What You Need to Know About Eating Oats for Diabetes Control

If you have diabetes and are thinking of including oats in your diabetes diet, then this article is just right for you! 

Oats come with a host of health benefits that can be great for the well-being of the entire family. But is it alright to eat oats when you have diabetes?

In this article, we will take a look at whether or not it is safe to eat oats if you have diabetes, where it stands on the GI score, the other health benefits it might offer, the kind of effect it has on the blood sugar levels, and a detailed look at oats for diabetes. 

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Are oats good for diabetes?

Oats are considered a superfood, and yes, oats for diabetes can be a great addition to your diabetes care diet. 

There are many reasons why oats for diabetes are a good option: 

1. They are low on the GI score

• Oats have a low glycemic index or GI score. 
• Oats score under 55 on the GI scale.
• As a result, it makes it a healthy choice for those who have diabetes.
• The glycemic index score is an indication as to how and how soon when you consume a particular food, will it affect your blood sugar levels.
• Foods that are low on the GI score will not cause a sudden spike in your blood sugar levels.
• In fact, these will further help in balancing out the rate at which your blood sugar levels may rise.
• As a result, oats for diabetes are a good food option to better manage your blood sugar levels.

2. Good for the heart health

• People who have diabetes often have a higher tendency to develop certain heart-related or cardiovascular health issues.
• Diabetes may also make people more prone to develop higher cholesterol levels.
• Oats contain healthy beta-glucans, which are a specific type of fiber.
• These can help to reduce bad cholesterol and help maintain a healthy level.
• At the same time, including oats for diabetes can also help the body hold on to good cholesterol. 

3. May improve insulin sensitivity

• People who have diabetes often have a tendency to develop insulin insensitivity. 
• When you include oats for diabetes in your meal plan, there is a chance that it can help to improve insulin sensitivity with every meal that includes oats.
• Adding oats as a regular in your diet plan may help to improve glucose and insulin response in those who have diabetes type 2, as compared to a person who has diabetes and does not include oats in their regular meal. 

4. May lower levels of blood sugar 

• The specific type of healthy fibers known as beta-glucans, that are present in oats, may also be responsible for helping you manage better levels of blood sugar. 
• Consuming beta-glucans is a very healthy and effective way of reducing your blood glucose levels if you have diabetes, and managing them better within a healthy and recommended range.
• When you add beta-glucans to your regular meal plan, along with a healthy and balanced diet and good lifestyle practices as suggested by your diabetes health care team, it may help in bringing down your blood sugar levels to a noticeable extent. 

5. Can keep you feeling full for longer

• Foods rich in fiber content, such as oats, can help you feel satiated faster and make you suffer fewer hunger pangs throughout the day or night.
• As a result, you may feel a lesser need to snack throughout the day or reach out for something to eat in between your meals.
• This will help to manage your overall blood sugar levels better and keep them within the recommended range.
• When you feel full and do not binge eat, it may also help to keep your calorie intake under control.
• This is also beneficial if you are trying to lose weight or want to manage your weight better. 

Other health benefits of oats

In addition to being such a good food option for those who have diabetes, oats offer a host of health benefits for the entire family, irrespective of who has or does not have diabetes.

1. Loaded with nutrients

• Oats are loaded with a number of nutrients that are good for your overall health.
• Oats are rich in their amount of iron, phosphorus, manganese, zinc, copper, vitamin B1 or thiamine, vitamin B5 or pantothenic acid, magnesium, and folate.
• In addition to the above, they also contain small amounts of vitamin B6 or pyridoxine, vitamin B3 or niacin, as well as potassium and calcium.

2. Rich source of antioxidants

• Oats are called superfoods because not only are they so high in their nutrient content and have so many overall health benefits, but also because they contain a high amount of antioxidants.
• In addition to being a rich source of antioxidants, oats also contain a very healthy plant compound known as polyphenols.
• Oats also contain a group of unique kinds of antioxidants that are known as avenanthramides, which are only found in oats.
• Avenanthramides may help to increase the production of nitric oxide, which, in turn, may reduce blood pressure levels.
• It helps to improve blood flow through the body by helping the blood vessels to widen.
• These antioxidants also include anti-itching as well as anti-inflammatory properties. 

3. Can improve digestion and reduce constipation

• Being rich in its fibre content, oats can be a good way to improve the overall digestive system and reduce the chances of constipation.

Nutritional Value of oats

The nutritional value of half a cup of raw oats is as follows:

• Carbohydrates – about 25 g
• Fat – about 2.5 g
• Fibre – about 4 g
• Protein – about 5 g

Along with the above, half a cup of raw oats also includes high amounts of copper, zinc, thiamin or vitamin B1, phosphorus, iron, folate, and magnesium.

Nutritional Info

Serving Size 1 Cup:

Calories188 % Daily Value*

Total Fat 2 g 3%

Saturated Fat 1 g 5%

Trans Fat 0 g

Cholesterol 0 mg 0%

Sodium 274 mg 11%

Potassium 0 mg 0%

Total Carbohydrate 39 g 13%

Dietary Fiber 3 g 12%

Sugar 12 g

Protein 5 g 10%

Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000-calorie diet. Your daily values may be higher or lower depending on your calorie needs.

• Vitamin C 3%
• Iron 50%
• Vitamin B6 0%
• Magnesium 0%
• Calcium 18%
• Vitamin D 0%
• Cobalamin 0%
• Vitamin A 0%

Benefits of oats for diabetes

For those who have diabetes, eating oats can help with:

• Improved insulin sensitivity 
• Reduced levels of blood sugar 
• Helping with weight loss and better management of weight 
• Better heart health
• Reduced hunger pangs 
• Better bowel movement
• Improved digestion 

Are oats good for diabetes type 2?

