Why You Should Be Eating Irish Oats    

If you’re a fan of the common oat, raise your hand.
Whole-grain, high-fiber oats are hard to beat for breakfast. Easy to prepare and low in fat, their wholesome goodness boasts a mighty dose of nutrients. Old-fashioned rolled oats are a sound choice, but if you want the Cadillac of oats, ya gotta go Irish!

Irish oats are whole oat groats that have been chopped into two or three small pieces with a steel blade. Unlike regular oats, the chunky bits of grain are left au naturel, not steamed and rolled to reduce their cooking time. (FYI: Quick oats are flattened even further and instant oats are pre-cooked.)
Steel cut oats, as they are also known, offer a decisively more interesting breakfast than your average bowl of porridge. Never gluey or mushy, these minimally processed oats cook up sturdy but incredibly creamy. The larger pieces of grain require your digestive enzymes to work overtime, keeping you full for a longer period of time; add a little Greek yogurt or a handful of fruit and nuts and you’ll have no problem making it ‘til lunchtime.
Don’t let the longer cooking time be a hindrance; Irish oats re-heat like a dream. Make a big pot in the evening, add a little milk in the morning and zap ‘em. Cooked oats will keep for a week in the refrigerator.
This superior breakfast cereal can be made with water or a combination of water and milk; non-dairy milk will work just the same. Check out this delectable banana and strawberry version, or take your oats to the next level with this savory recipe.
If you’ve never considered yourself an oat enthusiast, I guarantee this traditional Emerald Isle breakfast will change your mind.
How do you take your Irish oats? I like mine with a little maple syrup, pecans and dried apricots. —Karen