Expertise of the "Center": Are instant cereals useful? Is instant oatmeal healthy? What is the harm

Such a concept as fast food came into our everyday life relatively recently, with the general acceleration of the rhythm of life. Now in any grocery store you can buy a variety of products that require both long-term and short-term processing. If, in order to save time, you decide to choose instant cereals for yourself, the benefits and harms, as well as their features, should be fully known to you. This will allow you to make an informed choice.

Varieties of instant cereals

Today, under the words "instant porridge" products of various kinds are produced. Therefore, you should immediately identify the difference between them. Instant cereals themselves fall into one category. They need to be cooked, but this process takes only about 5 minutes. The second variety is best described as an instant product. It does not require cooking at all. You just need to pour the cereal with hot milk or water, and in a few minutes you will get ready-made porridge.

To understand what the fundamental difference between these two types is, it is best to understand the manufacturing technology of both of them.

The essence of the production of cereals in this case is that the flakes are more thoroughly crushed. It is this mechanical processing that reduces the cooking time of porridge. Smaller particles dissolve faster. In all other respects, they do not differ from ordinary flakes.

So, oatmeal differs in the degree of grinding. This information is on the packaging. As for buckwheat, wheat and other types of flakes, they do not have such a gradation. This is simply not necessary as they are very thin and porous. Due to this, porridge from them does not require long cooking.

Instant porridge

There is a wide selection of instant oatmeal porridges in stores. In their production, flakes are processed in a special way. The most commonly used technology is steaming or long-term languishing followed by drying. As a result, to prepare a dish, the consumer only needs to pour boiling water over the flakes. They fill with liquid in just a couple of minutes and become soft.

The benefits and harms of instant cereals

Most often, manufacturers offer instant oatmeal, the benefits and harms of which will be taken as the basis in this material. Not in such large quantities, but there are also rice, buckwheat, wheat, millet and some other flakes that allow you to get a ready breakfast in a short time. Their properties after processing largely coincide, so they should be considered as a single group.

Useful properties of quick cereals

Hercules flakes, requiring short-term cooking, are the most useful product of all discussed in this article. They are not much different from ordinary, large, oatmeal. They are simply crushed in order to be able to cook the dish faster. Therefore, the product retains all useful minerals and vitamins, fiber and other active substances that are important for our health. And the reduced cooking time also helps to ensure that they are preserved to the maximum in the finished dish.

Other types of flakes require special processing in order to obtain the desired shape. They require cooking, but at the same time they go through a preparation process similar to the process of making instant porridges. Thus, a significant part of the benefit in both is eventually lost. Only a small part of vitamins and minerals remains. Therefore, any instant porridge, as well as porridge from processed cereal flakes, will be useful only as a way to quickly satisfy the feeling of hunger.

Harm of fast cereals

As for the harm, it is worth noting here all types of cereals, except for oatmeal, as well as any cereals that do not require cooking. It should immediately be noted that their harmful effect on the body is very conditional, and depends on a number of points.

First of all, you need to pay attention to the chemical composition of the flakes. After special processing, they have few useful chemical compounds and a lot of starch. The latter is quickly absorbed and broken down into sugars. Therefore, with regular use, instant cereals can lead to the development of diabetes and obesity. If you eat them only from time to time in small quantities, then there will be no harm to a healthy body, as well as benefit.

But this remark is true only if you choose a quality product. If we consider instant and instant cereals with additives, then most often they contain not only dried berries and fruits, but also chemical additives. Many of them cause real harm to certain organs. If possible, you should avoid such products, even if only natural ingredients appear in the composition. It is better to add frozen or fresh berries, nuts, dried fruits to the dish yourself.

So, we examined instant cereals - the benefits and harms of this product category are relative. So, finely ground herculean flakes that require cooking have a number of useful properties. And any instant porridge without additional additives can be called neutral. They can be snacked from time to time without abusing.

Breakfast is a morning meal, on which mood, energy reserve, good health for the whole day depend. The balance of food plays an important role, so in the morning it is customary to eat boiled cereals of cereals, saturated with vitamins and microelements. Overslept housewives will be saved by semi-finished products. The benefits and harms of instant cereals, their calorie content, varieties are described below.

