My introduction to groats was in my 20s. I attended a presentation in D.C. by Dr. Gabe Mirkin. This would have been somewhere between 1995 - 1997. He advocated for using whole grains and offered an easy way to do this in the context of a busy life: using a thermos to cook the grains on the go. I did this for a year or so, maybe more when I was working at my first post-college job in Arlington, Virginia. I took the thermos to work daily and ate the grains for lunch, with whatever else I’d brought to eat. At some point, my meal patterns and habits changed and this fell by the wayside.

Fast forward to the early 2000s-ish. I was living in San Francisco and attended a raw food cooking class in Oakland, California. I was not plant-based at this time. I ate fish and I may still have been eating cheese — I don’t remember what year it was when I removed dairy from my diet completely. One of the recipes shared in the class was oatmeal using soaked oat groats. I thought it was delicious. This is the recipe I’ve shared below.

Since my 20s, I’ve been open to experimenting with diet and curious about the impact of different foods on my health..

What are groats?!

Groats are the whole kernel of any grain. They are the most minimally processed form of the grain because only the outer husk or hull is removed.

Why choose groats?

Grains that are minimally processed are higher in fiber, generally take longer to digest, and have a lower glycemic index.

More than 37 million Americans have diabetes [source]. With diabetes, the body can’t keep blood sugar at normal levels and too much sugar stays in the blood stream. Over time, diabetes can cause serious health problems, such as heart disease, vision loss, and kidney disease [source].

Diabetes is not the only reason to choose minimally processed foods. Oat groats also contain phenolic compounds and phytoestrogens that act as antioxidants in the body. Antioxidants reduce the damaging effects of chronic inflammation which over time, can lead to many other chronic illnesses.

Least processed to most processed oats

Groats >> Steel-cut or Irish >> Scottish >> Rolled or Old-Fashioned >> Quick or Instant

How to use oat groats — 3 options

Soak for 12-24 hours on the countertop, similar to soaking nuts. This is my favorite preparation — recipe below. I like the texture and consistency of soaked oat groats. This method requires more advance planning.
Add boiling water, cover, and let sit for 4 hours or overnight — instructions here. Similar to the first method, but uses boiling water instead of room temperature water (soaking method). Other whole, minimally processed grains can also be prepared this way. You can do this in a pot and cover tightly with a towel, or even easier, you can do this in a thermos (shoutout to Rick and Dr. Mirkin). I use a Hydro Flask thermos — smaller versions are available. Thermos is a less expensive option. This method of cooking the groats is the easiest and least intensive of your attention. You can also take it on the go.
Cook on the stove. Similar to cooking steel-cut or rolled oats on the stove, but with a longer cooking time. See detailed instructions for cooking on the stove or in an Instant Pot here. Easy, but requires a cooking time of ~50 minutes.

Recipe: soaked oat groat oatmeal

I adapted this recipe from a raw food cooking class I took many years ago in Oakland, California (shoutout to Denise E). Recipe credit: Heather Haxo Phillips.

Yield

2-3 servings

Ingredients

1 1/2 cup dry oat groats — yields 2 cups soaked

1 tablespoon (grade A “very dark”) maple syrup

1/4 teaspoon salt — I’ve been using iodized sea salt recently, but I also use Himalayan salt and other sea salts. Use whichever salt you like and have on hand

1/2 teaspoon cinnamon — a pinch of cardamom is also nice, pumpkin spice would be great too

1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract or vanilla bean powder — optional

1 apple

2 tablespoons water

Almond milk, to serve

Equipment

Food processor. I replaced my 10+ year old 12-cup Cuisinart food processor a couple of years ago with a Kitchen Aid 9-cup model like this one. I love it. The pieces fit together more easily and the profile is significantly more space-efficient.

Preparation

Soak the oat groats for 24 hours, change the water once after 12 hours. Drain and rinse before adding to the food processor.
Chop the apple.
Place all ingredients in a food processor fitted with the S blade (standard blade) and process until smooth. Consistency should be chopped and mixed, not liquified.
Serve with almond milk or plant milk of choice and any additional toppings such as raisins or chopped nuts. I don’t think it needs additional toppings, but I added cacao nibs the last time I made it.

I recommend choosing plant milks with just 3 ingredients: nuts, water, salt.

Oatmeal — oatmeal with soaked oat groats

Nutrition

1 serving —> 1/2 of recipe + 1/2 cup Malk almond milk to serve

Calories: 433
Fiber: 15g
Sugars: 21g — 0 added sugars
Fat: 9g
Protein: 21g
Iron: 68% DV
Calcium: 8% DV
Vitamin C: 5% DV
Potassium: 6% DV

Where to buy oat groats

Check the bulk bins at your local market. The Whole Foods in my neighborhood used to stock oat groats, but now only stocks buckwheat groats (boooo). Buckwheat groats are another healthy option, I just prefer the taste of oat for ‘traditional’ oatmeal.

Here’s an option on Amazon. Here’s another option from Almond Cow.

Have you tried groats? Let me know in the comments below!

Nutrition reference links

Whole foods
Oats
Oat-based foods: chemical constituents, glycemic index, and the effect of processing
Diet and inflammation

For more information on maple syrup, see this previous post where I dive in further.

Thanks for reading!

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Groats 101: What You Need To Know + Recipe