Healthy start
Sometimes
there is nothing more comforting than a great bowl of oatmeal. Purabi
Naha discovers from Sucheta Govil, Director, Marketing, FritoLay India,
why Quaker Oats scores ahead of a good breakfast
So
you are in a hurry to leave for work and still want to have a perfect
platter of health for your breakfast? Wondering whether this is possible?
Well, how about a bowl of nutritious oats? There has been increasing
interest in oatmeal in recent years due to its positive health effects.
Oats are extremely nutritious and have cholesterol-fighting soluble
fibre. They have a distinct, pleasant, nutty flavour. Once restricted
to the staple of the Scottish diet, oats have truly gone cosmopolitan,
with people all over the world enjoying it now. Oats have long been
a staple of many athletes' diets, especially weight trainers, owing
to oatmeal's high content of complex carbohydrates and fibre, which
encourage slow digestion and stable blood-glucose levels.
A wholesome breakfast
Breakfast is the most important meal of the day. It not only provides
about one-third of a person's nutrient needs, but also helps to keep
you mentally alert and physically active throughout the morning. In
children, the right breakfast can boost cognitive performance, improve
learning and keep them energetic and active throughout the day. Selecting
the right breakfast is important for you and your family. Oats make
an ideal breakfast choice. For generations, Quaker Oats Company has
provided the world with healthy and convenient breakfast. Only the best
oats, carefully selected after a series of stringent tests find their
way into Quaker Oats packages.
What
sets apart Quaker Oats?
Made from oats, also called the ‘super grain’, Quaker
Oats stands for ‘trusted nourishment’. Sucheta Govil, Director,
Marketing, FritoLay India, explains, “A world class product, Quaker
Oats has helped people across the world make healthier choices for breakfast
over the past 125 years. Quaker uses best-grade oats grown under dry,
Mediterranean weather conditions in Western Australia, which ensures
their superior quality and nutritional content. The oats are processed
in the best-in-class Quaker plant in Perth, Australia, which imparts
superior characteristics – taste, aroma, flavour– and enables
faster and easier cooking.”
Health
benefits
Quaker Oats are not only a low-fat source of energising complex
carbohydrates, but the.
Wonder
food
• Oats contain specific nutrients which we can claim as contents
or for their functional benefits as part of a more balanced diet:
• High in dietary fibre (soluble and insoluble): one of
the richest sources of soluble fibre in the form of beta-glucan (approximately
5 g per 100 g serving)
• Rich in poly- and mono-unsaturated fat and essential fatty
acids: linoleic acid and oleic acid (contributes to lowering LDL cholesterol
and increasing HDL cholesterol)
• Minerals: magnesium, potassium, calcium (helps build strong
bones)
• Vitamins: folacin/folic acid (helps promote heart health)
• Antioxidants: avenanthramides, unique to oats, which have
been seen to inhibit formation of oxygen species and reduce LDL oxidation
in vitro.soluble
fibre beta-glucan offers a range of health benefits as well, which are
as follows:
• Provides energy: The soluble fibre in Quaker Oats slows
digestion; this results in a slow release of energy that can help keep
you physically and mentally active for hours.
• Lowers the risk of heart disease: The soluble fibre in
Quaker Oats lowers total and LDL cholesterol (so-called ‘bad cholesterol’),
without lowering HDL cholesterol (so-called‘good cholesterol’).
By lowering cholesterol, the soluble fibre in oats lowers your risk
of heart disease. Oatmeal, along with a diet rich in fruits, vegetables
and low-fat dairy products helps maintain blood pressure in healthy
ranges.
• Controls insulin levels: The soluble fibre in Quaker Oats
keeps blood glucose from rising too fast after you eat. This helps control
blood glucose and insulin levels, making diabetes more manageable.
• Helps staying in shape: The ability of oatsoluble fibre
to absorb water and swell (increases the bulk of the intestines’
contents) and creates a feeling of fullness. This is probably why people
stay full after eating Quaker Oats. One scientific study even reported
that subjects ate less at lunch after a breakfast of oatmeal. Eating
oats is a delicious way to help curb the appetite and manage your weight.
Served
in minutes
Like daliya, oat porridge can be cooked up with hot water or low-fat
milk in a jiffy. Top it up with fruits, nuts and other condiments to
make it even tastier. Oats could even be made into a healthy, savoury
poha. Quaker Oats also makes for a wholesome addition to chapatti or
paratha dough or dosa, idli or uthapam batter.
Suiting
the Indian pocket
It is available at an introductory price of Rs 25 and Rs 48 for
200 g and 400 g, respectively. More interestingly, the carton pack features
oats-based traditional Indian breakfast recipe that can be easily made
at home.
Combination
of quality and taste
According to Ms Govil, “Quaker Oats are processed in state-of-art
plant in Australia.
