Which oat is healthier?

Have you noticed the trend towards steel cut oats instead of the more common rolled oats? Seems like everywhere I turn, I'm bound to hear people harping about the superiority of steel cut oats.  In fact, I've seen so much lately about steel cut oats, that I started to doubt myself...am I missing out on a whole bunch of nutrition by buying rolled (old-fashioned) oats??

 So I did a google search.

Turns out I'm probably missing out on taste, but still reaping all the benefits of oatmeal.  Phew. 

What I learned:

There are 3 basic types of oats:
old-fashioned rolled oats = whole oats rolled flat
quick oats = rolled oats that have been ground up a little bit more to make them cook faster
steel cut oats = whole raw oat cut cut into smaller chunks.

They all start from the same grains, but they are cut differently. Rolled oats are steamed slightly to make them cook faster, but otherwise, they aren’t any different from steel cut oats.

The extra processing isn’t a big deal, because steel cut oats are boiled anyway when you cook them.

Yet, while the oats are virtually the same thing, there are a few key differences.

Look 

Rolled oats = flakey. Steel cut oats = grainy.

Taste 

Steel cut oats =  more "nutty" 

Texture

Steel cut oats = definitely chewier.

Processing

Rolled oats = steamed. Steel cut oats = unsteamed.

So there is a chance steel cut oats contain more vitamins and minerals, but even rolled oats contain a whole oat grain. You’re not losing valuable parts of the grain (bran and germ) like you would with white bread, which is composed of “enriched white flour” where the real nutrients are bleached out and then the bread is “fortified” to make put back those nutrients.

Serving Size

Rolled oats = 1/2 C.  Steel cut oats = 1/4 C 

Steel cut are more dense than rolled oats.  It’s the same amount of oats in weight, but not volume, since a rolled oat takes up more space.

Cooking Time

Quick oats are quick [~1 minute]; whole rolled oats take a bit longer [~2-3 minutes]; then a lot longer for steel cut oats [4-6 minutes].  Per serving, that is.
Nutrients

1/4 C of Quaker steel cut oats:

Calories – 150

Fat – 2.5g

Carbs – 27g

Fiber – 4g

Sugar – 1g

Protein – 5g

1/2 C of Quaker old fashioned oats and quick oats:

Calories – 150

Fat – 3g

Carbs – 27g

Fiber – 4g

Sugar – 1g

Protein – 5g

 Note: the only difference is half a gram of fat.

Glycemic Index

Although GI isn't really a reliable indicator, I have seen steel cut oats rated at 42 and rolled oats rated at 50.  So both would be considered low.

Pricing

Steel cut oats do seem to run around double the amount of rolled.  But, a serving size of steel cut is half of that of rolled, so that does even the playing field a bit. 

So, after all that, what I basically see is that the steel cut oats offer a nuttier, heartier tasting breakfast.  Which I like, and for that reason am going to give this overnight cooking method a try.  But, I'll likely stick to rolled oats for my typical breakfast, because if it comes down to stirring oats on a stove, and looking decent for the day...I'll always choose the latter.

Happy Oatmealing Everyone!