Oat
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| Oat | |||||||||||||||
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| Oat plants with inflorescences | |||||||||||||||
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| Avena sativa L. (1753) |
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Oats are a type of cereal grain. People use them as food for themselves and other animals, for example, chickens and horses. Oatmeal is made from oats. Oat straw is used as bedding for animals.
Porridge is made solely from whole grain oats. It forms an excellent part of a balanced diet for the following reasons:
- Oats are rich in both soluble and insoluble fibre.
- Oats are a source of energy. As a rich source of complex carbohydrates, they provides a slow release of energy over the morning – thereby reducing the desire to snack on ‘quick energy release’ sugar-based foods.
- Oats are also a high source of protein.
- Oats are low in unsaturated fat and contain no cholesterol.
- Oats are also a high source of vitamin B1.
