Whole grains, especially oats, are great for you. They not only lower cholesterol, but are also very nutritious. But since there are so many types of oats, do you often wonder if one is better than the others?

If you have always been confused about the different kinds of oats available in the market and which one you should opt for, don’t worry! Let's take a deeper look at the different kinds of oats:

There are mainly twokinds of oats – Rolled and Steel-cut

Both start as whole oats, also called groats. When the outer layer or the hull is stripped, it leaves the endosperm, the fibre-rich bran, as well as the vitamin and mineral-rich germ, which contains antioxidants and healthy fats. Then, these oats are either rolled or steel-cut. Whatever method is used, it does not affect their nutritional value.

Rolled Oats

Rolled oats are made by steaming and pressing the whole grains using steel rollers. This process lessens the cooking time. There are three kinds of rolled oats:

1. Old-fashioned oats: This process includes steaming the whole grains and then flattening them using the roller. These are then flaked. You can eat them as oatmeal, or even make baked goods like biscuits and bread with them. It has the most texture out of the three types of rolled oats.
2. Quick-cooking oats: This type of oats is cooked, dried, and then cut. After this, they are rolled into thin crisps for faster cooking. They are much thinner than old fashioned oats.
3. Instant oats: These oats are cooked first, and then dried. Then they are cut and rolled into thin crisps. Instant oats cook quicker than quick-cooking oats. However, they may feel mushy or gummy while chewing. However, if you are planning to include oats in your diet to lose weight, stay clear of oats that have sugar, salt, and other flavouring ingredients added to the mix.

Steel-cut Oats

These are also called Scottish oats or Irish oats. Steel-cut oats do not go through the rolling process. They are sliced into coarse nubs using steel blades. This gives them the appearance of cut-up grains of rice.

Steel-cut oats take way longer to cook than any of the rolled oats. They have a chewier texture as well. However, they are also less processed than the rolled oats. You can add steel-cut oats to stews and soups to thicken them.