Hulls in oatmeal

[Second Summer]

This is so annoying! I'm not sure if this is a general trend nowadays, or if it's just the brand of oats we tend to buy, or if it's just me getting more observant, but over the last year or so I've been finding a lot of hulls in my oats / oatmeal, so I have to pick them out before I eat it. Which takes away from the experience of enjoying delicious, hot oatmeal!

What to do? Is there a brand out there that doesn't have so much hulls?

 

[beancounter]

I buy a generic store brand, but I don't get a lot of hulls

It seems the issue has been around for a while. - here's a post from 2011.

Oatmeal Hulls in your Oatmeal?? - Bodybuilding.com Forums

 

[KLS52]

OMG...makes me insane! I usually buy Quaker but have had other brands, steel cut, etc. and usually find hulls in all of it.

 

[flyingsnail]

I don't have this issue but when I make oat meal its with quick oats.

 

[KLS52]

That's a good point...I don't recall having the problem when I used quick oats.

 

[shyvas]

Which brand do you buy ? I've never had hulls in oats flakes.

 

[Second Summer]

Which brand do you buy ? I've never had hulls in oats flakes.

They are called Flahavan's Organic Jumbo Oats:
Flahavan's organic jumbo oats - Waitrose

I've also had bad luck with Tesco's Scottish Porridge Oats:
Tesco Scottish Porridge 500G - Groceries - Tesco Groceries

 

[Second Summer]

Just wanted to report back that the problem is significantly less after switching to another brand.

 

[shyvas]

They are called Flahavan's Organic Jumbo Oats:
Flahavan's organic jumbo oats - Waitrose

I've also had bad luck with Tesco's Scottish Porridge Oats:
Tesco Scottish Porridge 500G - Groceries - Tesco Groceries

They are so much cheaper than the ones I buy over here ; over € 3/kilo.

 

[beancounter]

Real men concern themselves with this kind of hull.

Hull (watercraft) - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

 

[Tom L.]

I love oats, but haven't noticed a big problem with hulls. And I usually buy it in bulk- either from the bulk bin at my health food store, or in large (50 pound, or roughly 25 kilogram) bags. (Like I said- I love oats!!) Sometimes I get quick-cooking oats, sometimes regular, but they're both whole-grain.

The problem I do have is Indian Meal Moth larvae in the oats. This seems to be more of a problem with oats from the open bulk bins, which have lids, but the moths can find their way under the lids anyway and find themselves in Indian Meal Moth Nirvana... The Promised Land... The End Of The Rainbow... The unopened bags appear to be more secure.

 

[EdenBound]

If the hulls are fiber and our microbiome breaks down fiber to make nutrients for us, why aren't we eating oat hulls?

 

[Second Summer]

If the hulls are fiber and our microbiome breaks down fiber to make nutrients for us, why aren't we eating oat hulls?

I suppose because there can be too much of a good thing, but also you can't really chew hulls and I don't want to eat things I can chew, so ... No thanks!

 

[Lou]

@EdenBound, nice work in finding this. And I do like Zombie Threads. But we have a thread called "Everything Oatmeal" and is very much alive and kicking.

@Tom L.
I still have a few moths reappear every couple of months.
It might be worth buying some plastic containers to keep your oats in. Or maybe buy a steel can. The product might have moths - but they won't be able to get out before you discover them
I remember my mom always kept stuff in plastic, glass or steel. but she lived in Florida and the humidity turned stuff soggy.

@Indian Summer, might be a brand issue. I just checked my oats - I had three different kinds in my cupboard. no hulls (or moths) in any of them.

 

[silva]

If the hulls are fiber and our microbiome breaks down fiber to make nutrients for us, why aren't we eating oat hulls?

The hulls don't get broken down, and trying to eat grains with their hull can cause some real damage!
It's the bran, the germ,and the endosperm that are edible for humans.
When you hear it's best to eat whole grains it doesn't mean the hull!

Separating the Wheat from the Chaff | The Whole Grains Council

I'm a big fan of oat groats,which are whole hulled oats.

 

[Tom L.]

@EdenBound, nice work in finding this. And I do like Zombie Threads. But we have a thread called "Everything Oatmeal" and is very much alive and kicking.

@Tom L.
I still have a few moths reappear every couple of months.
It might be worth buying some plastic containers to keep your oats in. Or maybe buy a steel can. The product might have moths - but they won't be able to get out before you discover them
I remember my mom always kept stuff in plastic, glass or steel. but she lived in Florida and the humidity turned stuff soggy.

@Indian Summer, might be a brand issue. I just checked my oats - I had three different kinds in my cupboard. no hulls (or moths) in any of them.

I usually keep my oats cold, and that helps. I have an unheated vestibule where I store such food in the winter, and in the warmer months I keep my stash of rolled oats in the refrigerator. I have hardly any condiments in the fridge and few leftovers (which I eat within about two days)- so I often have plenty of room in there.

 

[bEt]

If the hulls are fiber and our microbiome breaks down fiber to make nutrients for us, why aren't we eating oat hulls?

IMO--
The hulls are pretty much insoluble fiber. They can possibly get in the way of mineral absorption and even cause harm. Without adding benefit.

The good soluble fiber is in the part of the oats we traditionally eat.

why do we want that soluble fiber?

Well . . . I just found this:

"Soluble or insoluble: Which fiber is best to prevent dementia?
Overall, fiber is a great dietary addition when you’re working to keep your brain healthy at every age. But this recent study did delve into both soluble and insoluble fiber, providing better insight into which variety might be best for the brain.

Researchers examined whether there was a difference depending on the type of fiber consumed the most by participants. They found that participants who ate higher amounts of soluble fiber – the kind that feeds beneficial gut bacteria and is present in foods like oats and legumes – led to a more pronounced effect on their risk for dementia.

So, while fiber is important in any form, it just might pay off to increase your soluble fiber a little more than insoluble. You can find soluble fiber in foods like oats, legumes, apples, carrots and citrus fruits."

from

If You’re Missing Out on This Key Nutrient, You Could See an Increased Risk for Dementia