Oatmeal is one of the healthiest foods you can eat. It is completely natural and contains no additives or preservatives. It is low in calories, containing only around 150 calories in an average bowl of porridge made with water.
It also contains a high content of complex carbohydrates and soluble fibre, so it releases its energy slowly. A bowl of porridge for breakfast should keep you going until lunchtime.
When eaten as part of a low fat diet, oats have been shown to help lower cholesterol, one of the major risk factors of heart disease. This is because oats have a high content of soluble fibre, which travels slowly through the digestive tract, attaching itself to cholesterol and carrying it out of the body.
Oatmeal contains folic acid, which is essential for healthy foetal development. It also contains around 12% protein and a large number of vitamins and minerals.