Welcome to our series sharing Food Holidays: October 28th, 2022. Did you know today is National Oatmeal Day? I don’t know about you but it’s cold and rainy here today. A nice bowl of Oatmeal would have made a nice breakfast dish this morning. Do you like Oatmeal? Would you like to have a bowl with me?
HISTORY OF NATIONAL OATMEAL DAY
Oatmeal, while praised today by nutritionists and health gurus, comes from very humble beginnings. The last of the Cereal Grains to be domesticated by Western Society 3,000 year ago, the Oats for Oatmeal came from weeds that grew in fields prepared for other crops.
Ancient Romans saw Oats as an unfortunate and diseased Wheat and used them as cheap horse food. They scoffed in disgust at Societies who ate Oats in their meals, such as the Germanic tribes who conquered the West Roman Empire as well as the Scottish whom the Romans were never able to conquer. Huh, almost sounds like the Romans should have eaten their Oats after all.
Oats are still used in horse food today, there is a portion of Oats set aside specifically for human consumption. For good reason! The fiber within Oats is more soluble than any other Grain. Soluble Fiber dissolves in Water and turns into a thick, viscous gel, which moves slowly through the body. This means Oatmeal keeps you full for long periods of time.
Soluble Fiber also slows down the body’s process of Glucose absorption and inhibits re-absorption of bile into the system, meaning you avoid Sugar highs and lows while your Liver gets its needed Cholesterol from your blood. Apparently, eating Oatmeal makes you stronger than a Roman.
NATIONAL OATMEAL DAY ACTIVITIES
- Fitness experts swear by Steel-cut Oats, which have a pleasant chewy texture. Prepare a bowl and get your day off to a nutritious and filling start, the natural way.
- There are a lot of ways to celebrate National Oatmeal Day that may have your doctor shaking his head but will have your taste buds jumping for joy. Including Oatmeal Raisin Cookies, and Brown Sugar Oats.
- A lot of people go without food every day right here in the U.S. Many homeless shelters accept Oatmeal since it’s an easy and nutritious way to fill the bellies of the less fortunate. Consider donating a big batch of packaged Oatmeal to a local shelter or Church.
5 REASONS OATMEAL “STEEL’S” THE SHOW
- The “Quaker Man” has adorned Quaker Oats since 1877, when he became the first registered trademark for a breakfast Cereal in America.
- Many people take Oatmeal baths in order to rejuvenate and soothe their skin. Oat-based products are awash in proteins, enzymes, vitamins, and antioxidants that apparently make excellent additions to one’s skin regimen.
- According to research, an estimated 75 percent of U.S. households have Oatmeal in their kitchens right now.
- If people aren’t making Oatmeal for breakfast, they’re baking Oatmeal Cookies for dessert. Then Meatloaf for dinner.
- Although the terms are often used interchangeably, Porridge and Oatmeal are not necessarily the same thing. Oatmeal is a kind of Porridge. Porridge can be made from many things other than Oats.
WHY PEOPLE LOVE NATIONAL OATMEAL DAY
- Whether Oatmeal is saturated with Brown Sugar, baked into Cookies, or prepped as plain as the day is long, Oatmeal is a satisfyingly delicious meal and snack.
- Depending on how Oatmeal is prepared, Oatmeal has definite health benefits. Oatmeal is mostly Water. Oatmeal is also low-fat and stuffed with essential nutrients, such as manganese, phosphorus and zinc. Experts say consuming Oats can reduce the risk of heart disease.
- Oats are a hardy grain and Oats tolerate rain better than most grains, and can be planted in Fall or Springtime. Oatmeal is a staple of food culture the world over.
Here are today’s five food facts to know about Oatmeal:
Oatmeal is still a bargain at less than 15 cents a serving.
An 18-ounce package of Old Fashioned Quaker® Oats contains about 26,000 rolled Oats.
Oatmeal Cookies are the #1 non-Cereal usage for Oatmeal, followed by Meatloaf and Fruit Crisp
Seventy-five percent of U.S. households have Oatmeal in their cupboard.
The portrait of the Quaker man on the Quaker® Oats package has been updated just three times since its creation in 1877, once in 1946, again in 1957 and, most recently, in 1972.
Thank you,
Glenda, Charlie and David Cates
