You can include many things in your smoothies to help them thicken or make them extra nutritious. Some people enjoy adding bananas, yogurt, and so on.
However, one trendy choice would be oats. Oats are popular in smoothies because they add fiber. That being said, can you add raw oats or must they be cooked?
This is the question I will be answering today. If you are in a rush in the morning, you probably don’t want to have to cook your oats to add them to your smoothie.
So, let us find out if you can start adding your oats into your smoothies raw!
Can You Put Raw Oats In A Smoothie
You can put raw oats in smoothies. There is no need to cook them to add them to smoothies.
Oats add fiber, whole grains, and protein to your diet, so adding them can be very beneficial to your digestive and overall health as said by the National Library of Medicine.
You can simply add them to your blender with your other ingredients.
Although you can enjoy your oats raw and do not need to cook them, it should be advised to soak the oats first.
You do not HAVE to, but it is advisable. Whether you soak them with your smoothie liquid base before adding them is up to you.
However, the reason for soaking them is to simply prevent any digestive distress as healthline.com advises.
If you eat oats dry and raw (even in a smoothie) it can lead to a build-up in your intestines or stomach.
This can often cause constipation or indigestion. So, even though you don’t need to cook the oats before adding them to your smoothie, soaking them in water, milk, or milk alternatives can be beneficial and a step in avoiding digestive discomfort later on.
Can You Eat Uncooked Oatmeal In A Smoothie?
Uncooked oats are fine for consumption in smoothies. Uncooked oats contain more resistant starches than cooked oats do.
Resistant starches are also believed to aid in digestion by feeding the good bacteria in your Gi tract as WebMD states.
However, no one wants to have a huge clump of oats in their mouth as they try to enjoy their smoothie, therefore rolled oats are likely the best choice for this.
Are There Any Benefits of Adding Uncooked Oats To Smoothies?
Uncooked oats have many benefits when added to smoothies.
Oats in general are a very healthful nutrition source and can be very beneficial to your overall well-being.
They are one of the only food sources that contain an antioxidant called avenanthramides. Avenanthramides have anti-itching and anti-inflammatory effects according to ScienceDirect.com.
This is actually why some people take oatmeal baths after being affected by poison ivy!
Oats can also have a prebiotic effect, meaning they can feed the beneficial bacteria in your gut.
They also contain soluble fibers which are known to aid in lowering blood sugars and boosting your insulin response.
Finally, oats are well known to help you feel full, this means that oats can help in weight loss efforts as they make you feel fuller for longer, thus preventing snacking.
It is ideal for those who are using smoothies as part of their plan for meal replacement for weight loss.
Best Raw Oats To Add To Smoothies
Overall, a majority of foodies who put oats in their smoothies tend to prefer raw rolled oats. While they are the most common, they are also easier to blend up.
Steel-cut oats just do not blend up as well thanks to having a tough and thick texture.
Organic oatmeal rolled oats are some of the best to get, however, Quaker’s Old Fashioned Rolled Oats are very popular and are non-GMO as well, making them even more sought-after by those who are health-conscious.
How To Add Oats To Smoothie
Once you have chosen which types of oats you will be adding to your smoothie there are several ways you can add them into the blend.
Of course, it will depend on your blender and your other ingredients.
The best and easiest way you can add oats to your smoothies is just to add the oats into your blender with the other ingredients and blend until the whole mixture is smooth.
Don’t forget to soak them to prevent any digestive issues and aid the blender in mixing them in with more ease.
Alternatively, you can grind up the oats before adding them to your smoothie. However, this generally requires quite a high-powered blender such as a Vitamix.
Blend up the oats in your blender before you add the rest of the ingredients.
The final way to use oats in your smoothies, is to soak them for a period of time before adding them to your blender with the rest of the ingredients.
An hour can be enough time for them to soak in a refrigerator. However, you could also soak them overnight before you add them to your smoothie.
You can soak them in milk, water, or whatever liquid you intend on adding to your smoothie.
How Much Oats To Put In A Smoothie
How many oats you need for your smoothie depends on your smoothie.
A general rule would be 1/4 cup for each serving. However, it is up to you, it could be more if you want your smoothie higher in fiber or to simply be thicker.
You can add any amount from a quarter cup to a half cup.
It is best to start with a 1/4 cup and then add more if needed. You can always add more oats but you cannot remove oats you have already added.
What Ingredients Pair Well With Oats In A Smoothie
You can pair almost any ingredient with oats in a smoothie. Oats have a fairly neutral taste with a hint of nuttiness.
This makes them ideal for adding to a majority of smoothies. People tend to add a wide variety of ingredients into oat-based smoothies from fruits to nut butter and more.
The best ingredients to add to a smoothie with oats include the following:
- Banana.
- Peanut butter.
- Honey.
- Fresh berries.
- Mango.
- Apple.
- Cocoa powder.
- Plant-based milk (almond, oat, soy milk, etc)
- Almond butter.
- Maple syrup.
- Flax seeds.
- Cinnamon.
- Yogurt.
- Frozen berries.
- Vanilla.
As you can see there are so many options to choose from. However, a majority of people tend to enjoy using milk/milk alternatives, yogurt as well as banana for oat-based smoothies.
Yogurt in smoothies is very popular. That being said, apples can add some additional sweetness to your smoothie as well.
To Conclude: Should You Cook Oats Before Adding Them To Smoothies?
There is no need to cook oats before you add them to your smoothies. Yet, it is advisable to soak them before incorporating them with the other ingredients.
This is simply because raw dry oats can cause some digestive discomfort such as constipation.
You can mix oats with anything you want to make a healthful smoothie. You only need to soak them for an hour or so to get an ideal consistency that is good for your digestive system as well as your overall health!
Don’t cook just soak!
My Best Smoothie With Oats
While you are here reading this guide on oats, you might now want to try a smoothie with oats.
So, I am now going to share my best oat smoothie recipe, which I know you will love!
This recipe is a blueberry oats smoothie, it’s so good for you and easy to make.
Blueberry Smoothie With Oats
Equipment
- 1 Blender We used Ninja
Ingredients
- 1 cup/150g of frozen blueberries
- 1/4 cup/20g of oats
- 1 tbsp of peanut butter or sunflower seed butter
- 1/2 gala apple cored and seeds removed
- 1 tsp of honey
- 1 cup/250ml of almond milk or oat milk
Instructions
- Add all the ingredients to a blender.
- Blend everything until completely smooth.
- Serve & Enjoy!
Video
Notes
Nutrition
Don’t forget to check out some of my other oat recipes such as:
FAQs:
Is It Safe To Put Raw Oatmeal In Smoothie?
It is safe to put raw oatmeal into a smoothie. However, before doing so it is advisable to soak the oatmeal to prevent any digestive distress as a result.
Do I Need To Cook Oats Before Putting In Smoothie?
You do not need to cook your oats before putting them in a smoothie, however, it is best to soak them beforehand.
Can You Eat Quaker Oats Raw In Smoothie?
Yes, you can eat Quaker oats raw in smoothies, it is best to soak them first. However, you do not need to, but be aware of digestive distress which can occur as a result. Especially in high-fiber diets.
Are Oats Healthier Raw Or Cooked?
Oats may actually be healthier when cooked. Normal cooking actually helps to extract some of the nutrition from oats that the body cannot extract from oats when raw.
Does Nutrients Change If I Blend Raw Oats?
The nutrition does not change in raw oats. Blending itself does not change the nutritional values, however, cooked vs raw oats have very minorly different nutrients.
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