Oats have long been hailed as a nutritious grain, packed with fiber and offering various health benefits. However, when it comes to low-carb diets like the ketogenic diet, the place of rolled oats can become a subject of debate. This article aims to explore the relationship between rolled oats and low-carb diets, providing information to help you make informed decisions about including them in your meal plan.
Understanding the Ketogenic Diet
The ketogenic diet, often called the keto diet, is a very low-carb, high-fat diet. The ketogenic diet demands the dieter to drastically reduce carbohydrate intake and replace it with fat. This dietary shift forces the body into a metabolic state called ketosis. In ketosis, your body uses ketones instead of carbohydrates (carbs) as a primary energy source. Ketones are substances produced when your body breaks down fats.
The Nutritional Profile of Rolled Oats
Oats made history when they became the first food with a Food and Drug Administration health claim label in 1997. Oats contain a type of soluble fiber called beta-glucan, which lowers blood glucose and cholesterol levels and reduces the risk of heart disease and diabetes. Eating oatmeal regularly can have weight management benefits, too. Oats' fiber and protein content contribute to feeling full longer and slowing the release of blood glucose.
According to the USDA, ½ cup of dry oats (or 1 cup of cooked oats) contains about 27 grams of carbohydrates. One cup of oatmeal contains around 24 grams (g) of net carbohydrates. Regular rolled, quick-cooked oatmeal is not considered a keto-friendly food.
Are Rolled Oats Keto-Friendly?
The short answer is generally no. Regular oatmeal is not an ideal choice if you’re following a keto diet. When you factor in your carbs from other food sources, even half a cup of oatmeal can exceed your daily allowance of carbs in a keto diet.
Read also: Breakfast on the Candida Diet
However, there are nuances to consider. If you’re choosing to be a little more liberal with your carbohydrate intake, an occasional bowl of morning oats can totally have a place in your balanced eating plan. Some exceptions may apply, but you may want to look for an alternative to the popular oats.
Strategies for Including Oats in a Low-Carb Diet
It’s possible to have a smaller portion of oatmeal if you pre-plan your entire day to ensure you stay within your carbohydrate goal. And 1/4 cup to 1/2 cup (dry measure) contains only about 12 to 24 g of available carbs. Depending on your serving - the bowl should contain a about 15 and 30 g of carbohydrates.
Pure, Raw (not pre-cooked) oatmeal is also a great source of resistant starch; an important component in the Keto diet. Resistant starch is a starch that is resistant to digestion. It functions as a fermentable fiber which helps feed the friendly bacteria in your gut. Studies show that resistant starch can help with weight loss, shrink belly bat and benefit heart health. Gluten-Free Prairie Oats and are a perfect choice because the large flakes are digested more slowly and will help keep your blood sugar levels more stable. Also, Oats are high in fiber, something that can be missing in a Keto diet. So enjoy a bowl of cool oatmeal. And to ramp up the protein, consider adding high-protein cottage cheese along with some peanut or almond butter. I also add cardamom and cinnamon for little savory and sweetness to the bowl.
Types of Oats and Their Impact
- Steel-Cut Oats: Also called Irish oatmeal, whole oat kernels are cut into two or three pieces with steel disks. Because these oats are the least processed, they contain the highest amount of fiber. Steel-cut oats take longer to cook, resulting in a creamy and chewy porridge. Just try to opt for steel-cut oats (rather than quick or instant oats) as they’re much lower on the glycemic index.
- Rolled Oats: These oats are rolled flat to make them easier to cook.
- Quick Oats: These are the oats found in single-serve packets. They're typically flavored and can be added to hot water or cooked in the microwave for a few minutes.
Utilizing Oat Fiber
If you’re in the mood for some oatmeal goodness, you could consider using oat fiber, a product made from the outer husks of oats that can produce porridge when mixed with hot liquid. Carbohydrate values vary depending on the manufacturer, but oat fiber is lower in carbs than oatmeal.
Combining Oats with Keto-Friendly Foods
If that isn’t quite what you’re looking for, you might find success mixing a spoonful of oatmeal with a keto-friendly food, like chia seeds, often eaten using the same preparations as traditional oatmeal.
