Instant Oats?

machwon04

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I've read somewhere to stay away from instant oatmeal. I don't remember what the reasoning was, but I got in an argument this morning w/ my girlfriend about it. She doesn't think there's anything wrong with them.
So tell me guys, what is it about instant oatmeal that isn't good for you?
 
ugab37

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The carbs in instant oatmeal will release much faster. Your best bet is to use old-fashioned slow oats.
 

Funny Monkey

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If its the instant oat packets just read the ingredients. You'll find plenty of extra sugar and other preservatives.
 

jet11

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they are not "bad" they are healthy, BUT using a more coarse oat usually is less bleached and has more nutrients, i think its like the white vs wheat bread debate. white isnt "bad" for you, but wheat has all the benefits.

its nothing worth arguing over with the girl, but if you are on a strict diet, the slow oats are a better choice
 

machwon04

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Cool. Yea it wasn't a real "argument," it was all in fun. I was just messing with her about it but couldn't give any proof behind my statements haha.
 
Nitrox

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Don't quote me on this but I recall reading something about that emulsifiers used crank up its effective GI. It wasnt an issue about them being cut more finely. And yes the flavored ones often contain extra sweeteners.
 

juggernaut333

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just commpare labels from whole oats to the instant ones and youll see why.most packets and the like are loaded with sugars and artifical crap
 

bigjohn58

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What about instant oatmeal like Quaker Oatmeal Weight Control? They have very little added sugar. Just courious what you think.
 
Ubiquitous

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Nature's Path makes flax enriched oats with not too much added sugar.. pretty good if you MUST go instant.
 

Moyer

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The Quaker Weight Control stuff is pretty good too. I recommend the Banana flavor.
 
TeamSavage

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In most supermarkets you can buy "quick" or "instant" oats in bulk tubs without the added sugars. The one I have from a major supermarket chain has 0g of sugar and lists the ingredients as "100% whole grain rolled oats", but can still be prepared in the microwave in 90 seconds.

These avoid the pitfalls of the flavored, sugary "instant" packets, although I don't know for certain how the GI of these compares to that of "slow" oats.
 
freezito

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i thought some of the instant oats come without sugar?
 

MiKeY ReSp

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I've read somewhere to stay away from instant oatmeal. I don't remember what the reasoning was, but I got in an argument this morning w/ my girlfriend about it. She doesn't think there's anything wrong with them.
So tell me guys, what is it about instant oatmeal that isn't good for you?
As everyone has already pretty much said..."Old fashioned," "Rolled," or "Steel Cut" are your best bet when it comes to oatmeal. They are not refined or as processed like instant oatmeal and have a much lower GI. They will not spike insulin levels and probably your best bet for taking in quality carbs...

As for you argument with your girlfriend, although they hold more nutritional benefits for you than instant oats, instant oats themselves are not bad. Although they do contain some sugar, I still believe they are a great choice for people as opposed to most cereals or other breakfast choices. She is much better off eating flavored instant oatmeal that she's eating instead of what the majority of people eat. They still hold a lot of health benefits, but contain some sugar for some taste and might go through your system a little bit faster. So unless shes following some strict training regiment or program, preparing for a contest, or going all out trying to make a physical change, etc, there not that bad for you at all
 
TeamSavage

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Also, I think it's worth noting that milk has a very low GI (~30), so if you add milk to your oatmeal, it will lower the overall GI of the meal (even if you're using "old-fashioned" oats with GI of ~50).
 

MiKeY ReSp

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Also, I think it's worth noting that milk has a very low GI (~30), so if you add milk to your oatmeal, it will lower the overall GI of the meal (even if you're using "old-fashioned" oats with GI of ~50).
I always used milk (skim) in most of my shakes and drink it with some meals as well, but wasn't aware that it had a low GI. I feel a lot better about drinking it now because the sugar content always made me feel guilty, thanks Savage!
 
TeamSavage

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I always used milk (skim) in most of my shakes and drink it with some meals as well, but wasn't aware that it had a low GI. I feel a lot better about drinking it now because the sugar content always made me feel guilty, thanks Savage!
Milk is a great food for so many reasons. The fact that adding it to a meal virtually always lowers the overall GI is just one.

The whole "sugars versus complex carbohydrates" model is a bit outdated and doesn't translate well to GI. Many foods that are high in sugars (milk, most fruits) have very low GI. Meanwhile, many foods consisting of mostly complex carbs - with little or no sugar - have high GI (e.g. potatoes).

More often, you'll find a correlation between degree of processing and GI. Unprocessed foods more frequently yield a low GI, whereas processed foods frequently yield a high GI, regardless of sugar content. (This isn't always true, but it's a better rule-of-thumb than sugars-vs-complex.)

So go ahead and eat lots of milk (and fruits). Even though they contain significant sugar, they're very low GI and are packed with other important nutrients.

Personally, I think some people obsess over GI a little too much, but it's definitely worth understanding.
 

MiKeY ReSp

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Milk is a great food for so many reasons. The fact that adding it to a meal virtually always lowers the overall GI is just one.

The whole "sugars versus complex carbohydrates" model is a bit outdated and doesn't translate well to GI. Many foods that are high in sugars (milk, most fruits) have very low GI. Meanwhile, many foods consisting of mostly complex carbs - with little or no sugar - have high GI (e.g. potatoes).

More often, you'll find a correlation between degree of processing and GI. Unprocessed foods more frequently yield a low GI, whereas processed foods frequently yield a high GI, regardless of sugar content. (This isn't always true, but it's a better rule-of-thumb than sugars-vs-complex.)

So go ahead and eat lots of milk (and fruits). Even though they contain significant sugar, they're very low GI and are packed with other important nutrients.

Personally, I think some people obsess over GI a little too much, but it's definitely worth understanding.

Thanks for clearing that up. I always had a general understanding of GI and carbs. For instance, I knew some fruits that had a low GI but were high in sugar, but never really payed no mind to it. I never really took that same consideration into milk. I certainly feel alot better on these things now, and see that I have a lot of reading up to do on this, as I would like to find out more information on the GI of a lot more foods. Thank you very much for taking the time to explain your previous post, it was very clear in explanation as well as giving a good comparison for further clarification.

Excuse me while I get myself some skim milk


:run:
 
East1600Plus

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i dont have much time in the morning to make breakfast and eat it ive been using instant oats with the sugar or w/e and some egg sandwhiches...but so there is instant oats with no added sugar though??
 
TeamSavage

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i dont have much time in the morning to make breakfast and eat it ive been using instant oats with the sugar or w/e and some egg sandwhiches...but so there is instant oats with no added sugar though??
Yeah, you can usually buy big tubs of just the "instant" or "minute" oats without any added sugars or flavors. I believe Quaker offers this, as do most supermarket brands.

Even the regular, non-instant oats, however, only take about 3 minutes to make in the microwave.
 
dlew308

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Anyone try the kashi oatmeal? I bought a box of GoLean honey & cinnamon, I overnuked it the first try but it's better then the stuff they serve at work.

8g protein
5g fiber
 

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