Oat is a cereal grain made from the oats plant, while you may have come across oats every day at your supermarket, a small number of people I know knows how healthy oats are for your health.

Health benefits of oats

Oats are a healthy cereal for people with diabetes

Oats have a low glycemic index, which is around 50, it makes oats an ideal for people with diabetes.

They also contain a lot of fiber, nearly 12% of oats contain fiber, which will help to control your blood sugar levels.

Beta-glucan is a fiber found in oats, beta-glucan is called the heart-healthy fiber. This is because of its benefit for people with diabetes, and high cholesterol. The fibers can help to reduce the rise in blood sugar levels after taking a meal.

Oats have chemicals known as phenolic compounds, and phytoestrogens, they act as anti-oxidants. Anti-oxidants help to reduce the damage to cells by free-radicals.

It helps to reduce your body’s inflammation, associated with cardiovascular diseases, and cancer.

Different recipes to prepare your oats

There are different kinds of oats available in the market, some are sweetened by adding sugar. When you purchase, make sure your oats don’t contain any added sugar.

Oatmeal 

Breakfast made with oats is good for people with diabetes

Oatmeal is the most common way people prepare oats, you mix oats with milk, with no added sugar, a nutritious breakfast made within minutes. You can also add some nuts, berries, to make it more even tastier. 

Sugar-free oatcake

Oatmeal cake is a good alternative for people living with diabetes

If you like to taste a cake but worried because of your diabetes, then sugar-free oats cake is just for you.

Follow a regular recipe of oatcake but replace the sugar or honey with an artificial sweetener. After eating the sugar-free oats cake, it will not shoot up your blood sugar levels as a regular cake would do.

Oat muffins

Oat muffins with chocolate chips

Just like cakes, you can make muffins made with oats but with no added sugar. They are also great for people with diabetes.

Oats shawarma 

You can make the wrap with oatmeal flour instead regular what flour.

Wheat flour can give you sugar spikes if you have diabetes, and if you think you can’t have a tasty wrap, then you are mistaken.

Replace your wheat flour with oat flour, and make delicious wraps. Because oats have lots of fiber, and low in glycemic index, this means you don’t have to worry about the spikes in the blood sugar levels.

Oat cookies

Cookies made with oats – foodandwine

Oat cookies are a great way to taste a cookie, but a lot healthier. You replace the sugar with artificial sweeter to give its sweet taste and you have a healthier cookie that even someone with diabetes can taste.

Make sure you replace the sugar in these recipes with artificial sweeteners and avoid adding honey or maple syrup.

So have you tried any of these recipes before?

Author

Dr Rukshan Ranatunge is a graduate from the Faculty of Medicine, University of Kelaniya (MBBS). He is currently studying for his masters in health informatics.

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