Steel cut, assorted instant fruit oatmeal and instant oatmeal.
I've seen their products in Tj's and WF and I was very curious about how their oats and steel cuts differ from other brands, since their products are a little bit more expensive.
The first thing I tried was their flavored instant package.
Product description: flavored instant oatmeal. It's really easy to make, just add 1/2 of boiling water and sit for 2-3 min.
With the boiling water, pretty water eh?
After 2-3 min, magic happened!
Texture: It's very creamy and surprisingly chewy. I thought instant oatmeal are generally bland and that's why I prefer rolled oats. But this one has very similar texture to rolled oats, just in smaller flakes.
Taste: The banana flavor is very strong which I love. Adding a little bit of salty PB was the perfect afternoon snack or light breakfast. The only thing that I'd modify this is to add less sugar. It was a little too sweet for me. I don't usually add sweetener to my oatmeal, but if you do, this will be just right for you. I might add more oats to this package or do 1/2 package and 1/2 regular oats to make it less sweet.
I also tried the blueberries flavor, it was good.
I added some more instant plain oatmeal to make it less sweet. But I couldn't really taste its flavor (although you can see some real blueberries in there).
overall rating: 8/10.
Product description: from their website
I've seen their products in Tj's and WF and I was very curious about how their oats and steel cuts differ from other brands, since their products are a little bit more expensive.The first thing I tried was their flavored instant package.
Product description: flavored instant oatmeal. It's really easy to make, just add 1/2 of boiling water and sit for 2-3 min.With the boiling water, pretty water eh?
After 2-3 min, magic happened!
Texture: It's very creamy and surprisingly chewy. I thought instant oatmeal are generally bland and that's why I prefer rolled oats. But this one has very similar texture to rolled oats, just in smaller flakes.Taste: The banana flavor is very strong which I love. Adding a little bit of salty PB was the perfect afternoon snack or light breakfast. The only thing that I'd modify this is to add less sugar. It was a little too sweet for me. I don't usually add sweetener to my oatmeal, but if you do, this will be just right for you. I might add more oats to this package or do 1/2 package and 1/2 regular oats to make it less sweet.
I also tried the blueberries flavor, it was good.
I added some more instant plain oatmeal to make it less sweet. But I couldn't really taste its flavor (although you can see some real blueberries in there).overall rating: 8/10.
Product description: from their website
Why Steel-cut Oats?
Steel-Cut Oats are whole grain groats (the inner portion of the oat kernel) which have been cut into two or three pieces using steel discs. Golden in colour and resembling mini rice particles, they are as nature intended – nothing added and nothing taken out.
How are they different from Rolled Oats?
Rolled oats are flake oats that have been steamed, rolled, re-steamed and toasted. Due to all of this additional processing they have lost some of their natural taste, goodness and texture.
What makes McCann's Steel-cut Oats so special?
Grains are essential to a healthy lifestyle and form the foundation of the food pyramid. Steel-Cut oats are inherently full of nutritional value and are high in B-Vitamins, calcium, protein and fiber while low in salt and unsaturated fat. One cup of Steel-Cut oatmeal contains more fiber than a bran muffin and twice as much fibre as Cream of Wheat. The quality of Irish Oats and the distinctive crunchy texture make McCann's Steel-Cuts a gourmet delight.
Preparation method: 4 cups of water for 1 cup of steel cuts. I set it overnight to shorten the cooking time. The next morning I cooked it for 15 min and it was done.
Texture: It's definitely different than rolled oats. It has little grits in it that make it very chewy.
Taste: It has a very nutty flavor and its own taste is stronger than rolled oats. You know that rolled oats by itself doesn't have much flavor/taste and it takes whatever you add to it, but steel cut have its own flavor, I personally like the nutty flavor but I can't guarantee that everyone does.
How do I like it? First try:
1 serving of oatmeal, 1/3 c. pumpkin, 1/3 c. silken tofu, 1/3 c. coconut milk, cinnamon, pumpkin spice and vanilla.
It was chewy and tasty, but not creamy enough.
Second try:
1 serving of oatmeal, 2 tbsp instant plain oatmeal, 1/2 banana, 1/3 c. coconut milk, 1 c. blueberries, vanilla, all blended at the end.
This one was perfecT!!!! Perfectly sweetened by the banana and perfect combination of chewiness and creaminess. So, I'll definitely add plain oatmeal to the steel cuts.
overall rating: 9/10.
okay. after this long review. Let's keep my day 6 of the Challenges recap short. Basically I worked all day and ended doing Maggie's recommended yoga class which was great! A lot of flow which made me sweat and some long pigeon at the end for a good relaxation. After that, I had a short beauty session: long bath, moisturize whole body with rose oil and a facial mask. It was fun!
Breakfast was the pumpkin tofu steel cut oatmeal with 3 mini kiwis.
Morning snack: orange, banana and walnuts.
Lunch salad: exactly the same as yesterday's plus aduki beans and microwaved egg white.
Dessert: pumpkin + wheatberries + cinnamon.
PM snack: an apple + WW bread with BB.
Dinner: grilled shrimp + kabocha fries + steamed green beans.
Dessert: tea jelly!
Today's plan
- yoga
- shopping mall to find a salad bowl
- cooking
A nutrition related question: Do you have idea of how much fat do you have per day? I mean healthy fats. How much do we need? I'm asking this because I'm always wondering if I'm having enough.
Texture: It's definitely different than rolled oats. It has little grits in it that make it very chewy.
Taste: It has a very nutty flavor and its own taste is stronger than rolled oats. You know that rolled oats by itself doesn't have much flavor/taste and it takes whatever you add to it, but steel cut have its own flavor, I personally like the nutty flavor but I can't guarantee that everyone does.
