An important thing so many people forget is salt. It adds depth to the porridge and will bring out the sweetness of any toppings – so add a pinch of the stuff as it's coming to the boil and mix it all around.
Oatmeal is one of the most adaptable breakfast foods, but if all you do is add hot water, you're missing out on a lot of flavor. Add a pinch of salt at the start of the cooking process to bring out the nuttiness in the oatmeal, and as it cooks, it develops a warm, toasty flavor.
Mix 200ml of oats and 400ml water and bring to the boil. Add half a tablespoon of salt. Let it boil for 5 minutes and take off the heat.
My Favorite way to eat Porridge
The traditional Scottish way to eat oatmeal is savory: made with steel cut oats, water and salt, and served with milk and/or cream.
Ragi Koozh is a very healthy food. It keeps our body cool. Also known as “Poor Man's Food” since it requires only few ingredients which are easy to get and also cheap. It can last up to 2 to 3 days if kept outside. Local street vendors sell this porridge on daily basis.
Whichever porridge you choose, make it with low-fat milk or water to keep the calories down and minimise saturated fat, especially if you are trying to lower your cholesterol levels. Don't add salt, as an excess intake can raise your blood pressure over time, and avoid adding sugar, syrup or honey.
Porridge is a mixture of any grain, cereal, or legume boiled in water, milk, or broth. It is served hot and made from a variety of cereals such as oats, maize, rice, corn, wheat, and barley. Oatmeal is a type of porridge made from ground, rolled, or flattened oats.
Oatmeal and porridge are basically the same thing – it's what you get when you add milk or water to oats and cook them.
Don't Skip the Salt
It's unusual to read about adding salt to something, but no matter if you're going for savory or sweet for your morning oats, you should add a pinch of salt. If you add it at the beginning of the cooking process then you'll end up with a tasty, nutty and delicious bowl of oats.
Full-fat milk makes a delicious, but queasily rich breakfast, but, even allowing for the time-honoured creamy moat of milk at the end, porridge made with water only has a Puritan thinness of flavour. After a bit of juggling, I settle for a 1:2 ratio of milk to water.
When you soak oats overnight, it's almost like you're cooking them, but the process is much longer and slower, and it's done without heat. Soaking helps the starches break down and reduces the natural phytic acid, which may help your body utilize the oats' nutrients much more efficiently.
As you can see below, they both have similar amounts of protein, carbohydrate and dietary fibre. The only major difference is oats have more fat and slightly more calories. Additional point: - Be cautious of flavoured oats, they have slightly less protein and can have up 24 x the amount of sugar.
About the “poor people” food and clockwise stirring
But now, back to the modern porridge, which today is often equated with the Scottish porridge. For climatic reasons alone, oats and barley were the predominant cereals in Scotland and played an important role as food.
It is known as simply "porridge" or, more commonly in the United States and Canada, "oatmeal". In the US, oat and wheat porridge can both be called "hot cereal". Rolled oats are commonly used in England, oatmeal in Scotland and steel-cut oats in Ireland.
Oats are incredibly good for you
Benefits include lower blood sugar and cholesterol levels, protection against skin irritation, and reduced constipation. In addition, they are very filling and have many properties that should make them a food helpful for weight loss.
Oats contain a unique type of fibre that nourishes and restores healthy gut bacteria. This makes oats a great food to eat every day and they are especially suited to breakfast – porridges, muesli or a smoothie with oats.
Honey is certainly a healthy alternative for your porridge without conventional sugar. Provided it is organic honey, which preserves minerals and vitamins. Maple syrup is a similar alternative. Agave syrup is also relatively low in calories and particularly sweet.
Porridge also has the advantage of containing soluble fibre, which supports good gut and heart health. Now, if we compare this to two slices of wholegrain toast, we're also looking at around 30g of carbohydrates. This is elevated if you choose a bagel, which provides around 50g.
Yogurt is known for its high protein, calcium and probiotic contents, so it's likely better than oatmeal at encouraging weight loss through a high-protein diet, staving off osteoporosis, improving bone density and treating or preventing digestive issues.
Eggs = More Protein
According to USDA, a breakfast with 2 medium eggs will yield approximately 13g Protein and 1.1g Carbs whereas a bowl of oatmeal will give you 2.4 g Protein and 12g Carbs. So if Protein is your priority for breakfast then the clear choice is Eggs.
Yes, it is good to eat oatmeal every day considering its nutritional profile and health benefits, including weight control and heart-healthy effect. As a breakfast food and mid-meal snack, oatmeal is potentially a better option than the majority of foods available in the market.
Many people with celiac disease are told to avoid eating oats because they might be contaminated with wheat, rye, or barley, which contain gluten. But in people who haven't had any symptoms for at least 6 months, eating moderate amounts of pure, non-contaminated oats seems to be safe.
But if you want to get technical, Oat Groats remain the healthiest because they're the purest form of the whole oat you can eat. They're the least processed and contain the most nutrition.