
Instant oatmeal is the most popular version of oat groats. The nutrition facts and calories in instant oatmeal depend on its preparation method and the nutrition values of its ingredients. Read the following article and get to know instant oatmeal nutrition facts…
A healthy breakfast is the key to an active day ahead. People who are looking for some health enriched food that provides adequate energy and nutrition end their search with oatmeal, which is also known as oatmeal cereal or oat porridge. Oatmeal, which is nothing but the ground form of oat groats, is a staple breakfast for many health conscious people in various parts of the world. To make oatmeal, oat grains are de-hulled with help of a strong impact and then stabilized inside the hulls. The stabilization process of oatmeal involves various rounds of heating and cooling that gives oatmeal a smooth and kind of nutty flavor. The type of oatmeal which is available in the precooked form, which is also dried and flavored, is called instant oatmeal. Instant oatmeal is a type of rolled oats that are cut into pieces before they are rolled. Also called quick oats, you can eat instant oatmeal in numerous forms like uncooked oatmeal, cooked oatmeal, oat cakes, cookies and yogurt. As far as breakfast cereal is concerned, you can either eat it like muesli (uncooked) or like porridge (cooked). Calories in instant oatmeal are determined by the way one prefers to eat it. Let’s get to know about nutrition facts and health benefits of instant oatmeal.
Instant Oatmeal Nutrition Facts
Having one serving of instant oatmeal each morning is an excellent way of consuming whole grains that keep you satiated for a few hours to come. There are a lot of health benefits of oatmeal, and hence it is an ideal breakfast when you combine it with equally healthy accompaniments like milk, fresh fruits like various types of berries, apple, banana, raisins, etc. The best thing about instant oatmeal is that it is really instant to prepare, which is a need for the fast paced daily schedule that most of us have. Take a look at the following chart that gives you information about nutritional value of 100g of plain, dry, fortified instant oatmeal. All the nutritional values that are described in the following chart are from the USDA Nutritional Data Laboratory.
Nutrition | Amount |
Calories | 375 |
Protein | 12.72g |
Total fats | 6.25g |
Carbohydrate | 67.55g |
Fiber | 10.1g |
Sugar | 1.51g |
Starch | 56.65g |
Calcium | 352mg |
Copper | 0.375mg |
Iron | 29.27mg |
Magnesium | 48mg |
Manganese | 138mg |
Phosphorous | 424mg |
Potassium | 359mg |
Sodium | 278mg |
Zinc | 3.54mg |
Selenium | 26.8mcg |
Calories in Instant Oatmeal
As you can see, instant oatmeal contains a pretty healthy number of calories. 100g of dry instant oatmeal, which counts up to more than ⅔ of a cup, contains around 375 calories. When it is mixed with other healthy and rich accompaniments like milk, various fruits, dry fruits, breads and fruit juice; the number of calories will definitely increase. However, since instant oatmeal is mostly consumed as a breakfast food, one can easily control its consumption. Only one bowl of oatmeal is enough for keeping a person satiated until a midmorning snack or even lunch. As mentioned in the introduction, calories in oatmeal are subject to change in accordance with its preparation method and kind of foods that are eaten with them. Take a look at the following list, in the same regards. Number of calories that are mentioned in the list below are present in 100g of instant oatmeal of various kinds. (Values that are mentioned below are according to the USDA Nutritional Data Laboratory)
- Instant Oatmeal Babyfood with dry fruits: 402 calories
- Kashi Heart To Heart Apple Cinnamon Instant Oatmeal: 374 calories
- Kashi Heart To Heart Maple Instant Oatmeal: 376 calories
- Instant oatmeal fortified with raisins and spice: 360 calories
- Quaker Instant Oatmeal Vanilla Cinnamon Nutrition for Women, cooked: 104 calories
- Quaker Instant Oatmeal Express Cinnamon Roll: 371 calories
- Quaker Instant Oatmeal Express Baked Apple: 367 calories
- Quaker Instant Oatmeal Express Golden Brown Sugar: 372 calories
- Quaker Instant Oatmeal Apples and Cinnamon: 365 calories
- Quaker Instant Oatmeal Banana Bread: 368 calories
- Quaker Instant Oatmeal Dinosaur Eggs with ‘Dinosaur Bones’ Brown Sugar Cinnamon: 389 calories
- Quaker Instant Oatmeal (low sodium): 365 calories
It is important to understand that the number of calories that are mentioned in the above list are present in dry versions of instant oatmeal. Calories in cooked versions of most of these types of oatmeal are relatively lower and hence, healthier.
Health Benefits of Instant Oatmeal
There are a lot of instant health benefits of instant oatmeal. It is important to understand that oatmeal health benefits are experienced only when it is consumed in moderation. Due to plenty of soluble fibers that are present in oatmeal, it regulates the rate of metabolism and promotes healthy weight loss. According to the USFDA, regular consumption of oatmeal reduces risk of various health conditions and diseases like cardiovascular diseases, high cholesterol levels, high blood glucose levels, high blood pressure levels, diabetes, etc. Regular consumption of instant oatmeal reduces severity of all the above mentioned health conditions too. Oatmeal contains various vitamins and minerals like vitamin A, vitamin B complex, minerals like calcium, potassium, magnesium, iron, protein, fibers and various fatty acids that make it a rich source of antioxidants that prevent activities of free radicals that may cause various types of cancer. Apart from the aforementioned benefits, oatmeal is also beneficial for various problems of digestive health like diarrhea, constipation, irritable bowel syndrome, diverticulitis, gallstones, etc.
Well, that’s it as far as the nutrition facts and calories in oatmeal are concerned. The calories might be a cause of concern for people who purge on it and refuse to burn them with help of physical activities. As far as you are burning the calories that you are gaining, instant oatmeal will definitely prove to be helpful.