How do I like it? First try:
1 serving of oatmeal, 1/3 c. pumpkin, 1/3 c. silken tofu, 1/3 c. coconut milk, cinnamon, pumpkin spice and vanilla.It was chewy and tasty, but not creamy enough.
Second try:
1 serving of oatmeal, 2 tbsp instant plain oatmeal, 1/2 banana, 1/3 c. coconut milk, 1 c. blueberries, vanilla, all blended at the end.This one was perfecT!!!! Perfectly sweetened by the banana and perfect combination of chewiness and creaminess. So, I'll definitely add plain oatmeal to the steel cuts.
overall rating: 9/10.
okay. after this long review. Let's keep my day 6 of the Challenges recap short. Basically I worked all day and ended doing Maggie's recommended yoga class which was great! A lot of flow which made me sweat and some long pigeon at the end for a good relaxation. After that, I had a short beauty session: long bath, moisturize whole body with rose oil and a facial mask. It was fun!
Breakfast was the pumpkin tofu steel cut oatmeal with 3 mini kiwis.
Morning snack: orange, banana and walnuts.
Lunch salad: exactly the same as yesterday's plus aduki beans and microwaved egg white.
Dessert: pumpkin + wheatberries + cinnamon.
PM snack: an apple + WW bread with BB.
Dinner: grilled shrimp + kabocha fries + steamed green beans.
Dessert: tea jelly!
Today's plan- yoga
- shopping mall to find a salad bowl
- cooking
A nutrition related question: Do you have idea of how much fat do you have per day? I mean healthy fats. How much do we need? I'm asking this because I'm always wondering if I'm having enough.
19 comments:
Hooray for oatmeal!! :-)
Fat intake is different for everyone - I consume around 70 grams of healthy fats per day, to fuel my body for strength-training, nourish my organs, etcetera.
Love the oats!!! Steel cut is one of my favorites and seems to keep me fuller for a longer amount of time! I also love adding nut butters to it for some healthy fats.
yay for oats review! great job!
i don't know my fat intake throughout the day...because i think if i did i'm probably overboard. i just try to make sure to stick to the healthier fats in relatively normal amounts!
You can e-mail me at GCsmiler19@yahoo.com. Anytime :) I like answering questions, usually!
Apparently about 15-20% of our calories should be from fat.
I loved your oatmeal review, and was totall drooling over the second steel-cut one, the one with blueberries! such a lovely color!! I'm not an instant oatmeal fan though. I like mine cooked long and slow until creamy but with still some crunch and chew that the instant lacks.
Steel-cut oats are some of my favorite foods!! I had slow-cooked SCO with cherries for breakfast most of this week!
Sparkpeople.com is a great reference for fat/calorie intake suggestions!
looooooooooove steel-cut oats! your creations are delicious :-)
i don't know how much fat i have, but i do try to get a good amount of healthy fat with each meal. keeps me satisfied longer and keeps my skin from getting too dry!
According to my nutrition text (and I know I have seen several RDs make the same recommendation) approximately 20-35% of the calories in a balanced diet should come from fat. If you want specific info on the text that came from, send me a message. :)
Those kobacha fries look tasty! I'm not sure how much fat I have a day but 20-35% is the standard to aim for.
Wow, that shrimp is amazing. :D
And thanks for reviewing those products!
I love the big salads you've been eating lately!!!!
Thanks for the McCann review, too!!!
this is so interesting! i've got that old fashined steel cut oats canister on the left, and unfortunately there is a LOT left in there still because i haven't had much success in making them.. they never turned out very creamy for me. i will try your method!
as for fats, i think it really varies a lot for me. if i'm having japanese cuisine meals, i tend to not take in much fat. but if i eat nut butters/nuts/avocado type things then of course it goes up. i think you seem to eat a really balanced diet, and you don't seem to take too much or too little of anything! no worries!
i looove kabocha!
I love your blog! Thankyou!!
thanks for the reviews! The oatmeal looks good. Taste-wise, how do you think it compares to Quakers?
I'm glad you liked the yoga!
And thanks for the oatmeal review. I haven't tried that brand but it sounds yummy.
Hmm... the amount of fat I eat in a day varies a lot. Some days I'll have a ton (mostly in the form of peanut butter), other days I don't have much at all. I think it evens out in the end though. I wonder if it's okay to have too much one day and not enough another day, or if we should try to get the same amount on all days. Good question.
Fat is different for everyone.
for me I really do just eat as much as I can of good foods with good fats in them and dont fret about it.
Its the trans and saturated I tend to watch day in and day out!
Thanks for the helpful oat review!
I agree with people who have said fat is different for everyone. In nutrition, we generally recommend a 50/20/30 ratio for carbs, protein, and fat.
Directly from the ADA website:
It is the position of the American Dietetic Association (ADA) and Dietitians of Canada (DC) that dietary fat for the adult population should provide 20% to 35% of energy and emphasize a reduction in saturated fatty acids and trans-fatty acids and an increase in n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids. ADA and DC recommend a food-based approach for achieving these fatty acid recommendations; that is, a dietary pattern high in fruits and vegetables, whole grains, legumes, nuts and seeds, lean protein (ie, lean meats, poultry, and low-fat dairy products), fish (especially fatty fish high in n-3 fatty acids), and use of nonhydrogenated margarines and oils. Implicit to these recommendations for dietary fatty acids is that unsaturated fatty acids are the predominant fat source in the diet. These fatty acid recommendations are made in the context of a diet consistent with energy needs (ie, to promote a healthful body weight).
Yum! That's oats look and sound wonderful!
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