Soaked Oatmeal Basics :: Plus 6 Different Recipes! (2024)

FAQs

Do you need to rinse oats after soaking? ›

Make sure that you are rinsing them well. People tend to skip this step, but from my personal experience, I find rinsing them well omits this. It also helps in washing away the sticky starch that can make oats gummy. Try using lemon juice or apple cider vinegar as the acidic medium instead of the kefir or yogurts.

Lectins are reduced by cooking and further reduced by soaking and then cooking. Soaking is simple to do, place the desired amount of oatmeal into a cooking pot 10-12 hours before you plan on preparing the oatmeal. Cover it with water, and add a little lemon juice or vinegar to reduce phytic acid (another gut irritant).

All grains contain something called “phytic acid”—or phytates—in the outer layer or bran, and oats contain more phytates than almost any other grain. If you soak your oats overnight at room temperature (do not put them in the fridge!)

The intensity of heat while cooking is the contributing factor, lower the heat better the nutrient availability. When you soak the oats overnight, it's almost like you're cooking them, but the process is much longer and slower, and it's done without heat. Hence, it is more nutrient rich than cooked version.

So, from here on out, we'll be soaking. Once they're soaked, it's time to cook. Simply bring oats to a low boil. Then reduce heat, cover, and simmer until tender.

As Best points out, "some of the worst ingredients that are mistakenly added to healthy overnight oat recipes include chocolate sauce, sugar, syrup, and dried fruit."

Did you know that oats in oatmeal are packed with lectins which poke holes in your gut lining and can lead to health issues in the future, according to Dr. Gundry. One great way to avoid this is by using sorghum in your breakfast bowl rather than oats.

By soaking your oats you neutralize the phytic acid. This soaking allows the beneficial enzymes to work and increases the number of vitamins and minerals present that your body will absorb. On the plus side, the process of rolling oats removes at least part of the bran, where a large portion of the phytic acid resides.

Cooking methods are also important. Pressure cooking is better than microwaving since pressure cooking can decrease levels of a type of protein known as a lectin. Many people react to lectins from food, so preparing oatmeal in a way that causes lectin levels to decline can help you tolerate oatmeal better.

If you don't add enough liquid, your oats will be dry and clumpy in the morning, making them less enjoyable to eat. Make sure to add enough milk or yogurt to fully cover your oats and give them a creamy consistency.

How do you remove phytic acid from oats? ›

The main method is to soak the oats 12 hours or overnight in water. Using the same ratio of water to oats as you normally would to cook them. Soaking activates an enzyme in the oats called phytase that naturally breaks down phytic acid.

Heating or cooking the oats reduces the phytic acid to some extent but it also kills off the phytase.

Overnight oats are perfectly safe to be eaten every day. You may even eat them every morning if you like. However, some say that they feel oats give them digestive issues; overnight oats are not unsafe for those without medical conditions that affect digestion.

Milk: You can make overnight oats with any kind of milk — dairy or non-dairy. If using non-dairy milk, it's best to stick with unsweetened. Greek yogurt: Not only does Greek yogurt make overnight oats more filling, but it also gives the oats a super-creamy texture.

Cooking, especially with wet high-heat methods like boiling or stewing, or soaking in water for several hours, can inactivate most lectins. [6] Lectins are water-soluble and typically found on the outer surface of a food, so exposure to water removes them.

A bowl of soaked oats in the morning will support you in feeling full and satisfied. According to research, people who eat porridge for breakfast feel fuller for longer and consume fewer calories at lunch. Soaked oats improve oat digestibility and allow nutrients in the grain to be more easily absorbed by your body.

When finished soaking, rinse the oats with water. Bring 1 cup of fresh water and sea salt to boil in a pot.

We recommend storing overnight oats in the refrigerator in airtight containers for up to five days. That means if you're meal-prepping on Sunday, you can make a work week's worth of overnight oats and not have to think about breakfast again until Saturday.