Benefits of oats: nutritional characteristics, properties, uses in cooking

What are oats? 

Oats are a cereal rich in protein, vitamins and fibre with incredible nutritional properties. Thanks in part to its benefits, oats are an excellent food to include in your diet. 

This well-known plant species, capable of withstanding even the coldest temperatures and also for this reason used around 3,000 years ago in some of the wettest and coldest areas of Europe, was very important for the nutrition of the Germanic and Scottish peoples. According to its classification, oats belong to the Poaceae family, commonly known as Gramineae, and owes its name to an epithet from the Latin language indicating a plant that is not wild, and therefore cultivated.

According to the official definition of oats, compiled by the IPNI - International Plant Names Index:

Avena sativa (common oats) is one of several wild and domestic oat species in the genus Avena. Oats are descended from a wild oat that spread as a weed of wheat and barley from the Fertile Crescent (a region extending from Israel to western Iran) to Europe. 

The most common subspecies of oats -Avena Sativa - is characterised by its enormous potential for human health: the numerous benefits of oats have made it a cereal grown all over the world. Today, the common oat has a large number of varieties that are rich in protein and energy substances that can be obtained by eating cereals made from roasted oat grains. All these characteristics make oats an incredible source of protein and Vitamin B1, which is especially necessary at certain stages of growth in boys and girls, as it supports cell development and function for normal brain functions. In general, Vitamin B1 contained in oats is able to supply our body with the energy it needs during its daily activities.

Why are oats good for you?

Unlike other cereals, oats form the basis of foods that are extremely rich in protein, fibre and carbohydrates, mineral salts, magnesium, potassium and iron. Because of these and other properties, they are highly recommended during delicate phases of life, such as breastfeeding and convalescence. Before listing all its nutritional characteristics, here are some interesting facts about oats: 

• Oat grains are used for both human and animal consumption;
• Oats are often used as an additive for some foods and for papers for foodstuff, as their caryopses contain antioxidants that prevent fatty foods from going rancid;
• The flowering period of oats is during May and June;
• Oats are used in distilleries for the production of whisky;
• today, some 15 million hectares of oats are grown worldwide, producing almost 26 million tonnes of grain.

Nutritional values, properties and benefits of oats 

Oats are a rich source of protein, contain a number of important minerals, lipids, β-glucan, a mixed-bond polysaccharide which forms an important part of the dietary fibre of oats, and also contains various other phytoconstituents such as avenanthramides, an indole- gramine alkaloid, flavonoids, flavonolignans, triterpene saponins, sterols and tocohols. 

Here is a list of the nutritional values and characteristics of oats:

• they are rich in protein (12-15%) 
• they are low in fat (which is why they are good for fighting cholesterol)
• they are low in simple sugars (0-3%) 
• they have a low glycaemic index, making oats suitable for diabetics
• they contain about 55% slow-digesting complex carbohydrates
• they contain soluble fibre, i.e. dietary fibre, which is ideal for maintaining a proper intestinal balance
• they promote a lasting sense of satiety 

Calories of oats and pasta with oats 

100 grams of oats are equal to 389 kcal. The nutritional table of Felicia pasta with oats shows a calorie intake of 361 kcal per 100 grams of pasta, obviously subject to variables depending on the seasoning. 

*AR% Percentage of the reference intake of an average adult (8400kj / 2000kcal)

**NRV - Nutritional Reference Values

Felicia Oats Pasta contains oatmeal, maize flour, brown rice flour, rice flour, tapioca starch and is ideal for preparing tasty pasta dishes, which can also be eaten cold, and for balanced meals. Felicia is a company specialising in the production of alternative, organic and gluten-free pasta, with a wide range of products: the raw materials used are cereals and pulses, including red and yellow lentils, chickpeas, peas, green mung beans, brown rice, buckwheat and oats. You can find them in the supermarket or in our online shop for gluten-free and organic alternative pasta. 

Do oats contain gluten?

According to AIC - Associazione Italiana Celiachia (Italian Coeliac Association), 'most coeliacs can include oats in their diet without any negative health effects'. According to the official indications:

The AIC Scientific Board recommends the consumption of oats only for those products made from or containing oats that are listed in the Ministry of Health's National Register of Gluten-Free Products.

Felicia offers various organic and gluten-free pasta formats, from spaghetti to penne, from fusilli to tortiglioni, with a 100% Italian style.

Eating oats for lunch and as a main course: some tips 

Oats are introduced into the diet after being husked and reduced to oatmeal or oat flakes. Felicia uses the flour to make pasta with oats, an irresistible alternative to pasta, ideal for eating oats for lunch. The Felicia oats pasta product line is a healthy and tasty way to eat oats as a main course! Here are the shapes with Felicia oats pasta:

• Caserecce
• Penne
• Mezzi rigatoni 

Not sure how to cook pasta with oats? Healthy eaters like to experiment daily with alternative pasta, which is lighter than traditional pasta and tastes great when combined with seasonal vegetables. We tell you how to take oats for lunch or dinner with our Felicia oats pasta recipes!

Recipe for pasta with oats, seasonal vegetables and mackerel in oil: it will only take 12 minutes to prepare this oat-based pasta dish, an ideal cold dish, perfect if you don't know what to bring with you for your lunch at the office. Here are the ingredients (for 4 people): Felicia oats pasta (we experimented with 340 grams of mezzi rigatoni), two courgettes, 1 bell pepper, 1 carrot, about 200 grams of mackerel in oil, pepper. Here's the procedure: cube all the vegetables, blanch and then cool them in cold water, fillet the mackerel in oil. Cook the mezzi rigatoni in plenty of salted water, drain and toss the rigatoni with the extra virgin olive oil, vegetables and mackerel, season with salt and pepper and finish the dish with a drizzle of raw extra virgin olive oil.