Low Carb Oatmeal — Is It Any Different?

I love low carbohydrate diets but I do admit that I miss my morning hot cereal. When I friend of mine introduced me to low carb oatmeal, I was thrilled. However, I have to admit that this version is not the traditional fair that I am accustomed to. This is a good thing, though.

The low carb oatmeal that I tested is a brand that I had never heard of before, McCann’s Irish Oats. I did experience a little sticker shock when I purchased the product. Low carb oatmeal is quite a bit more expensive than the rolled oats that so many of us are used to having on a regular basis.

The difference in price is due to the quality of the product. The low carb oatmeal offers a lot more nutrition than the regular brands. This is because the regular brands over process the cereal. First, the oats are steamed and rolled. The product is steamed again then toasted. All this processing depletes the grains of their natural nutritional value.

Get ready when you try a product like McCann’s Irish Oatmeal. This breakfast cereal is quite different in texture and flavor than the products that we commonly use. The low carb oatmeal is “steel-cut” which means that the oats are cut into a few pieces rather than flaked, steamed and pulverized.

Since the oats are closer to their natural state they are lower in carbohydrates. This is because the oats are larger and more complex. The texture and complexity of the low carb oatmeal is the primary difference from the processed brands. There are a few other differences as well.

The price, as I mentioned before is higher for the low carb oatmeal. The product also takes longer to cook. This can be a major drawback for those of us who are on the run in the mornings. I usually save the low carb oatmeal breakfast for the weekends because of the extra time it takes to prepare.

Some would ague that thirty minutes is a pretty quick fix for breakfast but most of us are used to “instant” everything. I can make a regular bowl of oats in a couple of minutes. A half hour spent on making low carb oatmeal seems like and eternity. Some like to prepare the ingredients in a slow cooker but this wasn’t convenient for me either.

To be honest, I consider the low carb oatmeal to be a completely different type of breakfast than the rolled oats that we commonly use. I do consider this new-to-me version to be a real weekend treat that offers better nutrition and a completely different taste.

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