14 Reasons I Store Cheap Oatmeal For My Health

Oatmeal can literally keep the doctor away. I have a few tidbits today that I updated from a few years ago. Today I’ll be showing you fourteen reasons why I buy and store cheap oatmeal. Here’s the deal with oatmeal…it’s fairly inexpensive. We can make breakfast with it and add just about every spice in the pantry to make a different flavor of oatmeal. It’s a great product for cookies, granola, and many desserts. Today I am talking about the benefits of steel-cut oatmeal and regular rolled oats. Instant oatmeal packages are not as healthy because they do not have as much fiber, and typically are full of sugar and sodium. I would read the contents of the packages of instant oatmeal before you buy them.

I like to buy oatmeal in bulk, which is the Costco size for my family. I used to buy it at a store called Sterling Nelson’s in Salt Lake City, Utah in 100-pound bags when my kids were little. Back then I stored it in 5-gallon buckets. Now I store it in quart jars using my FoodSaver to seal the jars. It removes the air and the oatmeal stays fresh longer. I also store oatmeal in #10 cans for long-term storage. I can’t put these in my garage since it is usually so hot. That would reduce the shelf life to one year. Keep them in a room under 70 degrees if possible. I buy these a little at a time and put the six #10 cans under beds in the box in which they are shipped to me. I don’t store oatmeal in mylar bags in 5-gallon containers because my house is too small.

Here is how I fill my oatmeal into the quart jars:

Storing the oatmeal like this saves me money and I have very little waste if any. I use my FoodSaver and the accessory tube and lid to remove the air and seal them. Here is how I seal the jars:

14 Reasons Why I Store Cheap Oatmeal:

Updated 1/4/2016

1. It’s an inexpensive food storage product.

2. Oatmeal is very filling and will fill the belly

3. It can help reduce high cholesterol.

4. It helps boost our immune system, it helps our cells fight bacterial infections because it is full of beta-glucan fiber.

5. It’s full of antioxidants-oatmeal contains avenanthramide which may fight off free radicals that attack HDL (known as the good cholesterol).

6. It can help reduce the risk of developing high blood pressure.

7. it can help prevent the development of breast cancer  because of its high fiber….whole grains attack the carcinogens as well as lower levels of estrogen in the body to protect the body from developing certain forms of cancer

8. It helps prevent the development of Diabetes….besides the fiber, it is a great source of magnesium which helps regulate insulin and glucose levels….studies show a 30% reduction in people developing Diabetes if they have a diet rich in whole grains.

9. It’s Gluten FREE, yay for those people who can’t eat gluten. Just check the box to make sure the box says gluten-free.

10. It’s such a versatile product that can be used in so many recipes.

11. Oatmeal is full of Avenanthramides which are antioxidants that help protect our hearts and keep our arteries from hardening.

12. If you drink a glass of orange juice with your oatmeal you are helping your cardiovascular system even more.

13. Eating 1-1/2 cups of cooked oatmeal every day will give you 6 grams of fiber. Add a banana and you will have another 4 grams of fiber.

14. iI you have gout, kidney stones or some other kidney problems you will want to talk to your doctor before consuming oats/oatmeal (purines in oats can build up uric acid).

Store Oatmeal-Different Kinds:

Steel Cut Oats:

These are the oats that most athletes and “healthy” people like to eat, I have been told. They are usually sold in health food stores or in bulk at emergency preparedness outlets. They are a little more chunky, I guess that’s how I would describe them. They are not rolled but coarse bits of grain.

Quick Cooking/Instant Oats:

These are “quick” cooking oats. Not instant, like those small individual packages. They are thinner than “regular” oats to cook quickly. If you make cookies or muffins with quick-cooking oats they will be smoother in texture compared to the “regular” oats.

Regular Rolled Oats:

These are the typical oats or oatmeal, you can purchase at your local grocery store. They retain more flavor and nutrition. Your cookies will be a little chewy if made with this type of oats.

My Favorites Add-Ons Are:

Maple syrup, brown sugar, honey, walnuts, pecans, cinnamon, freeze-dried apples, freeze-dried cranberries, freeze-dried bananas. Yummy!

What do you like to put on your warm bowl of steaming oatmeal? Maybe we can get our neighbors to store oatmeal and everyone’s bellies will be full after a disaster. As long as we have water!

Here is a link to a post I did showing how to make oatmeal in pint jars: Oatmeal Breakfast Recipes by Food Storage Moms.

Awesome Readers’ Comments:

Diane: I use a lot of steel-cut oats. When I make cookies with them, I always refrigerate the dough overnight – it gives the oats time to soak into the ingredients. Also, I make extra oatmeal and refrigerate it for the next day. Then I can slice, fry in butter, and eat with an over-easy egg. Awesome stuff.

Mamapeck: Another great post! My hubby & I eat oatmeal almost every day. Occasionally we go out for breakfast. I love a scoop of almond or peanut butter mixed in with a sliced banana. Oatmeal is the best grain there is. Who doesn’t love oatmeal raisin cookies? Of course, no-bake chocolate, peanut butter, and oatmeal cookies are my favorites too. I don’t think I could live without oatmeal!

Roxanne: Linda, when I’m heating up soup, I add some uncooked regular oatmeal. It cooks while the soup heats up, and tastes similar to barley!

Pat: One of my children had bad allergies, and her DR had me grind up oatmeal, and use it in her tub as a soap. It made a mess to clean up but I rinsed her with clean water, and her rash cleared up. Linda, you need to run it thru the blender or something to make it about like cornmeal.

JoEllen: This is a great idea! One thing that I like to add is the equivalent of 1 cup of milk (1/3 cup dry milk or less if you use the kind you get at the cannery) to the dry mix. It boosts the protein and adds other needed nutrients to the cereal.

My favorite things:

Quaker oats, old fashioned, 2 5 lb. bags, 100+ servings 10-lb

FoodSaver FCARWJAH-000 Kit Wide-Mouth Jar Sealer with Regular Sealer and Accessory Hose, White

FoodSaver V3240 Automatic Vacuum Sealing System with Starter Kit