Technology for the production of instant cereals

Whole grains undergo multi-stage cleaning from debris, husks, solid particles. Then they are flattened to a thickness of 0.3 - 0.5 mm for instant products, 0.5 - 1.5 mm - for instant cereals. Notches on flakes are made to increase throughput, speed up the cooking process, and improve properties.

After flattening, hydrothermal treatment follows - it can be steaming, welding, irradiation with infrared rays. When the product has reached the desired condition, it is dried at high temperatures. The consistency of future food, its useful properties depends on the quality of the last process.

Varieties of instant cereals

For products of accelerated cooking, cereals are used:

• buckwheat;
• barley;
• wheat
• rye;
• corn.

They make semi-finished products of fast and instant preparation. Further, the products are divided according to the variety of cereals, the presence of fruit, berry additives, the number of cereals in the composition: one or more. What porridge will bring to the body without cooking - benefit or harm - depends on their components and the method of processing.

Composition and calorie content of instant porridge

Manufacturers indicate the following components on the packages:

• rye, oat, wheat, barley, other flakes;
• salt;
• sugar;
• sweetener;
• additives - finely chopped berries, fruits, mushrooms.

There are few additional components, so they do not have a significant effect on health. Calorie content of boiled cereals from 350 kcal: this food is harmful for people with high insulin levels. The benefits of instant cereals will turn into unpleasant consequences for them.

Are instant cereals healthy?

Heat treatment of cereals to semi-finished products destroys most of the nutrients in their composition, while oatmeal does not require such drastic measures. To speed up their preparation, it is enough to grind the base, which is what manufacturers do. Instant porridge brings the body the same benefits as regular porridge.

Other types of semi-finished products are necessarily subjected to various kinds of treatments that reduce useful properties. To compensate for the lack of vitamins, manufacturers mix cereals with additives, sweeteners, artificial vitamin-containing substances that increase the harm to the finished product.

Attention! The presence on the packaging of references to preservatives, sweeteners of artificial origin indicates the low quality of the product. It's not worth buying.

Do instant cereals help you lose weight?

After pouring the contents of the package into the container, sugar crystals can be seen with the naked eye. For people who want to lose weight, nutritionists recommend limiting natural sugar and its artificial substitutes. An unjustified increase in calories due to fast carbohydrates negatively affects body weight.

The benefits and harms of instant cereals for losing weight people are obvious. The glycemic index (the effect of the product on increasing blood sugar) of oatmeal is 35 - 50, while for instant cereals it rises to - 70 - 75. There is only one verdict - semi-finished products do not help to lose weight, but harm the figure.

How often can you eat porridge in bags

Doctors recommend reducing the number of ready-made breakfasts to 2 times a week. At one time, you should eat no more than 200 g. If circumstances dictate other conditions and you have to eat semi-finished products more often, then the dose is reduced to 50 g, and the menu is reinforced with healthy products.

Are instant cereals harmful?

Fibers, which cleanse the body of harmful substances, are practically absent in quick breakfasts. Porridges that do not require cooking do more harm than good. Sugar, abundantly contained in products, increases appetite, accelerates skin aging, and harms organs and blood vessels.

From the frequent use of semi-finished products, the level of glucose quickly rises and falls, causing the pancreas to suffer, which has to work in an enhanced mode. Additives designed to improve the taste of food are usually of artificial origin, which negatively affects health.

How to choose healthy instant porridge

Among all ready-made cereals, nutritionists advise choosing those based on flax and oatmeal. It is from these cereals that the most useful products are obtained, since their grain does not require heat treatment. contains many polyunsaturated acids Omega-3, Omega-6, potassium, magnesium, calcium, manganese. The calorie content of the product is 82 kcal per 100 g. It strengthens the walls of blood vessels, makes them elastic and does not harm health.

Antioxidants contained in breakfast contribute to the rejuvenation of the body, and female phytohormones increase skin elasticity and strengthen hair. Flaxseed porridge is recommended for poisoning, irradiation, and oatmeal for diseases of the intestinal tract. Not all cereals are harmful. The beneficial properties of these two types of cereals without impurities have a positive effect on the health of the whole organism.

