Many people already use it in their pancakes instead of flour: it's a light but filling ingredient
If there's one food that has earned a regular place in healthy breakfasts and snacks, it's oats.
The result is simple and nutritious pancakes that can be enjoyed with fruit, yogurt, nuts, or even a little dark chocolate. One of the main advantages of this recipe is that it doesn't require many ingredients or cooking skills. The combination is very basic: banana, egg, rolled oats, and a little milk or plant-based milk. All the ingredients are blended until smooth and then cooked in a pan.
Oatmeal and banana pancakes
To make these pancakes, you'll need a very ripe banana, a large egg, four tablespoons of wholegrain rolled oats, and a splash of milk or plant-based milk. For the syrup, you can use one or two ounces of dark chocolate, preferably with a high percentage of cacao, along with a teaspoon of coconut oil. Melt both ingredients for about a minute in the microwave and mix well.
Blend the banana, egg, oats, and milk until you have a smooth batter. Lightly grease a large skillet and cook small portions of the batter over medium heat to prevent burning. When bubbles appear on the surface, flip them and cook on the other side. Repeat the process until all the batter is used and serve the pancakes decorated as desired. You can drizzle melted chocolate on top for a richer flavor.
In terms of its nutritional composition, 100 grams of oats provide approximately 361 kcal. This cereal is particularly notable for its complex carbohydrate content, with 59.8 grams per 100 grams, in addition to providing 11.7 grams of protein and a significant amount of healthy fats, including 2.6 grams of monounsaturated fatty acids and 2.9 grams of polyunsaturated fatty acids.
Oats also contain a wide range of minerals. Among them are magnesium (129 mg), phosphorus (400 mg), potassium (355 mg), and calcium (79.6 mg) per 100 grams. As for vitamins, it provides vitamins B1, B6, folic acid, and vitamin E. Furthermore, this cereal contains up to 20 different types of avenanthramides, phytochemicals with antioxidant properties.
According to the Spanish Nutrition Foundation (FEN), oats can be considered a "low-cost source of protein." Furthermore, compared to other cereals, it stands out for its lower carbohydrate content, primarily in the form of starch. It is also rich in monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats, considered healthy; these are found mainly in the endosperm, the inner part of the seed.
Oat consumption has also been linked to a possible reduction in cholesterol levels. Nutritionist Boticaria García points out that this effect is due, in part, to the natural presence of beta-glucan, a type of soluble fiber characteristic of this cereal. When oats are ingested, this fiber forms a viscous gel in the intestine that hinders cholesterol absorption.
“If we have this gel formed by beta-glucan in the intestine, some of the cholesterol will be trapped there and won't enter the bloodstream, but will instead be eliminated through feces. Secondly, bile acids—compounds the body uses to digest fats—can also be trapped in this gel. If some of this remains trapped here, our liver will need to use more cholesterol to produce bile acids because they are accumulating, and as a result, blood cholesterol levels will also decrease,” he explains.
