Although trainers, nutritionists, body builders and doctors tell us to eat our oatmeal, oats had a very humble beginning. Once considered weeds among other crops, oats were used to feed horses. Guess these folks didn’t know how good oats were for them! I often recommend old fashioned or steel-cut oats to people, but usually I’m giving out breakfast recipes and most people expect sweet oats for breakfast.

In terms of the best oat for you, steel cut oats are so much better for you and great tasting! Oats contain more soluble fiber than any other grain. You will find yourself full much longer when choosing steel cut or old fashioned oats. Having had Diabetes, I know that soluble fiber slows the absorption of glucose into your body, helping you avoid those nasty sugar highs and lows. We have all heard that oatmeal helps your cholesterol, but how? Soluble fiber inhibits the re-absorption of bile into the system. This forces your liver to get its cholesterol fix from your blood. This serves to lower your blood-serum cholesterol.

I have been trying to add more oatmeal and less sugar into my diet and so I have been reading many reviews for Savory Oatmeal. Amy Sherman, an Epicurious blogger and creator of Cooking with Amy, uses Irish oats with diced oil-packed sun-dried tomatoes and bacon bits. The Kitchn’s version uses gorgonzola, walnut and grape! I bet caramelized onions and wild mushrooms would be great, too! Even Carmen Diaz has a favorite recipe for savory oatmeal.

For inspiration, think of oats like you do Arborio rice and come up with similar variations, or a winning combination you’d use in risotto. What combination can you come up with?