What can replace quick porridge

Ordinary cereals are much healthier than finished products. They contain enough vitamins to energize the body. The cooking time can be reduced by filling the grits with boiled cold water at night, and in the morning it remains only to weld. This better allows you to save all the useful properties.

Advice! To improve the taste and useful properties, nuts, mushrooms, fruits, berries, honey, milk, butter are added.

Conclusion

You can eat cereals that do not require cooking, but the benefits and harms of instant cereals will affect the body. What effects to expect from a ready-made breakfast depends on the honesty of the manufacturer, price, ingredients. If the package contains natural ingredients, then you can use it 3-5 times a week. Packs with low prices, a large set of substitutes in the composition, it is not recommended to use more than 3 times a month.

Constant rush and just a chronic lack of time makes many of us turn our attention to fast food. Undoubtedly, cooking them is much faster and more convenient. Is such a substitution equivalent? Take, for example, instant oatmeal.

Faster than the usual and familiar oatmeal, two types of cereals are prepared. The first type is instant porridge, which you just need to pour boiling water over, and after one minute you can eat.

The second type of cereal is instant oatmeal, which is boiled for three minutes.

In order for oatmeal to cook so quickly, oat grains must be processed: a rough outer husk is removed from whole grains, while a significant part of the germ and shell, in which there are many useful substances, remains. It turned out to be the hercules flakes that are still familiar to us.

To get instant porridge, the grains need to be crushed more finely. For instant cereals even more, and they are obtained as if steamed beforehand. Therefore, they absorb hot water almost immediately, and the starch from them is absorbed by the body faster and better than from oatmeal. What is considered a big disadvantage of such cereals, because the end product of the breakdown of starch is sugar, the excess of which contributes to the development of diabetes and harms the pancreas, and in addition, sugars turn into fat.

Instant porridges from other cereals contain only a huge amount of starch. All shells are removed from the grains of wheat, millet, buckwheat and rice, then the grains are polished and finely crushed. At the same time, with the loss of the shell and the germ of the grain, dietary fibers and biologically active substances are lost. Therefore, I do not want to consider their harm or benefit, they definitely do not bring any benefit, but harm - yes.

Modern nutritionists recommend limiting the consumption of foods containing starch. And these are, first of all, the most common products - potatoes and cereals. Oatmeal, and primarily hercules, are an exception - they have more nutrients than starch.

The main beneficial substances of oatmeal are special dietary fibers - beta-glucans, which, when dissolved, become a viscous mass that binds cholesterol, which can reduce the risk of developing heart disease. In addition to beta-glucans, oatmeal contains amino acids, fiber, vitamins, and minerals.

So, instant porridge, if it is oatmeal and not from other cereals, can be useful. Does this mean that you need to eat more oatmeal for health benefits?

Absolutely not: being carried away by oatmeal, you can easily get fat. And then it will already help the development of diabetes and heart disease, and not interfere. In addition, instant cereals often contain additives in the form of berries or fruits. This additive can be safely called a masquerade, since its dose is very small. And the taste is created not by berries and fruits, but by flavors identical to natural ones. It is better to buy regular porridge, adding frozen fruits and berries to taste, which will be much healthier.

The daily dose of beta-glucan is three grams, 60 grams of oatmeal flakes. But, again, you should not eat oatmeal every day, because you can get beta-glucan from other foods: wholemeal bread, grain bread, bran, beer.
How are instant cereals made?

They are produced on the basis of extrusion technologies.

Processing of raw materials takes place over a short period of time, under the influence of high temperatures and high pressure. As a result of such treatment, possible populations of fungi and bacteria, even the entire spore microflora, are destroyed.

The moisture content of the feedstock is reduced, which increases the shelf life.

This method was originally applied to the processing of polymers and is now successfully used in the production of porous food products.
What is the harm of eating instant cereals?

