Why Overnight Oats are better than Regular Cooked Oats

The popularity of oats is already on the rise and its benefits doesn’t need to be put to light. Overnight oats are relatively new in trend and these are regular oats which are kept overnight (6-8 hours preferably) mixed with milk/yogurt/nut milk and toppings and sweetener of your choice and ready to be eaten the next morning. It can be customized with fruits, seeds, spreads, protein powder or even jam.

Here is why Overnight version of oats is better than the cooked one:

1. Who doesn’t wanna wake up to ready to eat, no-cooking-required, super healthy breakfast! Just mix the ingredients before bed, pop it in the fridge overnight andTada!Wake up to your healthy breakfast ready to be eaten. No cooking, no mess, no fuss.
2. Soaking the oats overnight reduces the phytic acid content present in the oats better than cooking them. Phytic acid is an antioxidant naturally present in grains, legumes, tubers and certain vegetables. However, it is considered as anti-nutrient because it affects the absorption of minerals such as iron, zinc, manganese from the food. This is also one of the reasons why most pulses, legumes are soaked overnight in water.
3. Nutrient content is often altered while cooking. While it is great to increase digestibility, cooking Oats or any other food or vegetable reduces nutrition of the food by about 25%. Water soluble vitamins (Vit C, B complex), fat soluble vitamins (Vit A, D, E, K) and minerals such as potassium, magnesium, sodium and calcium are often reduced during cooking. The intensity of heat while cooking is the contributing factor, lower the heat better the nutrient availability. When you soak the oats overnight, it’s almost like you’re cooking them, but the process is much longer and slower, and it’s done without heat. Hence, it is more nutrient rich than cooked version.
4. Overnight oats contain increased resistant starch. Resistant starch is a natural carb which is resistant to digestion and acts as soluble fiber. It is found in all starchy foods and is present at higher levels in cooled starchy foods instead of cooked ones. Resistant starch helps to improve digestion, aids in weight loss, increases feeling of fullness and decreases insulin spikes.