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How and when to take oatmeal
Oatmeal is a cereal to which countless properties are attributed and is highly recommended for both healthy diets and athletes.
However, Is it a perfect food? When and how is it advisable to take it? How much oatmeal should be consumed? When would it not be advisable to take it?
In this article we will try to answer these questions and provide concrete information about oats to have a better knowledge of this product and therefore correctly choose the way to include in the diet to get the most out of it
Auside nutritional composition
Before talking about oatmeal, its properties, benefits, etc., the first thing is really to know what the nutritional composition of oats is, both in macronutrients and in micronutrients, in order to reach conclusions and recommendations on its use.
Macronutrients
Oatmeal, for every 100 grams, contains the following macronutrients:
- Carbohydrates: 59.8 g (of which 0 g in sugars)
- Fats: 7.1 g
- Proteins: 11.7 g
- Fiber: 5.6 g
Energy: 361 kcal
This makes it a food rich in carbohydrates (70%), low in fat (18%) with a certain protein content (12%) and with an interesting fiber content.
Micronutrients
Oatmeal is rich in several vitamins and minerals, specifically in vitamins of group B, vitamin E, phosphorus, zinc, folates, potassium and magnesium.
What can oatmeal consumption be useful?
According to its nutritional composition, oats It is a highly recommended source of carbohydrates, both for a healthy diet and for athletes. In addition, its low (null) sugar content makes it a very interesting product for day to day, since it will cause few glucose and more sustained blood glucose curves.
On the other hand, oatmeal has a High fiber content, so it can be a good option to include fiber in the diet and Cover the 20-35 grams daily of fiber that are recommended.
However, we must bear in mind that the fact that oatmeal has that fiber content will cause it to be a lower content in carbohydrates compared to other cereals such as wheat, corn flakes or rice.
So oatmeal is recommended:
- Low diets (1-3 gr of carbohydrates / kilo of weight per day)
- Average diets (3-6 gr of carbohydrates / kilo of weight per day) of carbohydrates, or when a very fast blood glucose availability is not pursued, since depending on its preparation, it has an average or low glycemic index.
- Diets looking for maintenance or weight loss They can include oatmeal among their food, since it provides a sufficient amount of carbohydrates, fiber and also has a high satiating power.
Nor must we forget the "quality" of this food when contributing Group B vitamins fundamental for carbohydrate metabolism, minerals such as magnesium and potassium crucial for physical activity and Vitamin e, attributing to oats a certain antioxidant power.
Its protein content is not very high, compared to other protein foods (meat, fish, eggs, etc.), but its contribution can contribute to reaching Total amount of proteins needed to ingest per day and balance the consumption of animal / vegetable proteins.
Finally, indicate that oatmeal is a cereal that does not contain gluten, therefore it is suitable for consumption by celiac people or gluten intolerant.
However, it can generate a certain problem if oatmeal is not pure and is mixed with other cereals. For these people, the recommended maximum doses of oatmeal are 50-70 g per day.
How to drink oatmeal and how many grams of oatmeal take a day?
Oatmeal, as a sports supplement, can be consumed in different ways, from oatmeal in flakes to other oatmeal derivatives such as granola or samples.
This makes oatmeal advisable to introduce it in breakfasts, which together with milk is a perfect combination of carbohydrates, fibers and protein.
As an example, an oat bowl (60 gr) with a glass of milk (250 ml), would provide approximately 50 gr of carbohydrates and 15 gr of protein. Being able to enrich this breakfast in carbohydrates with 1-2 pieces of fruit and protein by adding ½ whey protein saucepan.
On the other hand, oats can also be consumed as a snack between hours or post training. For this they can be used oat bars that provide a moderate energy dose and medium -release carbohydrates.
When to drink oatmeal to gain muscle mass
Other ways of consuming oatmeal, and quite tasty by the way, they can be the following:
- In the form of TORTITAS, mixing it with eggs or egg whites, flour, honey or cinnamon.
- Baked or to the microwave mixing it with other ingredients such as nuts, black chocolate, fruit or yogurt.
- In beaten With different fruits, ice cream / yogurt, whey protein and red fruits
All these options make these preparations ideal post -training products or to eat between hours, with a balanced contribution of carbohydrates, fiber, protein and antioxidants.
These combinations are useful for people looking for muscle mass profits, since they suppose an extra energy contribution based on proteins and carbohydrates, in addition to being in a very healthy way. These snacks or smoothies will also help increase the frequency of protein ingestion necessary for muscle hypertrophy.
When is it not advisable to ingest oatmeal?
And since there is no perfect food, oats also have its deficiencies and weak points.
As mentioned above, one of the characteristics for which their "benefits" are attributed, oats is rich in fiber.
Therefore, it is a Recommended product Avoid days before resistance competitions such as triathlons, marathons, etc. All this to minimize gastrointestinal problems during them.
In addition, the fact of being rich in fiber and with a certain content of fat and proteins, will make it a food with less carbohydrate content, therefore, in the face of a high diet in carbohydrates (7-10 gr of carbohydrates / kilo of weight per day), it may be advisable to look for other foods with the same calories but richer in carbohydrates, such as rice, corn flakes or paste.
So it can be a "good breakfast" for day to day, but not the best for high -intensity days or long -term competitions, where other cereals can be better options.
