Oat cuisine

A Kiwi breakfast staple, oats come in different forms. So, which is healthier - wholegrain or rolled?

- BY JENNIFER BOWDEN

QUESTION:

I've always eaten wholegrain oats, partly for the more solid mouthfeel, and I assumed I was getting more fibre. Harraways wholegrain oats recently disappeared from my shop, so I bought rolled oats. I was surprised to note the fibre levels were the same as those of the wholegrain. So, what are the nutritional benefits of eating wholegrain oats?

ANSWER:

Oats are a staple breakfast food for many good reasons. They're budget-friendly, versatile and come packed with fibre, nutrients and bioactive compounds. But have you sacrificed any nutritional goodness by swapping from wholegrain to rolled oats?

Both wholegrain and rolled oats are made from the same raw ingredient: oat groats. They are the hulled, cleaned whole kernel of the oat grain – in other words, they are a wholegrain. The difference between wholegrain and rolled oats lies in what happens next.