National Oatmeal Month Brings Health Benefits To the Table

It’s National Oatmeal Month. Why dedicate an entire month to the celebration of oatmeal? As it happens, this whole grain cereal offers a host of health benefits that deserve a lot of praise.

Did you know that oatmeal:

1. Boosts energy
2. Can help you manage your weight by keeping you feeling fuller longer
3. Has a low glycemic index, which is helpful in managing spikes in blood sugar
4. May help lower blood pressure
5. Supports a healthy immune system

Rich in fiber, calcium, and potassium, oatmeal for breakfast is a great way to start your day. In fact, a recent Australian study ranked it as the number one breakfast food. You’re probably familiar with regular old-fashioned and quick-cooking rolled oats, and maybe even steel-cut oats. Unique to most other grains, oats rarely have the bran or germ removed during processing so you’ll get the benefit of the whole grain no matter what your preference.

As such, oatmeal is an important source of dietary fiber, B vitamins, iron, and magnesium. According to the Whole Grains Council, oats contain a special type of fiber called beta-glucan, which is effective at lowering cholesterol and inhibiting certain types of tumors, and a unique antioxidant that helps protect blood vessels against damage from LDL (a.k.a. “bad”) cholesterol.

As if oatmeal wasn’t already perfect enough, it’s convenient, portable, and easily accessible. January is a great time to get back to basics, and what better way to do that than with one of the most simple, nutritious breakfast foods? So go ahead a fix a hearty bowl of oatmeal, and get your morning, and New Year, off to a healthy start.  Oatmeal is a part of our variety of healthy vending machine snacks.