Elizabeth Bailey
For many people, oatmeal is simply part of breakfast. More and more recipes are also using fine flakes as a flour substitute for gluten-free cakes and bread. But how many calories does oatmeal have? And does oatmeal make you fat or even help you lose weight?
Oatmeal calories: what is the nutritional value?
100 grams of rolled oats have an average of 360 calories. Since it is a grain, the proportion of carbohydrates is relatively high. Around 58 out of 100 grams of rolled oats consist of complex carbohydrates. On the other hand, they have hardly any sugar, less than one gram, and a relatively low-fat content of seven percent.
With 13 grams of protein per 100-gram portion, the small grain leaves have a lot to offer in terms of protein. The popular breakfast cereal also contains ten percent of essential fiber, which is essential for healthy digestion. Important minerals and vitamins such as iron, magnesium, and folic acid (vitamin B6) are also present in the popular muesli ingredient.
Incidentally, an average tablespoon of oatmeal contains around 15 grams of grain. So a spoonful of breakfast cereal has around 54 kilocalories, 9 grams of carbohydrates, 2 grams of protein, 1 gram of fat, and 1.5 grams of fiber.
Does oatmeal make you fat or can it even help you lose weight?
Oatmeal does contain a high proportion of carbohydrates. However, these are so-called long-chain carbohydrates, which are also called polysaccharides or complex carbohydrates. Compared to simple carbohydrates, they are a lot healthier because they are broken down and digested less quickly by the body. Therefore, the blood sugar level rises more slowly and in a more controlled manner, which means that oatmeal keeps you full longer than, for example, toast or rolls.
After eating the grain, the body is supplied with energy for longer, and there is no sudden drop in performance, as is the case after eating foods with simple carbohydrates. In moderation, oatmeal does not make you fat but is part of a balanced diet that can help you lose weight. If, for example, oatmeal is included in breakfast, the chance of a ravenous hunger attack occurring before the lunch break is much lower than if, for example, a roll with jam is eaten in the morning. The high protein content also provides the body with the nutrients it needs after exercise to strengthen muscles and build muscle mass.
Are tender or crunchy oatmeal healthier?
Although it doesn’t seem like it at first glance, tender and hearty oats are both made from the whole grain of the grain. Crunchy oat flakes are only peeled and then rolled directly, while tender oat flakes are ground and then flattened into small flakes. The two products therefore hardly differ in terms of nutritional values. It just comes down to personal taste.
Crunchy flakes are particularly suitable for muesli or granola, delicate breakfast flakes are well suited for porridge. However, there are also so-called instant flakes, which dissolve very quickly in liquid and can be used to produce a very fine porridge in a flash.
Is oatmeal suitable for a gluten-free diet?
Gluten is the name given to the protein found primarily in wheat and other grains. More and more people are having trouble digesting these proteins and are therefore unable to eat foods that contain these substances. Specially ground oat flakes are advertised in many recipes as a gluten-free alternative to wheat flour. But is oatmeal gluten-free?
Although oats are not completely gluten-free, they are very low in gluten. The proteins in oat flakes also have a different composition than in wheat or rye, for example, and are therefore easier to digest. People with gluten sensitivity or even gluten intolerance should still be careful. Because oats often come into contact with other types of grain during processing in factories or during storage and can therefore still contain some gluten.
However, there are now also manufacturers of oat flakes who take special care to ensure that the food does not come into contact with any gluten-containing products during production. These flakes are usually also specially labeled as gluten-free, which in Germany means that the end product contains no more than 20 milligrams of gluten per kilogram.
