Flavoured Oatmeal - Healthy or Junk?

Flavoured Oatmeal

flavoured oats

Since we are in the January - Sugar Crushing month - I decided to look at more common products that are perceived as healthy. The product under the microscope today is flavoured oatmeal. The most popular brand of course is Quaker. The questions is: is it a junk food or a health food?

 

Sugar Content


For maple and brown sugar, as well as, apples and cinnamon sugar is an ingredient number two.  There are 14 g in maple and brown sugar (3.5 tsp) and 9 g in apples and cinnamon (2.25 tsp). Regular variety does not contain any sugar. Hence out of them only regular is comparable to traditional oats in terms of sugar.

I don't know about you but one packet is not enough for me for breakfast; so I would need to double that. I do not know anyone who would cook a traditional oatmeal and add more than 1 to 2 tsp of sugar or honey.

Additives in Flavoured Oats

As you can guess, traditional oats do not contain additives, so for fair comparison we need to look at them:
- guar gum (all varieties) - is used to thicken the oatmeal (also used in ice creams, and nut/seed milks); it can cause digestive issues with people with sensitive digestive problem. For most people it is considered safe.
- calcium carbonate (all varieties) - also known as E170. It is often used as an anti-acid; and is considered safe.
- calcium stearate - used to prevent oats from clumping (also used in meat tenderizers); it is generally considered safe. However, in sensitive individuals it can cause stomach pains.
- sulphites - are generally considered safe. Sensitive individuals complain about headaches after consuming food with sulphites.

Summary

I consider Quaker oats to be one of the foods parading as healthy food where in fact it is closer to junk. It does not meet the standard for a healthy breakfast that has at least 5 g of fibre, less than 5 g of sugar, and 5 g of protein. Hence I classify it as a RED FOOD - eat only occasionally; when possible look for better options.

6 Kitchen Skills that make you eat well and save money

The biggest dollar saver is cut fruits:

  • Fruits that are cut for you can cost anywhere between 50 to 150% more than if you bought the whole fruits and cut them yourself. 
  • When you cut them you control the quality of the fruit and its ripeness. How many times did you buy cup pineapple that was sour or bitter, I know I did few times in the past?

Butcher/cut up meat is the other big saver:

  • From a whole chicken for example you can have 3 meals for 2 (legs and wings, breasts, and corpus). 
  • Leftover bones are perfect for a soup, so don't throw them out.

Flavoured oatmeals:

  • Store bought flavoured oatmeals are packed with unnecessary ingredients and are more expensive than buying plain oatmeal in the bulk store (i.e., BulkBarn in Canada).
  • It is easy to add your own spices such as cinnamon, cardamom, anise, vanilla, or nutmeg. And top it up with fresh or frozen fruits and nuts and seeds for a healthy breakfast.

Soups:

  • Soups are perfect meals when you are in a rush, to warm up in winter time, or for a all rounded healthy meal.
  • Store bought soups are often packed with unnecessary additives and sodium. By making your own you have a full control of the quality and quantity of each ingredient.
  • They are a great way to minimize waste of fresh produce in your kitchen.

Desserts:

  • Making desserts has never been easier, there are so many kitchen gadgets from blenders to ice cream and popsicle makers that buying chemical laden desserts is not necessary.
  • A little bit of preparation in advance and you can indulge in guilt free desserts.

Breads:

  • Speciality breads can be very expensive and often they do not taste that great.
  • Baking breads takes a little bit of practice and experimentation, however it is worth the effort as you end up with a beautiful smelling house and delicious bread that fits your diet requirements.

Moderation - what it really means

"Soft drinks should be drunk in moderation" - Coca Cola.

Moderation is a term that is widely exploited by the food industry to justify their existence. It is time to clear it up with my no nonsense way.

Moderation should be applied to food that is healthy; food that is nutritious yet calorie dense. For example butter, olive oil, or nuts.

Junk food/drinks on the other hand (including Coca Cola), are calories dense and have no or almost no nutrition that our bodies need. They are empty calories, often packed with sugars, and colorants. While they are still edible, they are more of a special occasion indulgence (on purpose I am not calling them food!). Food that should be consumed regularly in moderation do not come in colourful containers with a pile of sugar, artificial colorants, and additives on their ingredient list. No amount of gym work is going to help, Coca Cola, and you know it so let's be honest here!

http://www.foodmanufacture.co.uk/Hot-Topics/Obesity-Debate/Soft-drinks-should-be-drunk-in-moderation-Coca-Cola-boss