Read also: Nutritious oat ideas
Oat Milk Considerations
Oat milk is made by blending oats with water and separating the liquid from the solids. Even though it’s lower in carbs than oatmeal, oat milk isn’t considered keto-friendly either. One cup of oat milk has approximately 17 g of net carbohydrates. Used sparingly as a coffee creamer or in tea, oat milk may still be acceptable on a keto diet if you factor in the rest of your carb intake.
Keto-Friendly Oatmeal Alternatives
If, after reviewing the nutritional facts of oatmeal, you've found that it won't work within your dietary requirements, don't worry! Several low-carb dishes can be created to replicate the taste and texture of oatmeal without the extra carbs.
Porridge is often seen as a healthy breakfast staple, but is it low in carbohydrates? Warm, creamy, comforting, fast and filling, a good old bowl of porridge is a breakfast favourite. But is porridge low-carb and keto-friendly? Not so much. No, Porridge is not low-carb or keto-friendly. Whether you choose to enjoy a bowl of porridge or not comes down to your own unique dietary needs, preferences and goals.
Love your low-carb diet, but missing porridge? Try Purition as an instant low-carb porridge. Take 40g of Purition, add a splash of hot boiled water or milk, mix well, add your choice of toppings and voila. Plus, if you like some low-carb breakfast variety, Purition is for you.
Low-Carb Porridge Alternatives
If you’re not too concerned about maintaining the oat flavor, there are plenty of other low carb porridge alternatives:
Read also: Try this easy overnight oats recipe
- Flaxseed Meal: Flaxseed ground up is called flaxseed meal. One hundred grams, or between ½ to ¾ cup, depending on the consistency of the meal, contains around 11 net carbohydrates.
- Coconut Flour: Coconut flour is another porridge option, made from dried and ground coconut meat. Its net carbs come in at about 24 per 100 g (or 8 g net carbs per 1/2 cup), depending on consistency.
- Chia Seeds: Chia seeds are a versatile food used in various dishes and as baking substitutes. When mixed with liquid, they develop a gel-like coating that creates a texture similar to pudding. One-half cup of chia seeds contains about 8 net carbs.
- Hemp Hearts: Hemp hearts are the seeds from the Cannabis sativa plant. They’re considered a nutrient-dense food that you can add to a keto diet. After calculating for fiber, hemp seeds have almost no net carbs per serving.
- Almond Flour: Almond flour is typically used as a substitute for regular baking flour, but it can also make porridge if you need an oatmeal alternative. Almond flour has approximately 6 net carbs per 1/4 cup.
If you eat your oatmeal dry, with granola, or as an additive in smoothies and protein bars, the whole-form versions of the above foods still work as keto-friendly substitutes.
Low-Carb Keto Recipes
You can easily prepare low-carb keto recipes using eggs and low-carb vegetables for simple keto breakfast options. Preparing low-carb and gluten-free oatmeal is simple, swap out the starchy oats for keto-friendly nuts and seeds!
Keto-Friendly Seeds
- Hemp Seeds: Hemp seeds, also called hemp hearts, are definitely underutilized as they can be eaten raw, roasted, or cooked; another use is for non-dairy hemp milk and cheeses! 3 tablespoons of hemp seeds contain 166 calories, 9 grams of protein, 15 grams of fat, and less than 3 grams of carbohydrates, making them one of the best seeds to eat when following a low-carb or keto diet (2).
- Chia Seeds: Chia seeds come from a flowering plant in the mint family native to central and southern Mexico.
- Flax Seeds: Flax seeds are high in soluble fiber and omega-3 fatty acids (alpha-linolenic acid) two nutrients known to benefit heart health and digestive health.
Enhancing Flavor and Nutrition in Low-Carb Oatmeal
Making a bowl of lower-carb oatmeal doesn't have to be bland. Keto-approved oatmeal can be just as flavorful as a traditional bowl with the right ingredients.
What’s porridge without toppings? Nothing, if you ask us! Whether you’re looking for low-carb options for an occasional bowl of oats or want to give your Purition low-carb porridge an extra kick, we’ve got you covered.
