Using oats in your cooking is a wonderful way to stretch your food budget a little farther. This cereal grain is extremely frugal and naturally gluten free, although many oats bought in the store contain gluten due to cross contamination with wheat during processing. So if you are avoiding gluten, be sure to purchase oats that are certified gluten-free.
While oats are a grain and therefore relatively high in carbohydrates, they are a good source of soluble fiber, iron and thiamine (vitamin B1). However, due to the fact that they are a grain, oats contain a mineral blocking substance called phytates which inhibit your body from absorbing these minerals. One proposed way to break down the phytates is by soaking the oats for a period of 12-24 hours in an acidic solution.
Recently I have read on the internet that there is some debate as to whether this practice is actually effective at reducing the phytates, so some people don’t soak their grains. If you choose not to, that is completely fine. I have read both sides of the issue and why I choose to soak is because of my own personal experience.
With most grains, but especially with oats, I can tell a different in my body’s reaction to soaked vs non-soaked grains. When I eat grains that have not been soaked, I feel very crampy and bloated, and my “regularity” is greatly affected. However, when I eat grains that have been soaked, I tolerate them much, much better, which leads me to believe that my body has a much easier time digesting soaked grains versus non-soaked. But I know a number of people who regularly eat unsoaked oats (and other grains) and don’t seem to have any problems.
Below I have a basic recipe for how to soak and cook oatmeal. The ground flax seeds add fiber and other nutrients, while almonds help boost the protein content (perfect for pregnant mama!). On Friday, I’ll share a few of my favorite variations of how to flavor this yummy and filling breakfast. Make sure to check back for some delicious, nutritious ideas on how to mix up this frugal meal!
Soaked Oatmeal Breakfast for Two
3/4 cup oats (I used old-fashioned, you can use quick cooking if you’d like)
2 Tbsp finely ground almonds (a coffee bean grinder works well)
2 tsp ground flax seed
1 cup water
1/2 Tbsp yogurt (or lemon juice, apple cider vinegar, kefir or whey)
Combine all ingredients in a glass jar, put the lid on and shake to combine. Allow this mixture to sit for 12-24 hours. Some people have problems with the oatmeal tasting sour; I use yogurt and soak for about 13-14 hours and it has never been sour. The longer you soak, the more sour it will probably be.
1 cup additional water (or you could use all or part milk for a creamier oatmeal)
dash of salt
After the soaking period, combine the oat mixture, additional cup of water and salt in a small saucepan over medium-low heat. Cook for about ten minutes, stirring regularly, until oatmeal has thickened to the desired consistency.
Add your favorite toppings and enjoy! Come back Friday to see my favorite flavor combinations!
This post is linked to Ultimate Recipe Swap at Life as Mom.
Question- can you use flavored yogurt? We usually buy vanilla yogurt, so would this work? I am planning on trying this soon!
[...] Wednesday, we discussed oats, whether or not it’s necessary to soak them prior to consumption, and I shared a very basic [...]
Hmm that is a good question! You could always try it, although I don’t know that there’s a way to see if it actually worked or not. If I was you, I would use lemon juice (it doesn’t have to be fresh, bottled is fine) just to make sure. The thing with flavored yogurts is that they usually have lots of sugar added to them so I don’t know if that would affect the acidity, which is what you need in order to make the oats easier to digest.
[...] blender pancakes, soaked oatmeal (check out my favorite flavor variations), spinach & [...]