3 Best Healthy Oats Recipes

Oats are gaining a lot of popularity due to its various health benefits. Like wheat and rice, oats are also whole grains. However, they are more nutrient dense, containing more carbohydrates, fibre, protein and fats, as compared to other grains. They are also rich in various vitamins and minerals like thiamine, zinc, magnesium, phosphorus, etc.

Fitness enthusiasts, people with certain disease conditions and even those without, who are looking to incorporate a healthy lifestyle, swear by oats as their go-to option for grains. They try to incorporate oats in various forms and even get innovative with traditional recipes.

However, there are so many others who absolutely detest oats and run away even from the thought of it. The main concern these people have is that they don’t know how to incorporate oats in ways which they can enjoy.

If you belong to this category of people, fret not! Here are 3 amazing healthy oats recipes that will make you love oats!

1.       Oats Granola Bars

Some healthy snacks can be a bit boring, but not all. Here is a tasty, nutritious oats recipe which can be a wonderful substitute to boring or unhealthy snacks. Granola bars are available in stores, but once you see how easy it is to make, you will never have to buy one again!

Oats Granola Bars
Serves-4	Prep Time-10 min	Cooking Time-20 min
Ingredients- 1.      1 cup rolled oats 2.      ¼ cup finely chopped nuts and seeds (almonds, walnuts, shredded coconut, flax seeds, and sunflower seeds, pumpkin seeds, etc.) 3.      2 tbsp raisins 4.      ½ cup powdered jaggery 5.      1 tsp vanilla extract (optional) 6.      1 tbsp coconut oil or ghee 7.      ½ cup crushed cornflakes
Method- 1.      Dry roast oats in a wide pan till they get aromatic. Set aside. 2.      Roast the nuts, seeds and raisins each separately in oil or ghee. Set aside. 3.      Melt jaggery in a wide pan on a low flame. 4.      Add oats to it, mix well and roast till they turn brown. Keep stirring well to prevent burning. 5.      Add the nuts mixture and keep stirring constantly on low flame till the mix turns dark golden or brownish. 6.      Add Corn flakes and mix. Turn off the heat and keep stirring for another minute. 7.      Set the mixture in a greased tray or dish and cool completely. 8.      Cut it in rectangular or square pieces and store it in an airtight container.
Nutritional Content (approximate values)- Calories- 1200 kcal Carbohydrates-200 g Protein-18 g Fat-35 g Fibre-13 g

This recipe contains jaggery, so if you are diabetic or need to watch your sugars, ask your dietitian for substitutes.

2.       Oats and Eggs

Egg-lovers should definitely try out this recipe. It is so easy to incorporate oats into this dish, that you will hardly notice it. Yet, it will pack so many nutrients into the humble egg bhurji, that it can definitely qualify as a one-dish meal.

Oats and Eggs
Serves-1	Prep Time-5 min	Cooking Time-15 min
Ingredients- 1.      3/4 cup oats 2.      1 or 2 eggs 3.      2 chopped tomatoes 4.      1 finely chopped onion 5.      1/2 tsp garam masala or chicken masala 6.      1/4 tsp red chilli powder 7.      salt to taste 8.      1 tbsp oil 9.      1 tbsp chopped coriander leaves
Method- 1.      Heat oil in a pan. Add the onions and sauté till they turn translucent. 2.      Add the tomatoes and sauté till they turn mushy and leave oil from the sides. 3.      Add the masala, chilli powder and salt and cook for around 1 minute. 4.      Add in the oats and cook for another 2 minutes. 5.      Beat the eggs and add to the mixture. Keep stirring so that the egg breaks into pieces as it cooks. 6.      Cover and cook for 2 minutes. 7.      Garnish with coriander and serve hot.
Nutritional Content (approximate values)- Calories- 430 kcal Carbohydrates-45 g Protein-13 g Fat-20 g Fibre-7 g

Instead of bhurji, you can also make an omelette. After adding the eggs, leave it as it is to cook. Rest all steps can remain the same.

3.       Busy Oats

We all know how stressful weekday mornings can be. Sometimes, it means compromising on breakfast-either quantitatively or qualitatively. But since breakfast is the most important meal of the day, why settle for anything less than the best? This is an easy overnight oats recipe that can be customised as per your taste.

Busy Oats
Serves-1	Prep Time-5 min	Cooking Time-5 min
Ingredients- 1.      3/4 cup quick oats 2.      Milk, as required 3.      2 tbsp chopped almonds 4.      1 or 2 chopped dates 5.      1/2 small banana, finely chopped
Method- 1.      Add the oats and half of the almonds to a jar. Add milk to completely immerse the oats. 2.      Refrigerate overnight or for at least 4 hours. 3.      Before serving, add the dates, banana and rest of the almonds. 4.      Consume within 2 hours of removing from the refrigerator.
Nutritional Content (approximate values)- Calories- 300 kcal Carbohydrates-30 g Protein-8 g Fat-6 g Fibre-10 g

You can make a lot of variations in this overnight oats recipe by adding your choice of fruits like mango, strawberries, sapota (chickoo), blue berries, etc. You can also add walnuts, pumpkin seeds, flax seeds or sunflower seeds instead of almonds.

Oatmeal is such a versatile ingredient that it can be made into savoury as well as sweet dishes. I hope these quick and easy recipes inspire you to incorporate oats in your everyday meals!

About the author-Siddhi Takalkar is a nutritionist and lifestyle consultant in Pune. She is also the founder of NutriWorks and is a Registered Dietitian in Pune with a Masters degree in Nutrition and Dietetics. She has a vast experience in advising diets for various age groups as well as medical conditions. She is the best diet consultant in Pune for all your Nutritional needs. A young nutritionist in Pune, she knows how to make your diet healthy, as well as tasty!