At Mornflake Oats we offer fantastic value for money, and with no added sugar, salt or other preservatives, our oats really are a natural wholegrain cereal. Research has shown that people with a healthy heart tend to eat more wholegrain cereals as part of a healthy lifestyle. The beta glucan in oats, a soluble fibre, acts like a sponge absorbing cholesterol and removing it from your body. Oats are the only wholegrain recognised to actively lower cholesterol*. Put simply, it’s food you can trust, so enjoy it whenever you want, as often as you want!
*As part of a diet low in saturated fat and a healthy lifestyle.
It is now widely accepted that breakfast is the most important meal of the day. If it contains the right ingredients it can provide your body with the nutrients to kick start its metabolic functions after a night’s fasting. The word breakfast actually comes from ‘breaking the fast’, as no food is eaten during a good night’s sleep! Of course there are some breakfasts that offer more than others and oats are often regarded as the ‘King’ of breakfasts.
In October 2003 a top British athlete raced to victory in the world half-marathon in Portugal. The story goes that she got off to a flying start by eating a bowl of porridge for breakfast!
Because they are high in low glycemic carbohydrates and soluble fibre, oats release energy slowly, giving your body a steady supply of fuel throughout the morning – or the race!
Because oats are digested slowly, they keep you feeling full for longer, so by curbing the pangs of hunger, you’ll also be less likely to opt for a mid-morning nibble. Or be tempted to eat more than you should for lunch – a real slimming aid!
Oats are fantastic value and represent better food value than any other cereal. The facts and figures speak for themselves and, for the technically minded, are included in this table:
Nutritionally, Mornflake Oats contain 58% starch, an incredibly important and easily digestible form of nourishment particularly suitable for small children. Approximately 7% is essential unsaturated oil and 113g of Mornflake Superfast Oats provide approximately one third of a child’s daily requirement. Mornflake Oats, besides containing around 11% protein, have a large number of the necessary minerals and vitamins for healthy growth, including thiamine, folic acid, B12, pantothenic acid and iron. Calories add up to 359 kcal per 100g making Mornflake Oats an excellent source of energy.
Furthermore, Mornflake Oats are manufactured using a unique process which stabilises the fat content of the oat. The fat content is of course very desirable from a nutritional point of view but it can develop so that the free fatty acid content increases; this is highly undesirable and the Mornflake stabilising process prevents this from happening. This is one of the reasons why Mornflake Oats always taste better.
Like other plants, oats contain dietary fibre, which varies according to the type of the grain but will show in rolled oats at over 8%.
Two types of dietary fibre are to be found in Mornflake Oats:
Soluble Fibre:
This is a part of the fibre that can be more readily absorbed into the body through digestion. Mornflake Oats are rich in soluble fibre which may help to reduce cholesterol, as part of a low fat diet.
Insoluble Fibre:
This part adds ‘roughage’ to the diet, providing important bulk in the digestive system. This prevents the build-up of destructive chemicals that can lead to intestinal problems so common in today’s ‘fast food’ society.
According to current guidelines, healthy adults should consume at least 26g of fibre – ideally 26-35g daily. Most people tend to consume under 10g which is simply not sufficient for maintaining a healthy digestion in the longer term. Oats are an excellent provider of both soluble and insoluble fibre and should form part of a fibre-rich diet in order to maintain a healthy digestion.
Another plus of a fibre-rich diet is that it provides plenty of vitamins and minerals, but it may be wise to consult a physician before greatly increasing dietary fibre intake and to ensure good nutritional status before making drastic alterations. Initially, eating large quantities of fibre may cause bloating, but this should subside in a few weeks. It is best to increase amounts gradually. Eating 26g of fibre daily may seem like a lot but can be obtained by having two fruits at breakfast-time (say a banana and raisins) with whole grain cereal, fruit as between-meal snacks, three to five servings of vegetables daily and several bran and grain servings.
Oats contain many of the essential nutritional requirements for young children to set them up for the day. These include:
Starch:
Oats contain about 58% starch. The starch contained in oats is particularly easy to digest which makes this food so important in the nutrition of children.
Fat:
Typically 8% compared with 2% in wheat, 3.8% in corn, 0.65% in rice. (These are average values). Children have a higher need for essential fatty acids. When a child is fed 4oz of our Superfast Oats you will satisfy at least one third of their daily requirements in these essential fatty acids! Oats do better than other cereals.
Protein:
Oats contain around 11% protein. Among the nutrients of a given cereal one of the most important is the protein. Both the quality and the quantity of the essential amino acids in oats make the preferable to other cereals.
Calories: Calories in oats from carbohydrate, fat and protein: 359 kcal/100g. Oats are an excellent source of energy!
Minerals and Vitamins:
Calcium and Iron stand out as elements, which are better represented in oats than in many other cereals. Both are of particular importance for the nutrition of children and pregnant women. Certain trace elements like Zinc and Manganese are available to a somewhat greater extent than in other cereals and contribute to the daily requirements of the body. The vitamin contents of oats are similar to that of other cereals, except for the higher amount of thiamine.