A key cereal crop and animal food since ancient times, oats today provide a popular and sustaining base for breakfast cereals, oatmeal, cookies and breads.
You may have seen this whole grain in your breakfast bowl of oatmeal, but did you know that oats are grown in Canada? Oats like cooler summer temperatures, they do not grow well in hot climates. They also like lots of rain to help them ripen and grow. (1)
Oats are a whole grain, meaning they are not refined and all three parts of the grain, including the bran, germ, and endosperm, are what you see in your morning bowl of oatmeal. When a grain, such as wheat, is refined to make white flour, the germ and the bran have both been removed from the grain. (2)
Oats are a great source of fiber, which helps to keep you full. This is why it is great to have in the morning to start your day. Oats can also be used in baking to make a healthy snack such as these blueberry oat bars.
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Sources:
1.Nairn’s — Where do oats come from, 2018 https://www.nairns-oatcakes.com/blog/where-do-oats-come
2.Harvard T.H. Chan — The Nutrition Source: Oats https://www.hsph.harvard.edu/nutritionsource/food-features/oats/