Keto-Approved Oatmeal Add-Ins
- Hulled Hemp Seeds: Considered a complete protein, deliver 5 grams of plant-based protein per 2 tablespoon serving, making them a great addition to ketogenic, vegan and vegetarian diets. In addition to providing a wealth of protein, hemp hearts also provide a healthy balance of omega-3 and omega-6 essential fatty acids. The fatty acids found in this seed have many health benefits ranging from promoting heart health to reducing inflammation.
- Flaxseed Meal: Offers a mild and nutty flavor that blends perfectly with the versatile taste of oatmeal. Just two tablespoons of our flaxseed meal offer 2430 mg of omega-3s. In addition, flaxseed contains nearly 75-80 times more lignans than other plant foods. Like oatmeal, flaxseed meal is a good source of fiber, including soluble and insoluble fiber.
- Nuts: Are an excellent way to add flavor and texture to oatmeal. When adding nuts to any recipe, you can crush them, ground them, or add them in whole. To keep your oatmeal low carb, reach for nuts with low carbohydrate content. Hazelnuts, macadamia nuts and Brazil nuts are the lowest in carbs and will taste great when combined with the naturally nutty flavor of oats.
- Berries: Berries like strawberries, blackberries and blueberries top the list of delicious keto-approved foods. And their naturally sweet flavor makes them an excellent way to sweeten your bowl of oats without using syrups or processed ingredients. Like nuts, berries can be added to oats in several different ways. For example, choose to bake blueberries into your oats as they're cooking, add a handful of fresh strawberries to your oats and top them with cottage cheese, or dice up a few strawberries and stir them into a freshly cooked bowl of oatmeal.
Sample Low-Carb Oatmeal Mixes
Here are our top 3 favorite mixes with measurements, simply substitute these ingredients for the honey and cinnamon listed in the recipe below. Remember that there are endless flavor combinations. You can also add in a scoop of protein powder for an extra protein boost!
Quick Guide to Making Low-Carb Oatmeal
Too Busy? Sometimes there just isn't enough time in the week to perfectly plan every meal. Gathering and measuring all of the ingredients you will be using to prepare your low-carb oatmeal. Stir all of the ingredients together in a small saucepan, including any additional flavorings, and whisk until smooth. Heat the oatmeal over medium heat and stir occasionally until thickened into a porridge consistency (6-10 minutes). The chia seeds and ground flax help thicken the mixture, you may see it firm-up overnight as well thanks to the chia seeds. Once you reach the desired consistency you can remove your low carb oatmeal from the pot and portion it into meal prep containers or into a bowl to enjoy immediately! This recipe only makes 1 serving, so multiply it as many times as you'd like for your weekly meal prep. You can also microwave your low-carb oatmeal for 3 minutes, be sure to cover it was a paper towel and stir it halfway through the cooking process.
Heat the oatmeal over medium heat and stir occasionally until thickened into a porridge consistency. You can adjust the consistency by using more or less liquid depending on your preferences.
The Importance of Healthy Carbs
Many people think that carbs can only cause weight gain. And yes, indulging regularly in bad carbs like the ones you find in your favorite bag of Doritos will lead you on the path to obesity, but so will overindulging in any of your favorite sugary, fatty snacks. Moral of the story: the carbs aren’t always to blame. In fact, healthy carbs like quinoa, sweet potatoes, and oats are essential for your body’s everyday functions. When you aren’t taking in enough healthy carbs, your body starts to break down fats and proteins for energy instead, which aren’t used efficiently.
You may have figured out by now that not all carbs are created equal. There are some we want to steer clear of and there are others that our body needs for energy. So, what exactly is a healthy carb? A general rule of thumb is if you can pick your carbohydrate straight from the farm, then it’s a healthy carb. Can you pluck potato chips from your backyard garden? I don’t think so (read: unhealthy carb). But, you can pick a sweet potato, a carrot, or even healthy grains like brown rice (read: healthy carb). If you are eating a healthy carb, it will be rich with fiber and help you feel full in a lasting way. So, you won’t need to eat as much, you’ll stay satiated for longer, and you’ll get the essential nutrients your body needs to function and maintain a healthy weight. And the list goes on! So, don't be afraid of carbs because your body needs them to burn energy efficiently. Plus these whole foods come packed with nutrients that support a healthy lifestyle.