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MiracleNoodle Blog

Viewing posts tagged is oatmeal gluten free.

Is Oatmeal Gluten-Free?

Unlike other nutrition fads that have come and gone, oatmeal has been a mainstay for dozens of years. Easy and quick to make, oatmeal is one of the most nutritious breakfasts. Millions of people every morning start their day with a piping hot bowl of it. As long as it’s not mixed with spoonfuls of sugar or agave or any other sweetener besides stevia or cinnamon, oatmeal provides slow-burning carbohydrates, providing rock-steady energy until it’s time for lunch.

But for those who have gone gluten-free, either because they just feel better avoiding foods that contain gluten, or out of medical necessity in the case of celiac disease, is oatmeal gluten-free?

Gluten proteins are typically found in wheat and also barley and rye. Naturally, oats contain no gluten, but due to modern processing methods, some brands manufacture their oatmeal in facilities that also process wheat (and other possible food allergens such as tree nuts or peanuts).

Many leading brands of oatmeal (including Quaker Oats) cannot guarantee their oats free from gluten.

Most people can probably tolerate the approximately 20 parts per million that is currently allowed in gluten-free labeling standards, with the exception of the most sensitive to gluten. Some brands that sell oats claim to be gluten-free. Unfortunately, the FDA (Food and Drug Administration), despite the booming popularity of gluten-free offerings, has not yet devised standards for gluten-free labeling.

In other words, organic labeling exists, but gluten-free certification, at least by the federal government, does not. If you really want to do your due diligence and have your oatmeal, too, check with independent celiac disease or gluten non-profits such as the Celiac Foundation or Quality Assurance International, or visit your favorite health-food store, where trusted brands are usually sold.

Even if you’re not sensitive to gluten, many oatmeals sit like a rock in people’s stomachs, causing bloating. This is due to the American need to have everything prepared quickly, hence quick-cooking oats. Rolled oats, or better yet, steel-cut oats require less processing (but more time to prepare), and may digest better than quick-cooking oatmeal.

If you have a crockpot, you can prepare steel-cut oatmeal at night and leave the crockpot on low overnight and wake up to a piping-hot bowl. Don’t have a crockpot? Prepare multiple servings of steel-cut oats on a Sunday night and simply reheat every morning to power you through the workweek.

Oats are primarily carbohydrates. Eaten alone, they don’t taste very appealing and also do not contain much of the other two macronutrients that make a complete meal: protein and natural fat.

For calorie-conscious dieters and those who want to eliminate gluten, mixing Miracle Rice, which is naturally gluten-free, into oatmeal with a handful of nuts and berries or natural fruit makes a complete breakfast.

If you’d like to give Miracle Noodle a try, our variety sampler includes Miracle Rice.

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Even if Oatmeal is Gluten-Free, is it Healthy?

Assuming your oatmeal is gluten-free (read "Is Oatmeal Gluten-Free?"), lots of health experts recommend eating it to reduce cholesterol and preventing heart disease? But what's the true scoop on oatmeal? 
 
A half-cup serving of a leading brand of quick oats (cooked with milk) contains the following:
  • --190 calories
  • --27 grams of carbohydrates
  • --4 grams of fiber
  • --5 grams of protein
  • --3 grams of fat (.5 gram saturated)
  • --10 percent daily value (DV) of iron 
Oatmeal also contains lots of minerals. A cup of the same leading conventional brand contains:
--25 percent DV of magnesium
--30 percent DV of phosphorous

Oatmeal also contains a significant amounts of selenium, copper and manganese, all essential trace minerals. 
 
Carb count
Even if you're gluten-free one smart eating plan is to limit the amount of carbohydrates that can quickly convert into sugar. Limiting carbs in general is considered a strategy in limiting inflammation, caused by high blood sugar. But is the carb count in oatmeal too high for a gluten-free dieter? 

Before answering that question, more importantly than factoring in the amount of carbs a serving size of oatmeal contains, is, 'how do you feel after eating oatmeal?'

Do you feel, say, within an hour after eating oatmeal, you feel level-headed, grounded and have steady energy? Or does the oatmeal feel like it's sitting like a rock in your stomach? If it's the latter, no matter the healthy nutritional portfolio (see values above) of oatmeal, if it doesn't feel efficiently digested, oatmeal might not be an optimum fuel source for you. 

It could also be, though, that you're eating too much of it, or the wrong kind. Obviously, the small flavored packets of oatmeal are loaded with added sugar and should be avoided at all cost. You also might like slow-cooked steel oats better.

Natural oatmeal, such as slow-cooked steel oats, is a slow-burning carbohydrate. So it should provide you with steady energy, not a quick spike and then subsequent dip in energy in certain carbohydrates, such as white bread that contains no fiber.

Real oatmeal and porridge like that eaten as a staple for hundreds of years in communities throughout Ireland and Scotland, insulated from modern foods, is loaded with natural fiber. The fiber in oatmeal (as well as fruits and vegetables) is clinically proven to lower blood fat levels. 

Shoot for at least 25-30 grams of fiber daily. (Try Miracle Noodle Weight Management Soup, which has 9 grams of fiber per serving.)

If you're like the average American adult, you're only getting about half your recommended daily fiber intake.  

Oatmeal also helps reduce blood pressure in people that have high cholesterol. Other studies have suggested that oatmeal prevents: type 2 diabetes, weight gain, and hardening of the arteries.
 
If you have a bit of a sweet tooth, adding a handful of blueberries and a dab of raw honey can add sweetness to the oatmeal without adding refined sugars. 

The healthiest thing to add to oatmeal, however, is Miracle Matcha Health Mix-in, a superfood blend of goji berries, chia and flaxseeds and Pure White Matcha Tea Powder from Kenya, which has three times more antioxidants than green tea. 

If you're still not sure about whether or not oatmeal is good for you, you can always replace regular oatmeal with this version of Miracle Oatmeal:

Ingredients


  • 1 pkg Miracle Noodle Rice
  • 1 Tbsp butter
  • 1 small apple, diced (or other fruit, peaches are also nice; canned fruit is fine)
  • 1/3 cup heavy cream
  • 1 tsp cinnamon
  • 1/2 - 1 tsp apple pie or pumpkin pie spice

Method

  1. Melt the butter in a skillet pan and saute the diced apple until soft.
  2. Open, rinse and drain the Mirace Noodle Rice and place in the skillet. Heat it long enough to evaporate the water from rinsing.
  3. Add the heavy cream and stir. Lower heat if needed so the cream does not burn.
  4. Add all the spices and cook until the desired consistency. Makes two servings.
    5. *   I like to add a bit of cold milk or cream to mine once I have it in the bowl.

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