How to Soak Your Oatmeal

Soak your oats beforehand for a healthy, nutritious breakfast.

Oatmeal is a healthy and nutritious breakfast, but these days many people use the pre-packaged instant oatmeal that may be missing some of the most important vitamins and minerals. If you have chosen to make your oatmeal from rolled oats, you will want to soak them for several hours beforehand to get rid of the non-nutrients such as phytic acid, which blocks absorption. This will ensure your oatmeal is of the highest quality and contains only healthy nutrients.

Things You'll Need

• 1 cup oats
• 1 cup water
• 1 tbsp. lemon juice
• 1 tbsp. wheat flour

Instructions

1. Add your oats, water, lemon juice and wheat flour to a medium-sized pot and stir.

2. Turn the stove burner to low and cook the mixture until they reach about 110 degrees Fahrenheit. You only want to warm the water, not cook or boil it. It should not take longer than a couple minutes on low heat.

3. Remove the pot from the heat, stir the mixture and allow it to sit in room temperature for 12 to 24 hours. If you plan on eating oatmeal every day, make a habit of preparing your oats each morning so that it soaks for 24 hours and is ready by the next day.

4. Prepare your oatmeal once the oats have soaked by adding another cup of water, stirring it and bringing to a boil. Cook for several minutes in the boiling water until it thickens up.

References

• Kitchen Stewardship; How to Soak your Oatmeal to Reduce Phytate; Katie Kimball
• World's Healthiest Foods; Shouldn't We Soak Oats Overnight