How To Properly Prepare Grains
For the past year, I have restricted most of my grains in my diet. I have been slowly reintroducing grains back into my diet.
I have learned a lot about grains and how to properly prepare grains.
There are 3 ways one can properly prepare grains to make them more digestible. I will be expanding on this information in a future post.
- sprouting grains
- fermenting grains
- soaking grains
If you care to read more on soaking grains you can read this post here.
Soaking Oatmeal
Today we are using the soaking method. By soaking the grains in an acidic medium (lemon juice, buttermilk, liquid whey, yogurt, or apple cider vinegar) you break down the anti-nutrients in the oats and the minerals are released making the oats digestible.
Soaking grains has been done for centuries by our ancestors and it has only been since after WWII that this process has been eliminated.
So if you are looking for a traditional way to prepare your oatmeal, try this recipe. You might be surprised how great you feel and how filling this breakfast is. I am not hungry at all after I have oats in the morning until 12:30 pm and I feel great!
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Traditionally Prepared Soaked Oatmeal
Prep Time: 7 hours- Cook Time: 5 minutes
- Total Time: 7 hours 5 minutes
Yield: 2 servings 1x
Category: breakfast
Method: stovetop
Cuisine: american
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Pin RecipeDescription
Learn how to soak your oatmeal to make them more digestible!
Ingredients
- 1 cup rolled organic oats (not quick oats)
- 1 cup filtered water
- 2 tbsp acidic medium (yogurt, lemon juice, apple cider vinegar, buttermilk)
- 1/2 tsp unrefined sea salt
Instructions
- Add 1 cup of oats, water, and the acidic medium into a glass bowl and stir well. Cover and let it sit overnight on the counter (at least 7-8 hours).
- In the morning add another 1 cup of filtered water and the unrefined sea salt, stir well. ***Note – if you feel the oatmeal is too sour, you can rinse the oats before adding the additional 1 cup of water, but this is not necessary.
- Heat to a low simmer and cook for 5 minutes.
- Serve with a generous portion of butter and cream.
Notes
Recipe Method From Nourishing Tradition
Nutrition Info: Calories: 153.8 Fat: 3.0g Carbohydrates: 28.3g Protein: 5.1g
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 serving
Nut butter is fun for a PB&J style oatmeal….fresh fruit and sunflower seed butter is a favorite! We usually add some chia seeds or gelAtin too for additional protein. I have also whisked an egg into the liquid before I cook it! Lots of options!
For 2 adult svgs (my kids eat like adults!) I use steelcut oats, 2/3c to 2c water and add 3 eggs to it while its cooking. I soak the oats 24 hrs first also (besides acidulated water I add 2T rolled barley to provide phytase as oats are low in it…Ive read you can use buckwheat instead for truly glutenfree).
I make triple batches for my 2 kids and keep it in corelleware bowls in the fridge. The coffee saucers fit perfectly on top to seal down into the porridge. Keeps well for a week.
@Whole Lifestyle Nutrition I have used yogurt & it is so delicious, I didn’t think oatmeal could be any better, but soaking it makes it feel better on your tongue-more nurishing:)
Do you have to cook them afterwards? I like them in smoothies
No you don’t have to cook them if you don’t want to. I just like a very smooth oatmeal.
Yes, soak your nuts as often as you can.
I love rolled oats for oatmeal, especially when they have been soaked. From what I have read it is generally suggested that they be soaked for up to 24 hours. I usually soak 2 days worth at once, which means that some of the rolled oats are soaked for more than 24 hours. Does anybody see any problems with soaking them for this amount of time?
They will start to sour that long. I also caution you against soaking this long as bacteria can start to grow (and not the good kind)!
Is the soaking liquid supposed to be warm? It doesn’t say so, but your post on soaking says warm water.
And I was also wondering if this was one serving or two? Says it yields 2 servings and a serving size is 1 serving.
One more question 🙂 – when soaking, it should just be the oatmeal + water + acidic? I’m just thinking of the many overnight oatmeal recipes I’ve seen. They’re soaking… But with other stuff. And usually in the fridge, not on the counter.
Room temperature is fine, not warm. There are 2 servings in this recipe and last but not least 🙂 That is right, oatmeal, water and acidic and you can certainly rinse the oatmeal the next day to remove some of the acidic flavor. Soak on counter, and not in fridge.
Why do I need a protein along with the oatmeal, and also would kefir be enough of a protein or do I need more than that?
Oh, and I soaked 2 cups of oatmeal in 2 cups of whey (from raw milk products I’ve been making) because I have excess that needs to be used up. Added 2 cups water this morning and cooked. It was really good and not too sour at all.
I’ve also read that you need to add a tablespoon or so of fresh ground wheat while you’re soaking. What are your thoughts on all of this?
What is the purpose of the fresh ground wheat? I am primarily gluten free, so I would not add the wheat. I add a protein to balance the carb so that my blood sugar doesn’t spike.
I recently stumbled upon the concept of soaking oats in an acidic medium. I am a huge fan of steel cut oats which I soak overnight in just water. The last few months I have had minor issues with tendonitis near my shoulder to the point where it has affected my range of motion for my arm and caused tingling down to my fingers. I have not done anything to strain the muscles so I am attributing it to my diet. Doing research I realized that maybe it’s the grains causing me harm. It’s only been 5 days since I’ve stopped eating grains and I am noticing my range of motion has slightly increased and there’s no more tingling. I am looking forward to slowly reintroducing grains back in the future, and I will definitely refer to your informative posts
I recently started blogging, http://www.shelbysguide.com , and there is so much of a learning curve. I’ve already bookmarked your beautiful and information packed website.
BTW, welcome to the beautiful, sunny state of Florida! Isn’t this December weather just delightful?
Halle, I, too, have been on a wellness journey and am a HUGE fan of WAPF and traditional foods. I was recently certified as an integrative nutrition health coach, and I am eager to encourage others on their path. So glad to read your blog and see the resources that you promote! I am putting a link to your oatmeal recipe in my next post!
Thanks so much!
Best, Hilda Chispa Health Coaching (Chispa means “spark” in Spanish) 🙂
Thank you! Raw organic full fat milk and butter with this and we no longer have to avoid oats! I did add some organic Thompsons rasins and raw honey but it probably doesn’t need it.
Well, I certainly wish I knew how beneficial soaking my oats would be back in 2012! This article was wonderful and the recipe was very easy to follow. I do have one question though regarding the portions. The first time I tried this recipe was yesterday and I did a full cup of oats, a cup of water, etc. Today I cut everything in half because I didn’t want to waste what I couldn’t finish. Does that have any effect at all? Is it bad? Thoughts please.
Always listen to your body and what it tells you. Certainly you can cut back or add more and you will still benefit from soaking.
I am confused about a couple things. If I soak my oats in buttermilk or plain yogurt overnight on the counter, won’t the dairy go bad? Same question for soaking whole wheat flour on the counter (for pancakes). And I don’t understand why it’s not necessary to then rinse the oats (or flour)? If the bad stuff is released during soaking, am I not going to then consume the released bad stuff when I eat my oats and yogurt in the morning?