Everybody – whether the food industry, the media or nutritionist – wants us to know that oats and oatmeal is extremely healthy and good for our body. Actually here in Costa Rica the Avena-flakes are fully in trend and the organic shop in Samara, Costa Rica sells the product even without gluten. Here some facts about the ‘wannabe superfood’:
No vitamins
If you take a closer look at the nutrient contents on the packaging, you will regrettably find out, that the oat flakes contain weither very few or even no vitamins at all. Of course, one can argue about this fact that the original unprocessed oat contains different vitamins – especially those of the B family – but this information is no longer true for the industrially packaged product.
Manufacturing process destroys ingredients
There is a long way from the field to the packaging, which involves a complex industrial manufacturing process. The oats are first steamed and dried and finally treated with moist heat.
In the daring process, fat-splitting enzymes are inactivated and also the treatment with heat and press is accompanied by a loss of ingredients. In spite of that, the manufactures can’t abdicate to the heating process, because it makes the food durable. This makes clear, why the flakes do not contain any nutrients or vitamins!
Low nutrient concentration
Humans have only a limited volume for absorbing food and they have to cover up the nutrient demand of their body with this limited intake. Regarding to the energy concentration you don’t need to worry, because the flakes have about 350 calories per 100g. However, much more important is the nutrient density and on that score the product performs very poorly. Furthermore, the oat flakes contain gluten, like most foodstuffs, which can lead to problems with allergy sufferers.
Our Costa Rica insider tip: simply replace the oatmeal with vegetables and fruits. Especially in the form of a refreshing smoothie, the greenery can be enjoyed for example in the morning for breakfast! Doesn’t only taste delicious but as well provides a lot of nutrients to start your day right!
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