It is in the shell and germ of the grain that most of the biologically active substances and vitamins are contained. And in the manufacture of instant cereals, the groats from the shells and the germ are cleaned, polished, crushed, and subjected to high pressure and steam treatment. Here we have prepared a dish in two or three minutes, but this is porridge from dried grain, which has practically lost almost all the useful things that it contained, but there is a lot of converted starch that is quickly absorbed by the body and turns into sugar.

True, if there really is a need for a quick bite, then instant cereals (meaning oatmeal) are much better than rolltons, hamburgers or chips.

But you should not often snack on instant cereals - their calorie content can be deposited as an unpleasant surprise on the waist, hips, buttocks ...

It is no coincidence that it was in Russia that the saying “Schi and porridge is our food” appeared - we have always loved dishes from cereals. More than others, buckwheat, rice, semolina and oatmeal are popular. The last two were also loved for the fact that they prepared faster than others. Why are these two porridges so convenient for cooking?

Semolina, in fact, is flour, more precisely, waste from flour milling. Its grains are only slightly larger than flour particles and, due to their very small size, quickly boil soft. With oatmeal, the situation is different: the original porridge made from whole grains is also cooked for a very long time. But the grains themselves after treatment with hot steam become looser and are well flattened into flakes. In this form, they cook quickly. And if they are additionally cut, then the cooking time will be even less. In the form of flakes, called "Hercules" and "Extra", oatmeal became popular, finally displacing whole grains of oats.

Now, if only other cereals could be done this way. Food technologists conjured over them for a long time, especially over buckwheat and rice cereals. But these grains did not flatten like oats, and instead of flakes they turned into fragments that did not want to boil faster. Rice was distinguished by its special "persistence" - after steaming, it was cooked even longer. But the food workers were able to tame them too. At the end of the 1980s in England, a company that mainly deals in horse feed developed a technique thanks to which almost all grains could not only be boiled quickly, but simply brewed - pour boiling water, and after 3-5 minutes the porridge is ready. And in their raw form, they have become more nutritious for animals.

So not only quickly-brewed buckwheat, rice, millet, wheat, barley appeared, but also rye. Previously, they did not make porridge from it, but now - please. All this today is sold both as individual flakes - rice, buckwheat, etc., and as their mixtures from several cereals. Are such porridges more useful than ordinary ones that require cooking?

“The process of making soluble flakes is called micronization,” says Dmitry Zykov, candidate of technical sciences, food technology specialist. - To understand its essence, you need to remember an ordinary microwave oven: unlike other cooking methods, it warms up the dish as if from the inside. Under the influence of microwave rays, the water in the product heats up and transfers its heat to it. Something similar happens during micronization, but special infrared (IR) rays are used for irradiation, penetrating only into small grains. The grits are steamed beforehand so that there is a lot of water in it, it boils, evaporates and swells or explodes the grains (by the way, the same thing happens when popcorn is cooked). Then they are flattened, and due to their small size and increased porosity, they are quickly brewed.”

Food, but not

But all these processes inevitably affect other properties of cereals. For example, for our taste, rice flakes do not turn out to be rice porridge, but something else. But the main thing is different - due to the increased porosity, protein is absorbed from such flakes better than from ordinary cereals. And this is good - protein is an important and valuable component of nutrition. Worse, part of the starch is converted into sugars and that they are also easier to digest. This is not good: we eat a lot of sugars, and the more difficult they are to be absorbed by the body, the more useful the product is - it does not sharply increase blood sugar and thus contributes less to weight gain. But the faster and easier the cereals are cooked, the easier they are absorbed from them.

"This is a very important issue," he says. Viktor Konyshev, Doctor of Medical Sciences and renowned nutritionist. - In recent years, special attention has been paid to the ability of carbohydrate foods to increase blood sugar - this is the so-called glycemic index of the product. The higher it is, the worse it is for health. Unfortunately, it is not customary for us to indicate this index on products, including cereals.

The problem of the usefulness of cereals is also in what the manufacturer added to them. Today, more and more often they are produced already with obviously unhealthy sugar and salt, as well as with flavoring additives. Sometimes they imitate useful components that are completely absent in the product. For example, manufacturers of quick oatmeal added pieces of apples, but with the help of flavoring agents they created the illusion of the presence of more expensive fruits. However, the apples themselves are often added little.

