For the past 6 months  I’ve really been diggin’ some Oats for my pre workout fuel on my weightlifting days.  I ALWAYS crush my workouts and feel great throughout the hour or two.  No matter the time of day, 15-30min before a workout, oats do me good!

I’m currently going between Steel Cut Oats and Organic Rolled Oats and prep a few servings at a time.  To make Steel Cut Oats, boil 2c of water then add 1c of Oats (dry), reduce heat to very low and let it sit for 20-25min covered.  This makes 4 servings.  My like adding a dash of Flaxseed Milk into one of the four precooked servings, pop in the microwave for 1min then add 1tbsp of fresh almond butter, a handful of berries like blackberries, blueberries, strawberries or raspberries, a sprinkle of cinnamon and 1-2 tsp of local honey (tastes great and helps with seasonal allergies).

Oats keep me full longer and better than Instant or Quick Oats.  Quick & Instant Oats are processed to be broken down for faster cooking which gets digested quickly, making them higher in GI, leaving you hungry shortly after.  Groats, Steel Cut, Rolled Oats are lower in GI, keeping you full longer.

Here’s a quick description of some Oat types.  Some of I’ve experimented with while others are next in line or not at all.

• Oat Groats are the kernels with the hull removed. They cook the longest, about 1hr.
  
• Steel Cut Oats/Irish Oats are groats cut into smaller pieces with steel blades. These cook for about 20min.
  
• Scottish Oats are stone ground into little pieces. Because of that they come out creamier in texture and only cook for about 10min.  I’m not crazy about creamy oatmeal so I’m not sure if I’ll give this one a shot.
• Old Fashioned Rolled Oats are groats steamed to soften then rolled thin by going through steel or stone rollers.
  
• Quick Rolled Oats go through the same process of steaming and rolling but just a bit more.  They are partially cooked giving them a cooking time of about 5min.  These are also creamy in texture so I’ve yet to give them a try plus they get digested too quickly.
• Instant Oats are also steamed and rolled like Old Fashioned & Quick but MORE.  They get pre-cooked for an even faster cooking time.  I’ve eaten Instant Oats in the past when I hadn’t learned about other oats.  Instant is not for me and my goals.  Like the Quick Rolled Oats, they’re quick to digest and don’t help as much with stabilizing blood sugar like the other oats do.