talk to me about oats ....

[StillCounting]

Um, I'm trying to change to a healthier style of eating - low gi etc ....

Breaksfasts are a challenge as I don't like the taste of milk and find it hard to digest

I don't really like the texture of porridge, even when it's made with water

Um, what else can you do with oats ...?

And I know this is a strange question but do oats have to be cooked before you eat them?

In the summer I have oats (raw) mixed with yoghurt, grated apple and honey. You can add any other fruit to this as well but the apple gives it a lovely texture. I usually soften the oats with a splash of hot water or apple juice first.
Yoghurt is more digestible than milk so this might be better for you.
Or you could have fruit juice on muesli instead of milk?

Ooh LITR that's my breakfast! I thought it was a proper recipe but didn't know what it was called. Mine is a bit less fancy though.

HI Stillcounting,

Try cooking your oats in milk (I do mine in the microvawe for 2 minutes, add more milk if it needs it at the end. I also add raisins, they really plump up, and a spoon of honey or maple syrup (super yummy). Have you tried steelcut oats as opposed to rolled oats? I regularly bought some from a biggish Tesco, think they were from Ireland. They need a bit of soaking though. Enjoy!

Granola?

Or granola bars?

Ooh, thank you for all the replies

LadyintheRadiator - I really like that recipe (although I may leave out the yoghurt). Oats soaked in apple juice with honey etc is a perfect solution, and so much the better that you can prepare it in advance.

FaintlyMacabre (love the nickname btw) you have resolved the issue of whether it is possible to eat oats raw or not. (Dh convinced only horses did this.) A splash of hot water sounds just fine to me.

Hi, IwishIwasaFrog I'm trying to avoid milk but you raise the interesting issue (in terms of oats anyway) of the difference between rolled oats, oatmeal and steel cut oats (must do some Googling).

And where do porridge oats feature in all this I wonder?

I live in Belgium and can only get rolled oats in my local supermarket (I think they are anyway - they look like flattened petals) although I haven't looked terribly hard in other shops I must admit.

Nelvana - I really like both of those recipes. I could eat the first with grated apple instead of milk and the granola bars are a great idea for dd's lunch box as well as breakfasts.

Brilliant everyone ....!! Thanks again.

Try pinhead oatmeal for porrige? Thats more traditional in Scotland.
Old saying:
In England, oats are for horses, not men.
In Scotland, oats are for men, not horses - and What men! What Horses!

Will make a point of looking out for it in that case meltedmarsbar thank you!!