Ode to the Steel-Cut Oat(s)

Most mornings, I plan to have a good hour to get ready just to be sure to have the time to make my steel-cut oats. In the meantime, it's nice to have a cup of tea and dilly-dally in the window, often soaking in some sun or tending to my plants or maybe even writing a blog post. After about 20 minutes of blasting the buggers on medium, these rock hard whole grain groats are soft without being the texture of baby food.

They have a delicious nutty flavour with a mild crunch that goes well with any kind of fruit. My favourite is to combine it with frozen raspberries (which cuts down the waiting time) and walnut pieces. Mmm!

Besides their strength as a potent source of fibre, they are said to also have good effects on regulating sugars. These sorts of foods keep our sugars from spiking or plummeting, keeping our bodies at a comfortable satiation for longer periods of time. Said by Alive Magazine (see them here and available free in many health food stores):

Foods that are lower on the glycemic index will help maintain appropriate blood sugar levels; these foods include grains such as quinoa, buckwheat, steel-cut oats, and certain fruits such as apples.

Just because you're not diabetic, does not mean you should not keep an eye on your sugar levels. Our lifestyles (such as stress, coffee drinking on an empty stomach, lack of regular meals, high energy activities without prior eating, to name a few) are prone to throwing our sugars off and causing subsequent health effects, such as nervousness, irritability, headache, or drowsiness as seen in hypoglycemia (low blood sugar).

So I leave you, reminded of a childhood classic:

Oats, peas, beans and barley grow,
Oats, peas, beans and barley grow,
Do you or I or anyone know
How oats, peas, beans and barley grow?