‘Spiced Apple Steel Cut Oats’

thehealthychew

6 years ago

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Crisp fall mornings are dreamy, especially when the kitchen smells like homemade breakfast, freshly brewed coffee, and warmed apple spice. Who says you can’t have one of these mornings during the week, even when you’re rushed out the door for work? So many of us skip out on breakfast because of the common misconception that breakfast has to be a lavish spread or nothing at all. Thankfully, this is one recipe that doesn’t take much time at all but still fills you up and gives you plenty of fiber and nutrients.

To me, crisp fall mornings are so wonderful because it feels as though life is renewed. It’s the start of new beginnings with a renewed sense of energy lingering in the air. The feel of cozy blankets and meals that soothe the soul. Warming spices and old family favorite recipes come out of storage. Yes, this is what fall means to me and this ‘Spiced Apple Steel Cut Oats’ recipe is perfect for those crisp mornings.

Also called ‘Irish Oats’ or ‘Scottish Oats’, Steel cut oats are just that, they are regular oats simply cut down a little further into smaller pieces which resemble rice. The texture of steel cut oats is thicker and slightly chewier than rolled oats, which is best to be used for a bowl of oatmeal in the morning instead of baking.

Regarding the nutrition profile of steel cut oats vs rolled oats, they look pretty similar across the board. The serving size is about 1/4 cup (dry) cereal, which is composed of 5 grams of protein, 27 grams of carbohydrates, 2.5 grams of fat, 4 grams of fiber, and roughly 10% of our daily need of iron. However, the wonderful thing about steel cut oats is the slightly lower glycemic load than rolled or regular oats. What does that even mean?

The ‘Glycemic Index’ is used to determine how fast or slow our bodies digest carbohydrates. The goal is to consume food with a lower glycemic load, causing a slower digestion- thus reducing the spike in our blood sugar. This helps to maintain our blood sugars and keep us satiated for a longer period of time. People who have trouble maintaining their blood sugar should consume foods with lower glycemic loads.