying - thanks I will give it a try!

Rain_Howard

I find the instant quite disgusting personally. The regular quaker oats take very little time in the microwave, just add a little extra water. I put frozen or fresh fruit in the oats before cooking so they come out the microwave nice and warm. Not only are they better health wise, they're a lot cheaper and you can add what ever you want.

futiledevices

It's so hard to avoid going over on sugar, so I stopped tracking it. I'm more worried about sodium.. and I find that the unflavoured packets of oatmeal have replaced the sugar with salt - ugh. I can't answer your question, but I can say that I think it's ok to eat instant oatmeal. It's quick, easy and contains fibre and protein, so why not?

MamaDee2

I found this recipe online for homemade instant oatmeal...control how much sugar goes into it!

Homemade Instant Oatmeal

3 cups Quick-Cooking Oats
Salt
Small sized Zip Baggies

Put 1/2 cup oats in a blender and blend on high until powdery. Set aside in a small bowl, and repeat procedure with an additional 1/2 cup oats. If you're using a food processor, you can do the 1 cup of oats in one batch. Put the following ingredients into each zip baggie: 1/4 cup un-powdered oats, 2 Tbsp. powdered oats, and 1/8 tsp. salt. Store in an airtight container.

To serve: Empty packet into a bowl. Add 3/4 cup boiling water. Stir and let stand for 2 minutes. For thicker oatmeal, use less water - for thinner oatmeal, use more water.

Variations:

Apple-Cinnamon Oatmeal- To each packet add 1 Tbsp. sugar, 1/4 tsp. cinnamon, and 2 Tbsp. chopped dried apples.

Sweetened Oatmeal- To each packet add 1 Tbsp. sugar or 1 packet 'Equal' artificial sweetener.

Brown Sugar/Cinnamon Oatmeal - To each packet add 1 Tbsp. brown sugar & 1/4 tsp. cinnamon

Oatmeal w/Raisins & Brown Sugar - To each packet add 1 Tbsp. packed brown sugar and 1 Tbsp. raisins.

Health Nut Oatmeal - To each packet add 2 Tbsp. any kind of wheat germ

Fruit & Cream Oatmeal - To each packet add 1 Tbsp. non-dairy coffee creamer and 2 Tbsp. dried fruit

Fun Fruit Oatmeal - To each packet, add 6 or 7 pieces of 'fruit snack' type dehydrated fruit.

Confetti Oatmeal - To each packet, add 1 tsp. decorative cake/cookie sprinkles.

S'More Oatmeal - add 6 miniature marshmallows and 1 Tbsp. Milk Chocolate Chips to each packet.

Cookies n Cream Oatmeal - add 1 crushed Oreo cookie and 1 Tbsp. non-dairy coffee creamer to each packet.

Exploding Oatmeal - add 1 tsp. sugar, and 1/2 tsp. 'Pop Rocks' candy to each packet. This one is fun for celebration days, such as birthdays.

Bart-man Oatmeal - add 2 Tbsp. 'Butterfinger B.B's' candies to each packet

This is awesome info!

2live4ever79

A lot of great suggestions! I appreciate all the responses!

gumigal82

Ouaker Oats Instant Oatmeal is very conveient for me but is it a bad choice? I know that the flavored ones are not great because they contain so much sugar. If you do eat the flavored ones, for example the maple and brown sugar one, do you lose the benefits of oatmeal? Oatmeal has a low glycemic index but I read that with the flavored ones and because instant oatmeal is cooked at a fast paced that it loses the attributes of being low in glycemic value and the feeling "full" benefit is lost. Any opinions or suggestions?

traditional, slow cooked is better--esp steel cut oats. But in general I make quaker instant. (I love the low sugar or weight control oatmeal...it's better for you, and tastes better in my opinion;)

Also a great instant breakfast to get is the Cream of Wheat healthy grain...

peggy13794

I don't think it's a bad choice, When I eat oatmeal I try to eat the weight control or low sugar ones. The weight control has 2 more grams of fiber and 2 more grams of protein than the slow cook oats. It also has 10 more calories than the slow cook. I get the maple and brown sugar flavor. For 10 calories, I'll take the flavor!

ascott048

I make steel cut oatmeal on sunday, a big batch takes me 20 minutes, then I portion it out to 1 cup servings and put it into containers to eat from all week long. This takes all the guess work out of breakfast for me. Plus it is super cheap. I buy the steel cut oats from the bulk foods section and it only costs me about .50 cents a week, i add cinnamon but you could add all kinds of flavors! When I am ready to eat I just reheat it in the microwave with a bit of water. If fluffs up and tastes so good and s just as fast as instant!

I also add stevia after I re heat is so it is sweet. Best of luck to you!

Bonita_Lynne_58

I usually cook quick oats. Sometimes I do the Quaker lower sugar maple brown sugar instant oatmeal. I think old fashioned is probabaly healthier but when I compare it with something like a couple of donuts (yes, I used to find that an acceptable breakfast) I think oats in any form is a good choice.