If we talk about the cereals themselves, then buckwheat, oatmeal, barley are better than others - they have a lot of useful substances. But semolina is not very good, it contains few minerals, mainly potassium and phosphorus, there is vitamin B1, but there are very few necessary dietary fibers, and besides, it is deficient in the amino acid lysine. We can say that the most important part of semolina is milk with its favorable composition.

Oatmeal is one of the world's most popular breakfast foods. It is eaten in royal palaces and ordinary flats in high-rise buildings. Nutritionists recommend using it for both adults and children. It is perfect for those who are watching their figure, and those who are on a special diet for health reasons. For those who do not have time to cook in the morning, instant oatmeal is ideal.

Many people ask: what is the difference? Indeed, in everyday life, “oatmeal” is also called cereals from whole grains and instant cereals from bags, and quickly boiled flakes.

Traditional whole oat porridge has the following characteristics:

• Retains useful properties only when cooked without salt and sugar.
• Ready for about an hour.
• The finished product has a rough texture.
• It takes a long time to digest in the stomach.
• Not suitable for children under 3 years of age.

Oatmeal porridge has the following differences:

• It retains almost all useful properties and most vitamins.
• Prepares from 3 to 15 minutes.
• You can pour cold milk or kefir and let it brew.
• May contain various additives.
• It has a soft pleasant texture.
• Suitable for dietary and baby food.

Important! There are special cases of intolerance to gluten, which is contained in oatmeal. This is rather an exception to the rule, but it is still worthwhile to carefully monitor the individual reaction of the body to this product in order to prevent the development of allergies.

Technology for the production of porridge in a bag

Delicious, nutritious and almost instantly cooked breakfast has become available to everyone, thanks to instant oatmeal. Often manufacturers make it in the form of separate portions, packing each in a special sealed bag.

For such porridge, a special method of processing grain is used. The technological process of its production is as follows: the grain is flattened with a special press. The secret is that the thinner the flattened grain, the less time it will take for its final heat treatment before serving.

Then the resulting flakes are thoroughly dried in an oven or steamed under high steam pressure. Sometimes infrared light is used for these purposes, notches or cuts are made on the flakes.

When packaged in bags, various ingredients are added to oatmeal:

• Flavorings.
• Sugar, salt.
• Pieces of dried fruit.
• Sometimes crushed medicinal plants.
• Cut off other grains.

Attention! When choosing porridge in a bag in a store, it is necessary to check the integrity of the package. If there is a defect, the tightness of the bag will be broken and pathogenic bacteria may begin to develop in its contents, which is dangerous to health.

Properties of instant porridge

There are many myths and misconceptions associated with "quick" oatmeal. In order to thoroughly understand this issue, you need to know about its advantages and disadvantages. After all, instant oatmeal can be both beneficial and harmful.

First, it is an excellent source of “slow carbohydrates”. They are necessary for the body to energize for a long time. It is thanks to them that a person maintains a positive emotional background and increased working capacity.

Due to its thin texture, this porridge has an enveloping property. It creates a protective environment inside the stomach, reducing acidity. The increased fiber content in oats normalizes the work of the entire gastrointestinal tract. This helps to cleanse the entire body of toxins and toxic substances.

Oatmeal in sachets benefits and harms

Oatmeal is a healthy, valuable food product for the body. Their regular use will help maintain the body in good shape, improve health and improve appearance. However, this product also has its drawbacks. It is worthwhile to understand in more detail the pros and cons of oatmeal from bags.

Benefit

Oatmeal is famous for its high content of B vitamins, necessary for brain function. In addition to them, the following useful substances are perfectly preserved in flakes:

• Iodine is needed for normal thyroid function.
• Iron - its deficiency provokes the development of anemia.
• Zinc is essential for strengthening the immune system.
• Vitamin E - slows down the aging of the body.
• Magnesium - reduces the risk of cardiovascular disease.
• Manganese - serves for the normal functioning of the central nervous system.
• Phosphorus - is responsible for the strength of bones.

