Oat flakes: what are their benefits and how to use them to lose weight?
Oat flakes are rich in vitamins, minerals, fiber and vegetable proteins and are allies of slimming. Find out when and how to eat them to enjoy the benefits of these pills.
Oatmeal is a very whole grain, which has health benefits, but is also very interesting in the context of weight loss research. Sarah Marin Meyer, RD, and co-founder of Make Me Healthy tells us how to eat oatmeal, to take full advantage of the benefits of this food.
Oat flakes: calories and nutritional values
Rolled oats are made from oats, a type of grain that is brown and long in shape. These cereals have the peculiarity of being enclosed in a hard-to-remove envelope, making them a plant-based fiber-rich food, even after the grains have been stripped, explains Sarah Marin-Meyer.
To obtain oat flakes, oats are crushed, pre-cooked, and then dried.
Nutritional values of rolled oats:
Protein: 100 grams of oat flakes contain an average of 11 grams of protein.
Fat: On average, 100 grams of oats contain 7.1 grams of fat (mainly omega-6 monounsaturated fatty acids).
Carbs: 100 grams of oatmeal contains an average of 58 grams of carbohydrates.
Fiber: On average, 100 grams of oats contain 11 grams of fiber.
A portion of oatmeal (100 grams) contains about 362 calories.
What are the benefits of oatmeal?
The nutritional values of oat flakes are interesting, both in the context of a balanced diet and in the search for weight loss.
Energy source with low glycemic index
"If chosen whole, they will provide slowly assimilable carbohydrates (mainly starch). Carbohydrates that are sources of energy and are essential for glucose-dependent cells." Determines the nutritionist.
The high fiber content (including beta-glucan in particular, which is known for its cholesterol-lowering properties in particular) allows oat flakes to have a low glycemic index. Food with a low glycemic index will allow for a slower penetration of glucose into the blood, and subsequently a slow rise in blood sugar levels.
Feeling full and easy to pass
Oatmeal is one of the highest soluble fiber cereals. Sarah Marin advises:
“For 100 grams of oat flakes consumed, nearly half of the daily recommended fiber intake is reached! Mer.
The interesting fiber intake will help promote intestinal transit, and will also increase the feeling of satiety, to prevent the risk of cravings for snacks between meals.
Be careful, however, to choose raw and unprocessed oat flakes (the granola type), as there may be added sugar, honey, honey, etc.
Full of plant-based proteins
Another advantage of oatmeal: its high content of vegetable protein, which contributes to covering the daily requirement of protein. However, oats do not contain lysine, which is one of the eight essential amino acids, the dietitian points out.
“But of course, as part of a balanced diet, the rest of the diet
It will fill in this minor flaw.”
Finally, oats are a source of B vitamins and minerals such as magnesium (126 mg per 100 grams of oatmeal, or 34% of the Recommended Dietary Reference Values).
Does oatmeal make you lose weight?
Oats are a food that has its place in the context of nutritional rebalancing or the search for weight loss.
These grains will participate in the balance of food, but like every food, they have no interest in consuming them on their own. Oat flakes complement a balanced diet consisting of:
- Animal and vegetable proteins
- all grains
- vegetables
- the fruit
- vegetable oils
- Animal and plant dairy products
- oilseeds
"Oat flakes have the advantage of being a source of satiety. When trying to lose weight, it is important that you do not feel hungry throughout the day, in order to start losing weight in the long term, by rebalancing the food," notes Sarah Marin-Meyer.
“In this sense, they will be involved in regulating / stabilizing blood sugar (blood sugar level),” continues the dietitian, who recommends, for example, eating oatmeal in the form of porridge (a very filling breakfast). Porridge at breakfast helps to avoid a rise in blood sugar in the morning, thus avoiding the cravings for snacks that result from it.
To lose weight, the specialist advises to accompany the porridge with fresh fruits and a portion of oilseeds, to get the full nutrition from breakfast .
Good to know: if oats are the most “fatty” cereal, then it should be remembered that they are fats of a vegetable nature, and therefore rich in unsaturated fatty acids, which are good for health!
When and how do you eat oatmeal?
The ideal option is to choose whole grain oatmeal from farming
organic.
"When the grain is complete, it means that its high-fiber bark/shell is preserved, imparting real nutritional value to the product." Dietitian details.
"However, it is also in this circumstance that the majority of pesticides or other treatments that can be made for grains from conventional farming are stored. This is why it is so important to choose organic oat flakes." , she completes.
Bonus tip: From an environmental point of view, it is best to buy oat flakes in bulk, using reusable fabric or paper bags, in order to reduce plastic packaging.
Oat flakes can be eaten at any time of the day, breakfast, lunch or dinner, as they are delicious and sweet cooked. It is a grain and therefore a starchy equivalent.
Consumption of starchy foods throughout the day should be divided according to individual needs. They are a source of energy necessary for the proper functioning of the body and are part of the food balance. So oat flakes make it possible to diversify the meals but they should be counted in the category of "starchy foods" throughout the day.
Note: Oats contain avenin, a protein close to gliadin, the protein in wheat that is responsible for the inflammatory reactions of gluten sensitivity or celiac disease. However, some people with this condition can still tolerate oats. It is necessary to test.