Oatmeal is packed with a lot of essential nutrients such as fiber and carbs so incorporating it into your diet comes with a number of different benefits that you should not miss out on.
Not only that but it’s a powerhouse food that can be prepared in a number of ways, offering you a variety of delicious and nutritious options for your daily breakfast.
Eating a bowl of oatmeal every day can really help lower your blood cholesterol levels thanks to the soluble fiber found in its grain.
Research shows that only 5 to 10 grams of soluble fiber daily can lower “bad” cholesterol, which is obviously great for your overall health.
Now that that’s out of the way, here are 5 different oatmeal habits you should try to introduce into your diet.
- Explore all liquid options.
Some people make their oatmeal with water while some use milk to make it creamier.
But if you choose milk, make sure to be careful when picking the type so as to not affect your cholesterol-lowering goals at the end of the day.
That being said, pick plant-based alternatives like almond, soy or oats, as those do not contain any cholesterol.
Dairy milk is alright as well as long as you go with 1% or skim as a way to limit the amount of cholesterol consumed as possible.
- Eat it with Fruit
Eating fruit every day is obviously good for you so why not improve your morning bowl of oats by topping it with some delicious fruits and getting double the benefits?
Most fruit contains insoluble fiber which helps with digestive regularity and there are some that contain cholesterol-lowering soluble fiber as well!
Some of them are berries, pears, apricots and more!
- Don’t Add Butter.
While it may be delicious, topping your bowl of oatmeal with butter will ultimately work against your health goals since one tablespoon contains around 30 milligrams of cholesterol!
If you still enjoy the taste, you can replace it with a healthier fat like almond, nut or peanut butter.
- Include Some Seeds.
Chia, hemp and flax seeds are great as oatmeal toppers so don’t hesitate to try them out.
They are rich in fiber and soluble fiber and when mixed with the soluble fiber already found in the oats and the fruit, they can really give you all the fiber you need per day, all in one single bowl.
Not only that but these seeds also contain heart-healthy omega-3 fats that will improve blood lipid levels.
- No Sugar.
Diets high in sugar encourage the production of more “bad” cholesterol and lower levels of “good” cholesterol.
This means that you should avoid it as much as possible.
If the sweetness of fruits you add to the oatmeal doesn’t feel like enough to satisfy your sweet tooth, just add a couple of tablespoons of no-sugar-added applesauce.
