I've always been a big fan of oatmeal but are steel cut oats better for us?

All oats (steel cut and rolled) are whole grain foods.  In 1999 the FDA declared that diets rich in whole grain foods may reduce the risk of heart disease and some cancers.

If there is one area where steel cut oats have a small health edge over rolled oats it's the lack of processing.  Steel-cut oats, also known as Coarse-Cut Oats, Pinhead Oats, or Irish Oats are the inner portion of the oat kernel, which has been cut into two or three pieces.   Rolled oats, also known as Oatmeal or Porridge, are those same oat kernels cut, rolled and steamed to reduce cooking time later.

There is a chance uncooked steel cut oats contain slightly more vitamins and minerals, but even rolled oats contain the entire oat grain.  Traditional steel-cut oats can take between 30 and 40 minutes to cook while rolled oats can be cooked in five minutes or less.  Whatever advantage steel-cut oats have is lost in the longer cooking time.

Rolled Oats and Steel-Cut Oats both have excellent nutritional value.  After giving them a try, I personally much prefer the chewier and nuttier steel-cut oats than the instant rolled oats.

There are many Steel-Cut Oat recipes on the web so look for your favorite.  I like this one, which I cook in the rice cooker.  I add raisons, honey and soy milk after it's cooked.   Don't throw away the leftovers as the cooked oats keep very well in the fridge and can be heated up in the microwave.

2/3 cup steel cut oats
1 2/3 cups water
pinch of salt

Set to the brown rice setting

Enjoy!