Oats are highly nutritious and filled with cholesterol-fighting soluble fiber.   They also have a pleasant, nutty flavor.  Most of us are familiar with rolled oats, which are used as a hot breakfast cereal and cookie ingredient, but many health food stores also stock oat groats and oat bran.

Varieties:

coarse-cut oats  See steel-cut oats.

Irish oats  See steel-cut oats. 

 

instant oats = instant oatmeal    Notes:   These are very thin, precooked oats that need only be mixed with a hot liquid.  They usually have flavorings and salt added.  They're convenient, but not as chewy and flavorful as slower-cooking oats.  Substitutes: quick oats (chewier, takes longer to cook)

 

oat groats = whole oat groats = whole oats  Notes:  Oat groats are minimally processed--only the outer hull is removed.  They're very nutritious, but they're chewy and need to be soaked and cooked a long time.  Substitutes:  wheat berries

old-fashioned oatmeal   See rolled oats.

old-fashioned oats  See rolled oats. 

pinhead oats  See steel-cut oats. 

 

quick oats = quick-cooking oats = quick oatmeal = quick-cooking oatmeal = easy oats    Notes:   These are thin flakes of oatmeal that cook up in about three or four minutes.  They're a good choice for oatmeal cookies.   Substitutes:  rolled oats (More nutritious and chewy, takes longer to cook. If substituting rolled oats for quick oats in a cookie recipe, consider refrigerating the dough for 20 minutes before baking-- otherwise the cookies may become too flat and thin) OR instant oats (This contains additional flavorings, and is less chewy. It also takes less time to cook)

rolled oatmeal  See rolled oats. 

 

rolled oats = oatmeal = rolled oatmeal = old-fashioned oats = old-fashioned oatmeal = flaked oats = flaked oatmeal = oatflakes Notes:   These are oat groats that are steamed, rolled, and flaked so that they cook quickly.   They're often cooked as a breakfast cereal, added raw to granola or muesli mixes, or used to make oatmeal cookies.  Regular rolled oats take about five minutes to cook.  If you're in a hurry, try quick oats or instant oats.  These have thinner flakes, so they cook faster.  Substitutes: steel-cut oats (chewier, takes longer to cook) OR quick oats (These are less chewy, but they take less time to cook.) OR instant oats (These usually have additional flavorings.  They're less chewy, but they take less time to cook.) OR triticale flakes OR rye flakes

Scotch oats  See steel-cut oats.

 

steel-cut oats = Irish oats = Scotch oats = pinhead oats = coarse-cut oats = steel-cut oatmeal = Irish oatmeal = Scotch oatmeal = pinhead oatmeal = coarse-cut oatmeal = porridge oats = porridge oatmeal     Notes:   These are groats that have been chopped into small pieces.  They're chewier than rolled oats, and grain aficionados often prefer them for hot oatmeal cereals and muesli.   Substitutes:  rolled oats (less chewy, takes less time to cook) OR whole oat groats (takes much longer to cook)

 whole oat groats  See oat groats.

 

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Copyright © 1996 - 2005  Lori Alden