Beyond Trim: Feeling your oats

STERLING — The term “feeling your oats” refers to what happens to horses when they receive a portion of oats as their feed. As I understand it, when a horse is fed oats, they get a burst of energy and might race around to burn it off.

Oats can be a great energy source for humans, too. They are a good source of starchy carbohydrates, and they contain a decent amount of protein and B vitamins.

When choosing oats, go for the least processed version. The more processed the grain (ex. oat flour, instant oats, and quick oats) the faster it will be digested, meaning your blood sugar will rise quickly. Choose oat varieties with the most intact fiber, like oat groats, steel cut oats, or whole rolled oats (sometimes called old fashioned oats), to provide slow steady energy.

I eat oats almost every day and one of my favorite preparation methods is overnight. In this recipe the oats are soaked overnight in liquid and can be flavored in any way you like. Old fashioned rolled oats are great for this because they are made by steaming and rolling the whole oat grain, so they have already been cooked. I often eat my overnight oats cold in the warmer months, but you can also stick them in the microwave for a couple of minutes if you prefer them to be warm.

Here’s a typical combination for me when I prepare overnight oats:

• ½ cup whole old fashioned rolled oats 
• ½ cup milk of choice 
• 2 Tablespoons powdered peanut butter* 
• 1 teaspoon honey 
• 1 Tablespoon ground flax or chia seed (optional) 

Add all the ingredients to a jar or small bowl with a lid. Stir the ingredients together thoroughly. Cover and place in the refrigerator overnight. In the morning you can add some fruit if you like. If you’re feeling frisky and have the calories to spare, you can even add a drizzle of peanut butter and/or a sprinkle of mini chocolate chips.

Overnight oats are great for meal prepping as you can make several servings at a time and grab and go throughout the week.

So, when you’re putting on the old feed bag, make sure to fill it with some oats!

*Powdered peanut butter is one of my favorite ingredients. It’s a clean, one ingredient source of protein. Much of the oil has been pressed out of the peanuts so it’s much lower in fat than regular peanut butter.

• Sherry DeWalt is the healthy lifestyles coordinator for the CGH Health Foundation in Sterling.