Another human data point: me. I lost 20 pounds after experimenting with a single-ingredient diet, with oats being a key staple of my breakfast. I have overnight oats every morning along with 2 hard-boiled eggs. Here’s my recipe:
-1/2 cup old fashioned oats
-1 tablespoon chia seeds
- 1 tablespoon flaxseed meal
- 1 tablespoon peanut butter
- 1 tablespoon Greek yogurt (plain, whole milk)
- 1/2 cup almond milk
I think I actually got the idea of oats after listening to a podcast you did with Peter Attia. Overnight oats is so simple and easy to meal prep for the week. I enjoyed this post, Michael!
Eating oats every day lowered my LDL by about 20%, and I already eat a mostly healthy diet. I’m partial to the Flahavan’s brand of Irish steel cut oats. I’m yet to find an American grown steel cut oats that taste as good. Add about 10g of chia seeds, 20g of walnuts and a fistful of blueberries and sprinkle with honey. Great breakfast that will keep you full until lunchtime or later.
I’m celiac and definitely consider oats a super food for me. I pretty much eat them daily. Celiacs just need to purchase gluten free oats because even though they are naturally gluten free, due to common crop rotation practices and wheat contamination, they can cause reactions if not specifically labeled gluten free.
What crazy timing for this post. I am a 55 year old healthy woman, and have been managing hormones and age related health issues with clean eating and functional exercise. I am gluten free and I love finding creative ways to keep my diet in the zone of one to three ingredient foods. Recently I have replaced my sometimes-treat of gluten free bread with cassava flour tortillas. But then a Costco magazine article sounded an alarm about cassava being toxic. I pivoted off cassava and I found out I could make crepes with just liquified red lentils and water and I love them!! Then my brother tells me uncooked red lentils are toxic - does cooking them as a crepe count? I don’t know. But now I’ve got the toxic lentil thing in my head, so I start making these really great (even better than the lentils) crepe-wraps out of pureed rolled oats and water. They are also amazing! And now you say that there are people out to get the OATS?!? Oats are being slandered?
It is an assault on simple food solutions. Micheal Pollen's ideas on ‘nutritionism’ come to mind. I love the flat circle analogy. As long as we know we are on a merry go round with all this data flinging, maybe we can jump off it and go grab a carrot. Thank you for being a warrior for rational thought, it is helpful and very much appreciated.
Great post. I eat oatmeal with berries, flax, chia, amla, and walnuts every morning. It's my anchor meal in my (winning) fight against coronary artery disease. Can absolutely confirm it's health benefits.
Everyone always thinks of breakfast oatmeal as a sweet meal. To your point about unhealthy packets of maple and brown sugar, cookies and cream, etc, these are terrible for you. A few years ago, I "discovered" the concept of savory oatmeal (new to me - I'm sure others have figured this out). Instead of a sugar bomb or fruit bomb, I'll make oatmeal with various veggies and an animal protein. A typical meal will include a cup each of diced onions, peppers and spinach, 200g of Costco chicken (or sausage, pork tenderloin diced or whatever), and one serving of oats cooked in chicken stock. 700 calories and allows me to get all my macros in roughly the right portions. We now call this "daddy oatmeal" at home because my kids thought it was crazy the first time they saw me make / eat this. But it is now a staple in my home. If you want to add some flavor - cheese (high cal) or hot sauce (low cal) are good options. Trust me - it is much better than it sounds, particularly if you make your own stock.
Any opinions on overnight oats or oat milk? Are oats as potently powerful in those forms or does it just depend on the oat used? I generally use rolled oats for my homemade oat milk, but I'm not sure what pre-made oat milk would use, and I don't think they normally specify.
Oats for breakfast; sardines for lunch. What's for dinner? Trying to build the perfect day. Haha.
I make overnight oats when short on time the next morning or for traveling (by car). Can use same ingredients (whole oats, flax, chia, amla, walnuts, soy milk) as when cooking at home in the mornings.
Earlier this year we discovered groats, which are the least processed form of oats. Makes the best tasting oatmeal we've tried, although takes longer to cook. Refrigerates and reheats nicely., so we make larger batches.
Quick question too: You mention the health influencer (🤮) scare about oats, and that cooking destroys the questionalbe compound. So what about overnight oats and/or the shredded raw oats?
Another human data point: me. I lost 20 pounds after experimenting with a single-ingredient diet, with oats being a key staple of my breakfast. I have overnight oats every morning along with 2 hard-boiled eggs. Here’s my recipe:
-1/2 cup old fashioned oats
-1 tablespoon chia seeds
- 1 tablespoon flaxseed meal
- 1 tablespoon peanut butter
- 1 tablespoon Greek yogurt (plain, whole milk)
- 1/2 cup almond milk
I think I actually got the idea of oats after listening to a podcast you did with Peter Attia. Overnight oats is so simple and easy to meal prep for the week. I enjoyed this post, Michael!
