Grocery Spotlight: Bob’s Red Mill Quick-Cooking Steel Cut Oats (from Costco!)

Still confused about all the different types of oats on the market today? Here’s a little history: All oats start out as oat groats- the whole, unbroken grain. The difference between steel-cut, rolled oats, and instant (which we don’t recommend- it oftens comes packaged with a lot of sugar) comes down to how processed they are. Steel cut is the least refined and is made by chopping the groat into several pieces (vs being steamed and then rolled and flattened as in rolled oats). This way it retains the majority of it’s fiber (great for lowering your cholesterol and keeping you regular), along with many B vitamins and minerals. Steel cut typically takes longer to cook (20-30 mins) than other varieties, but this quick-cooking type is done in just 7 minutes! According to Bob’ Red Mill, this is because the oat groats are cut into smaller, more uniform pieces allowing them to cook up quicker. While still retaining 4g of fiber and 4g of protein per serving. For just 140 calories, it’s a great and filling way to start your day. Try it one of our favorite ways: top one serving hot cooked oats with ½ sliced banana (~50 calories), 1 tsp peanut butter (~30 calories) and add unsweetened almond milk to taste. Yum!