Is it harmful

However, with all the undeniable benefits of instant cereals, they also have a number of disadvantages. For example, multi-level industrial processing of grain practically destroys its coarse fibers. Which, in turn, significantly increases the glycemic index. That is, cereal porridge can affect the increase in blood sugar levels and lead to the development or exacerbation of diabetes.

Flavoring additives, which manufacturers often add to “instant” cereals from bags, contain not only sugar and starch, but also chemical compounds harmful to the body. The results of the frequent use of such a product can be weight gain, metabolic disorders, the development of various diseases, including diabetes.

Fact! Portion bags also have their advantages in that they are designed for one meal. This is an important fact, because when reheating the remnants of “fast” porridge, it loses almost all useful properties.

How much can you eat instant oatmeal

Nutritionists say that you should not get carried away with instant oatmeal. Best option: 1-2 times a week for breakfast. To reduce the possible risks associated with consumption, you need to choose cereals without sugar and flavoring additives. It is also worth using them with low-fat milk, yogurt or kefir.

Does quick oatmeal help you lose weight?

There are many diets based on oatmeal. Firstly, they are designed to ensure that the soluble fiber contained in cereals reduces the feeling of hunger. Its fibers swell in the stomach and give a long feeling of fullness, which reduces the number of meals. The less a person eats, the faster he loses weight. In instant oatmeal, fiber is retained in full.

In addition, such porridge removes excess fluid from the body, which also contributes to weight loss. Another indispensable property of oatmeal for weight loss is that it is an excellent source of protein. And it, in turn, helps maintain a stable blood sugar level, which prevents the formation of fat.

Oatmeal is the record holder among cereals for low calorie content, and it also contains a minimum of carbohydrates. If you do not add sugar and all kinds of unnatural flavor sweeteners, as well as fats, then instant porridge can also be used as a dietary food. Although processed flakes may not give a long-lasting effect of saturation. To make them as healthy as possible, you can add raw nuts, berries and fruits, seeds, spices, ginger and even natural cocoa to them.

Sample menu of the “oatmeal” diet for weight loss

• For breakfast, oatmeal steamed in hot water with a spoonful of honey and a handful of nuts.
• For lunch, hot, low-fat milk flakes with a salad of seasonal vegetables.
• Snack - flakes "Hercules" with low-calorie cottage cheese.
• Dinner - a glass of yogurt and 2 green apples.

It will also be useful to know the calorie content of the finished product.

How to choose and cook oatmeal

There are several rules, thanks to which you can choose the highest quality oatmeal that does not require cooking on the supermarket shelves. The benefits and harms of the purchase will be obvious.

1. Inspect the packaging carefully. It should detail the composition, dates of manufacture and manufacturer. Ideally, if the packaging contains information about the method of preparing porridge.
2. The packaging must be airtight, have a marketable appearance: not crumpled, not cracked or faded.
3. At home, pay attention to the color of the cereal. They should be light, whitish with a creamy tint. There should be no smell of charm or too aggressive chemical aromas.
4. Ready porridge should have a persistently pronounced taste of oatmeal. Flavoring additives should not prevail, clogging the main taste sensations.
5. It is best to give preference to well-known, well-established manufacturers.

There is the most common and convenient way to make “quick” oatmeal. Prepared in the ratio: 100 g of product per 500 g of liquid.

• Mix water halfway with milk.
• Boil.
• Pour in cereal.
• Add salt and sugar.
• Bring to a boil while stirring
• Remove from heat and cover with a lid.
• Let it brew for 10 min.
• Add ingredients to taste (dried fruits, nuts, vegetables, seeds, mushrooms).

Such preparation of oatmeal will take a minimum amount of time, while allowing all the useful and nutritious properties of the product to be preserved. Also, nutritionists recommend not to cook cereal, but to soak them in the evening in yogurt, kefir or water. In the morning, all that remains is to flavor the porridge with honey or other additives. Oatmeal has many flavor options. She will never get bored and will become one of the favorite family breakfasts.

Important! Oatmeal from sachets cannot completely replace a full-fledged home-cooked diet. Therefore, it is better to consider it as an addition or one of the types of a quick snack.