As is the inspiration for many of my blog posts, the question of which is healthier, steel cut, rolled or quick cooking oats, popped up on Facebook, and it’s not the first time I’ve seen someone ask it. So, I thought I would do a quick post to answer it. As a side note, if you're looking for meal plans to help you incorporate more oats and other healthy ingredients into your diet, click here to learn about our meal planning program.

The Different Oats -Steel Cut, Rolled Oats, and Quick Cooking Oats

What are steel cut oats?

Steel cut oats come from the oat kernel, and have simply been chopped into large pieces. In the above picture, the bottom right are whole oat groats, and once they’re chopped, they become steel cut oats.

What are rolled oats?

Like it sounds, the rolled oats have quite literally been rolled out. Whole oat groats are taken and steamed, and then rolled out into flakes.

What are quick cooking oats?

Quick cooking rolled oats are the same as regular rolled oats, except they have been steamed for longer, and tend to be in slightly smaller pieces.

What are the differences between the different oats

Because steel cut oats are in more of a ‘whole form’, they tend to be a bit lower on the glycemic index (meaning how much they cause a spike in blood sugar), because it takes your body longer to digest and get to the actual starch. Don’t worry though, rolled oats are still a good option too. Quick cooking oats are often much more convenient, and they are just a bit lower on the glycemic index, but again are significantly better than instant oatmeal or other cereals.

What are the cooking times?

Another difference is the cooking time. Since rolled oats have already been steamed, they require less cooking time to prep. Steel cut oats take about 20 minutes to cook on the stove top, where as rolled oats take about 10 minutes to cook on the stove top. Quick cooking rolled oats have been steamed more, so take even less time to cook (about 5 minutes).

Nutritionally, which are better - steel cut, rolled oats, or quick cooking oats?

At the end of the day, there is not a whole lot of difference. The steel cut are the least processed and therefore one of the best options, but given that they take significantly longer to cook, if this is a deterrent for you, you don’t need to worry about eating rolled oats instead.

Both have the same carbs and protein quantities, and are very similar calorically.

Are oats gluten free?

In their most natural form, oats are considered gluten free. Though, if you are celiac, you want to make sure that even the gluten free oats don't bother you. Oats Oats contain avenin, a protein that is very similar to gluten, so your body can potentially react to oats. I myself eat very few oats, even gluten free.

Before you go buying any sort of oats, remember that almost all of the time oats come in contact with wheat during processing. Therefore, you always want to look for ‘wheat or gluten free’ on the label.

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