Is Instant Oatmeal Good For You?

By Matt

Provided you are just talking about plain, regular instant oatmeal without the added sugar of things like Maple & Brown Sugar Instant Oatmeal or Cinnamon & Spice Instant Oatmeal, instant oatmeal is still a solid breakfast.

You’ll still get the cholesterol-lower benefits of the soluble oat fiber — and while instant oatmeal does have a slightly higher glycemic load — it’s not nearly as bad as people think. So if the convenience of instant oatmeal helps you eat more of this healthy food, then go ahead and eat it.

In terms of sodium, even here, instant oatmeal isn’t terrible. There are other sources of food you probably eat daily with much more salt. So I wouldn’t over-focus on this unless you are on a sodium-controlled diet.

The Main Difference: Flavor and Texture
At the end of the day, the biggest difference between instant oatmeal and things like thick rolled oats or Scottish oats is the texture, flavor and how satisfying and filling they are.

Instant oatmeal is very mushy and its flavor can’t really compare to something like thick rolled oats. But many people like instant oatmeal just fine.

Also, oatmeal that takes longer to cook tends to absorb more water, and increases in volume much more than instant oats. Eating old fashioned or thick rolled oatmeal can help you feel fuller, for longer and makes the non-instant variety of oats more satisfying for many people. So that definitely can be an advantage.

If you want to have the convenience of instant oatmeal but with some of the flavor and texture benefits of a slower-cooking oatmeal, you can always prepare a large batch of oatmeal the night before and simply warm it up in a microwave the next morning. You will probably have to add some water or skim milk to it to make it creamier, but this is one way to get the time saving benefits of instant and the flavor benefits of slow-cooked oats.

Oatmeal prepared ahead of time can be stored in the refrigerator in a covered container for up to four days.

Article Source: http://www.answerfitness.com/369/is-instant-oatmeal-good-for-you/