Cereal is not the same as oatmeal

Oatmeal has attracted more and more attention because of its low sugar, low fat, high fiber and other characteristics. However, in the face of the variety of oatmeal products on the shelves, will you pick? The Sichuan Provincial Market Supervision Bureau invites Du Gang, deputy pharmacist of the Sichuan Provincial Food and Drug Inspection and Testing Institute, and Liu Mei, the pharmacist in charge of the Sichuan Food and Drug Inspection and Testing Institute, and other food safety experts to take you to understand the "secret" of oatmeal.

Oatmeal cannot be equated

Many consumers think that oatmeal is cereal, but in fact, the two cannot be equated. Cereal is a general term for a variety of cereal flakes, raw materials for wheat, barley, rice, corn and other grains, may contain oats, may not contain oats; oatmeal is oatmeal as raw material, processed and made. According to the different raw materials, processing methods, etc., oatmeal can be divided into pure oatmeal and compound oatmeal.

The raw material of pure oatmeal is only oatmeal, which can be divided into cooked oatmeal and ready-to-eat oatmeal according to the processing technology and consumption method. Cooking oatmeal is made of direct pressure of oats, which need to be cooked before it can be eaten; instant oatmeal, which is processed by cooking or baking and other maturation processes, can be eaten directly with water or milk, and can also be eaten after heating in the microwave.

Compound oatmeal has no requirements for the content of oatmeal, as long as it is guaranteed that oatmeal is one of the raw materials. Usually, dried fruits, nuts, yogurt blocks, vegetable fat powder, syrup, maltodextrin, flavors and flavors are also added to the compound oatmeal. Compared with pure oatmeal, compound oatmeal is rich in flavor and more balanced and comprehensive in nutrition, but at the same time, sugar, fat, calories, etc. are also greatly increased. In terms of eating methods, compound oatmeal generally does not need to be steamed, can be eaten as a snack dry, or can be directly soaked in water, soaked milk or mixed with yogurt.

Special groups should pay attention to consumption

Compared with grains such as rice, oats are rich in dietary fiber, protein, vitamins, minerals and other nutrients. Replacing a portion of the refined white staple food with 30-50g of pure oatmeal per day can make nutrition more balanced and a healthier diet. For special populations, eating oatmeal still requires attention.

Pure oatmeal belongs to low GI (GlycemicIndex, glycemic index) food, blood sugar will not rise rapidly after eating; rich in dietary fiber, not only can moisturize the intestines and laxatives, but also reduce cholesterol; contains soluble dietary fiber β-dextran, which absorbs water in the stomach and intestines, easily produces a feeling of fullness, and helps to control the amount of food. Therefore, for the "three high" people and fat loss people, it is recommended to choose pure oatmeal.

Because the dietary fiber in oatmeal is not easily digested and absorbed, the elderly and people with weak gastrointestinal digestion ability are best to choose cooked oatmeal, and it is not easy to eat too much at a time to avoid gastrointestinal spasms or flatulence.

Oats contain gluten protein, and people with gluten protein allergies are advised not to consume oatmeal. Compound oatmeal may be added with milk powder, nuts and other sensitizing substances, people with allergies to this type of food is recommended to avoid eating, before eating should pay attention to product ingredients, so as not to accidentally eat allergies.

Purchases are based on the ingredient list

Take a look at the ingredient list. Find out the type of product by indicating the position or content of oatmeal in the ingredient list. The higher the oatmeal position, the higher the amount added; the less ingredients, the more "pure" the oatmeal.

Second, pay attention to the nutrition facts list. Learn about the nutritional composition of your product through the Nutrition Facts List. For special groups, we should pay more attention to the sugar, fat, sodium and energy of the products to choose scientifically according to their own needs.

Three looks at the production date. When purchasing large packaged products, try to choose a newer production date to avoid excessive consumption time leading to moisture, oxidative rancidity, and then affect the taste and quality of the product.

Fourth, when buying bulk samples, pay attention to the color, smell the taste, and see the completeness. Blackened, dark, odorous oatmeal is best not to buy.

In addition, oatmeal is rich in oil, protein and other nutrients, after opening for a long time to place easy to breed microorganisms, added nuts of oatmeal, easy to oxidation rancidity after contact with the air, even mildew and so on. It is recommended to eat as soon as possible after opening.

Source: China Consumer Daily