Eating oats every day lowered my LDL by about 20%, and I already eat a mostly healthy diet. I’m partial to the Flahavan’s brand of Irish steel cut oats. I’m yet to find an American grown steel cut oats that taste as good. Add about 10g of chia seeds, 20g of walnuts and a fistful of blueberries and sprinkle with honey. Great breakfast that will keep you full until lunchtime or later.
I’m celiac and definitely consider oats a super food for me. I pretty much eat them daily. Celiacs just need to purchase gluten free oats because even though they are naturally gluten free, due to common crop rotation practices and wheat contamination, they can cause reactions if not specifically labeled gluten free.
What crazy timing for this post. I am a 55 year old healthy woman, and have been managing hormones and age related health issues with clean eating and functional exercise. I am gluten free and I love finding creative ways to keep my diet in the zone of one to three ingredient foods. Recently I have replaced my sometimes-treat of gluten free bread with cassava flour tortillas. But then a Costco magazine article sounded an alarm about cassava being toxic. I pivoted off cassava and I found out I could make crepes with just liquified red lentils and water and I love them!! Then my brother tells me uncooked red lentils are toxic - does cooking them as a crepe count? I don’t know. But now I’ve got the toxic lentil thing in my head, so I start making these really great (even better than the lentils) crepe-wraps out of pureed rolled oats and water. They are also amazing! And now you say that there are people out to get the OATS?!? Oats are being slandered?
It is an assault on simple food solutions. Micheal Pollen's ideas on ‘nutritionism’ come to mind. I love the flat circle analogy. As long as we know we are on a merry go round with all this data flinging, maybe we can jump off it and go grab a carrot. Thank you for being a warrior for rational thought, it is helpful and very much appreciated.
Oatmeal, some fruit and a couple of soft boiled eggs (or 3) with coffee or tea gets breakfast done for me.
Great post. I eat oatmeal with berries, flax, chia, amla, and walnuts every morning. It's my anchor meal in my (winning) fight against coronary artery disease. Can absolutely confirm it's health benefits.
Funny you should mention the racehorse thing, because there's a quote:
“Oats. A grain, which in England is generally given to horses, but in Scotland supports the people.”
― Samuel Johnson
which then prompted the follow-up (at least apocryphically)
"Aye, that's why England has such fine horses and Scotland has such fine men."
Awesome quote.
Good info. Thank you.
Everyone always thinks of breakfast oatmeal as a sweet meal. To your point about unhealthy packets of maple and brown sugar, cookies and cream, etc, these are terrible for you. A few years ago, I "discovered" the concept of savory oatmeal (new to me - I'm sure others have figured this out). Instead of a sugar bomb or fruit bomb, I'll make oatmeal with various veggies and an animal protein. A typical meal will include a cup each of diced onions, peppers and spinach, 200g of Costco chicken (or sausage, pork tenderloin diced or whatever), and one serving of oats cooked in chicken stock. 700 calories and allows me to get all my macros in roughly the right portions. We now call this "daddy oatmeal" at home because my kids thought it was crazy the first time they saw me make / eat this. But it is now a staple in my home. If you want to add some flavor - cheese (high cal) or hot sauce (low cal) are good options. Trust me - it is much better than it sounds, particularly if you make your own stock.
thank god you read the book so i don’t have to… it’s one hard thing i’d rather not do!
The doctor you are referring to advertises a lot on YouTube. Considers himself the expert on everything health related.
So much information out there. Thanks for summarizing a 435 page book on oats.
Any opinions on overnight oats or oat milk? Are oats as potently powerful in those forms or does it just depend on the oat used? I generally use rolled oats for my homemade oat milk, but I'm not sure what pre-made oat milk would use, and I don't think they normally specify.
Oats for breakfast; sardines for lunch. What's for dinner? Trying to build the perfect day. Haha.
I make overnight oats when short on time the next morning or for traveling (by car). Can use same ingredients (whole oats, flax, chia, amla, walnuts, soy milk) as when cooking at home in the mornings.
Earlier this year we discovered groats, which are the least processed form of oats. Makes the best tasting oatmeal we've tried, although takes longer to cook. Refrigerates and reheats nicely., so we make larger batches.
https://www.theincrediblebulks.com/oat-groats-vs-steel-cut-oats-what-are-the-differences/
Jacques Pepin's Vegetable & Oatmeal Soup (from his book Cooking My Way) is surprisingly delicious.
Quick question too: You mention the health influencer (🤮) scare about oats, and that cooking destroys the questionalbe compound. So what about overnight oats and/or the shredded raw oats?
I like overnight oats. They are not cooked. Is this an issue?