You are probably very familiar with oatmeal. It’s one of the most popular breakfast options around. However, you might be like me and get a little bit confused when it comes to all the different varieties of oatmeal. Old fashioned, steel cut, quick oats, the list goes on. Today we are going to focus on the mother of all oats, the grain from which all the other varieties come: oat groats. Let’s learn all about why and how we should be eating them.
What are Oat Groats?
Oat groats are the whole, mostly unprocessed grains that are used to make all the other varieties of oatmeal. For example, old-fashioned oats are groats that have been steamed and flattened to form flakey pieces. Steel-cut oats are groats that have been cut into smaller pieces.
The reason oat groats are often processed is to help reduce their cooking time. They take almost an hour to cook, and who wants to wait that long for their bowl of oatmeal in the morning?
There is nothing wrong with eating oats whole, however. In fact, you’ll usually get the most nutritional benefits out of them because they have had the least amount of processing done to them. (Each time you cook a grain, you lose a bit of nutrition).
Let’s look a little bit closer at some of their characteristics, so we can get to know oat groats better.
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🥄Taste
Oat groats taste a lot like other varieties of oatmeal. They have a mild, slightly nutty flavor. I mean, they are the same thing after all! The biggest difference when it comes to enjoying a bowl of oat groats over a different type of oatmeal is the texture.
Most of us are probably used to our oats being soft and mushy. Cooked oat groats, however, have a chewy texture and are chunkier. Trust me, it's still delicious! They don't clump together when cooked, instead, they stay individual grains.
💪 Nutrition
There are many health benefits of eating whole oats. Oat groats are a rich source of soluble fiber and vitamins. They also have high protein content. This means it helps you fill up faster and stay full longer, which can lead to weight loss. This also reduces the risk of heart disease. They are also full of an assortment of vitamins and minerals, as well as antioxidants.
Check out this nutrition label for 1 serving of oat groats.
1 serving is considered ¼ a cup of uncooked groats, which makes about ¾ cup of cooked groats.
Oat groats are a naturally gluten-free food, however, they are often processed in plants that work on other types of grains, so they may be exposed to small amounts of gluten. If you have celiac disease it may be worth it to purchase whole grain oat groats that are specifically labeled gluten-free.
📖 Cooking Instructions
Oat groats take a long time to cook compared to any other variety of oats. Depending on the cooking method, it takes about an hour!
There are a variety of ways to prepare them. Here are some of the most popular methods, along with about how long they take:
Instant Pot (aka pressure cooker): 40 minutes
Rice Cooker: 50 minutes
Stove Top: 60 minutes
Crock Pot (aka slow cooker): low-4 to 6 hours, high-2 to 3 hours
You can soak oat groats overnight to speed up the cooking time. Simply add the groats to a bowl, cover them completely with water, and allow them to rest in the fridge for several hours. When you’re ready to cook, drain the water and rinse the grains with fresh water. Use fresh water to cook the grains.
⚖️ Substitutes
If you are using oat groats for a breakfast recipe, you can usually substitute any other type of oat. You will just need to adjust the cooking time, as oat groats take significantly longer than any other type of oatmeal.
If you are using the groats in a whole-grain salad. You can substitute them with most other large whole grains, such as wheat berries, barley, or farro.
🥣 Storage
Uncooked oat groats should be stored in an airtight container in a preferably dark, cool, and dry place. If stored properly, they should have a shelf life of 1 year.
They also make a great addition to your long-term storage supply. If stored in a sealed can or bucket with an oxygen absorber, they can last 10-15 years.
Cooked oat groats should be stored in a covered container in the refrigerator and will be good for 3-5 days. Other types of oatmeal (like quick or rolled oats) often get extra spongy and gelatinous in the fridge. Oat groats, however, keep their shape and don’t get mushy.
💰 Where to Buy
I can buy oat groats in bulk bins at my local grocery store, Winco. You could also check for them in the oatmeal aisle or whole foods aisle. You will also most likely be able to find them in health food stores. Just look in the cereal grains section.
If not, you can always purchase them online.
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🥘 Uses
Oat groats obviously make a great hot breakfast cereal. Top them with any of your favorite oatmeal mix-ins, like fruit fresh and dried, brown sugar, maple syrup, peanut butter, or nuts. You can even pour milk over them and eat them like a bowl of cereal. All types of milk, from cow's milk to soy milk to almond milk are great with oat groats.
You can also use whole groats as a hearty whole grain in salads.
Another great way to use them is to grind them up to make oat flour. Cooking with oat flour gives your recipe an amazing flavor and texture. Find out more about how to make and use oat flour from this article on Gemma’s Bigger Bolder Baking blog.
Here are some of my favorite oat groat recipes from around the web:
Oat Picnic Salad from OatsEveryday.com
Oat Groat Salad with Greens, Butternut squash, and Toasted Pecans from EdibleOzarkansas.com
Whole Oat Groats with Cherries, Plums and Pistachios from Food52.com
Overnight Oats Groats Bowl from Foodaciously.com
FAQs
They are actually the same thing! All the different forms of oats are just oat groats that have been processed in different ways. For example, old-fashioned oats are groats that have been steamed and flattened to form flakey pieces. Steel-cut oats are groats that have been cut into smaller pieces.
Every time a grain is processed it loses a little bit of nutrition, so technically, oat groats contain more amount of nutrients than any other form of oats. However, the nutrient loss in becoming different varieties of oats is so minimal that the difference isn't worth worrying about.
All varieties of oats are very healthy. Just make sure you don't add too much sugar on top!
Oat groats are extremely versatile. They are delicious as a cereal grain for breakfast. You can also substitute them for other grains, like wheat berries are farro, in salads and soups. You can even use them like rice and serve them with stir fry.
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Thanks for reading this post about oat groats. Let me know if you have any more questions about this tasty grain! I hope you'll try them out!
✌️ Ems
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