So, I had a friend text me last night that she was making a big pot of steel cut oats and wondered - all Paleo aside - if she was still making a nutritious choice for her family. After all, it's steel cut oats, right? I mean, as far as grains go, steel cut oats are about as raw and natural as you get and are packed with a good bit of naturally-occurring vitamins and nutrients.
Well.......you are right! At least in all the points you (I) have made above. In the spirit of gaining an awareness about our food, let's chat for a minute about this whole vendetta against an entire food group. Because I know that for most of us, making the switch away from grains, rice, pasta, biscuits, cornbread, cookies, double fiber wheat bread, steel cut oats, and anything else that was a daily "staple" is nearly life-altering. So you definitely shouldn't be doing this simply because so-and-so "said so" (though if you are, that's okay and we'll start there!)
First things first, read this. I could rewrite it all here in this post, but I'd just be stealing from someone else's brain and endeavor. However, in the "comments" section, Dallas puts a question out there that I AM going to steal and re-post for you as you consider whether or not you should start cleaning out your cabinets tonight. The question is this: “Why are you fighting SO hard for your (fill in food choice here)?” I think my next move is to print that question out and put it on my fridge for the next time I feel like putting my face in the ice cream carton.
After you've read through the "manifesto" above and attempted to answer your why, watch the video below for a tip of the iceberg on why "fortified" foods are certainly not the answer for getting in your daily value of the vitamins and minerals your body needs. And if you're feeling a little nerdish today, here are a few articles that provide some more in-depth explanation of the governmental "conspiracy" behind fortified foods. :) (Tip for making sure you don't get "scammed" by food labels: If something says it is "fortified with ________" or "contains 100% of the daily value of ___________" ask yourself: "How did those nutrients get there?" and "Why was it necessary to add those things?")
1) http://today.msnbc.msn.com/id/16892345/ns/today-money/t/are-vitamin-fortified-foods-healthier/#.Tnk_3YXX7R0
2) http://www.hsph.harvard.edu/nutritionsource/what-should-you-eat/folic-acid/
3) http://online.wsj.com/article/SB124267976477131801.html
So, at the end of the day, if you make a big pot of steel-cut oats, don't despair! In the grand scheme of things, you have probably made a better, more nutritious choice than if you were to have poured a bowl of cereal or made the quick-fix-brown-sugar-rush version of oatmeal. Just be aware of the insulin-response (which is scientifically linked to obesity) and the acid-response (which is being scientifically linked to cancer) going on in your body and make sure that you aren't shoving nutrient-dense vegetables off your plate in order to get a second helping of oats in there. And pay attention to the way you feel immediately after the meal, a few hours after the meal, the next morning, and at your next workout, markers that are of great value as you build a lifestyle of eating that works for you.
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