With so many health benefits, especially those that may help in better diabetes management and control of diabetes type 2, adding oats for diabetes to your regular meal plan could be a good idea.

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How to prepare oats for people with diabetes?

Here are a few diabetes oats recipes that are very easy to make and very effective for your diabetes health as well as for your overall health.

1. Oats upma

You will need

• Oats 
• Chopped vegetables of choice, such as beans, carrots, cauliflower, boiled and chopped potatoes
• Chopped onions and tomatoes
• Green peas or matar 
• Raai or mustard seeds
• Jeera seeds or cumin seeds (optional)
• Curry patta
• Chopped green chilies (optional)
• Heeng or asafoetida 
• Haldi or turmeric powder
• A bit of chana dal and urad dal
• Plain unsalted peanuts or moongfali (optional)
• Grated or chopped ginger
• Lemon juice (optional)
• Salt as per taste
• Ghee or oil to cook
• Water 

How to make   

• Dry roast the oats till you get a nice toasted aroma. The oats will not turn as crisp as poha, but they will turn a little toasted.
• Set aside and put this in a bowl or plate.
• Add the ghee to the pan and let it heat a bit.
• Add the raai seeds, heeng and jeera.
• As they start to pop, add the chana and urad dal.
• Cook for about half a minute.
• If you are using peanuts, add them in now.
• Add the curry patta, a dash of heeng, and ginger.
• Once you get the aroma of everything cooking, on low flame, add the chopped onions and green chilies if you are using them.
• Once the onions turn transparent, add the chopped vegetables.
• Cook them for about 2 minutes, add a little bit of water that will help create some steam and let it cook with the lid closed.
• Add the haldi powder and salt.
• Add the roasted oats, mix everything well and add water. Add the water based on the consistency of the upma that you prefer. Some people like the upma to be dry, while some like it to be a bit mushy. Add the water as per your preference.
• Close it with a lid and let it cook. 
• Once it reaches the desired consistency, remove it from the heat, serve it in a bowl or plate and sprinkle some lemon juice before you eat. 

3. Oats sweet chilla or pancake

You will need

• Oats 
• Elaichi or cardamom powder
• Stevia
• Alsi ke daaney or flax seeds and sabza ke daaney or chia seeds
• Water to make the batter
• Ghee 

How to make

• In a blender, add the oats, stevia, elachi powder, and seeds. Blend them into a thick paste and add some water as required.
• Pour this into a bowl and add water as required to get an ideal chila or pancake batter.
• Heat a pan and add a bit of ghee.
• Now pour the batter on the pan using a round ladle.
• Spread this out gently on the pan like you would for a chila or pancake.
• Cover with a lid and let it cook on one side for about 2 to 3 minutes.
• Flip and cook with a lid till the other side also cooks for about 2 to 3 minutes.
• Remove from heat and enjoy as a great breakfast option or to satiate your sweet meal craving.

4. Oats masala idli

You will need

• Oats blended to a powder form in a blender.
• Oil
• Raai seeds or mustard seeds
• Curry patta 
• Heeng or asafoetida
• Urad dal
• Jeera or cumin seeds
• Kaaju or cashews (optional)
• Finely chopped green chilies
• Chopped vegetables of choice
• Grated adrak or ginger
• Freshly squeezed lemon juice
• Sooji or daliya
• Salt as per taste 
• Water to make the batter 
• Dahi or curd
• Eno or baking soda only if you wish

How to make 

• Heat some oil in a pan and add the cashews if you are using them.
• Cook till they turn golden brown.
• Remove from the pan.
• Now add the raai seeds, jeera seeds, urad dal and cook till they turn golden. Add the heeng and mix well.
• Add the green chilies and curry patta and cook for a few seconds.
• Add the sooji or daliya and mix everything well.
• Now roast the entire mix till you get a nice aroma.
• Add the oats powder and mix everything together. Cook the mix till you get a nice aroma from the mix.
• Now add salt and remove this from the heat.
• Let it all cool down. If you want to store this, you can keep this mix as it is now in the refrigerator and store it for about 7 to 10 days.
• When you want to use this powder for the batter, add the dahi and water.
• Mix it well till it all gets completely mixed. Keep this aside for about 10 to 15 minutes for the dahi to ferment the mix. 
• In the meanwhile, grease your idli maker with some oil or ghee and set it on the gas.
• If the batter is too thick, add some more water and mix it all in.
• Now add in the chopped vegetables that you want to use along with the lemon juice.
• Mix everything well again and add the eno or baking soda now if you are using it.
• Now start pouring the batter into the idli maker and prepare the idlis as you would using regular idli batter. 
• Once ready, enjoy with some podi powder or idli chutney, or even as it is! 

Which oats is good for diabetes?

There are different types of oats available in the market these days, such as:

• Steel cut oats
• Rolled oats
• Instant oats 
• Porridge mix
• Instant food items made out of oats that only need to be prepared by adding hot water

Out of all these, steel-cut oats are the best type of oats for those with diabetes, especially as these are the least processed of all the other types mentioned above, and contain all the original nutrients and health properties. You can easily find them in many regular grocery stores, retain grocery chain outlets as well as in online grocery stores.

Fittertake 

Foods that lower blood sugar is a myth. There are no foods that will lower blood sugar levels, but they may prevent a spike and crash or help you feel full for a longer period of time.

Making them a healthier choice. That’s exactly what oats can do. But any food is always subject to your personalized glycemic response, your recommended calorie intake, the cooking method, and most importantly the food combination.

To get expert hand-holding such as this for nutrition, you can enroll in the Fitterfly diabetes management program.

Sign up for our program; call us at 08069450746.