All of us can agree that oatmeal is good for us. When shopping for it, you can come across quick cook oats and instant oats. Definitely, these products are not one and the same — each one of them has its own set of pros and cons, and which one you should go for will depend on your personal taste and preferences.
Read on if you like to know some of the key differences between quick cook oats and instant oats. After checking them out, kindly share this article to get your oatmeal-eating family and friends get to know them, too!
At first glance, it seems like both quick cook oats and instant oats are designed to help save a lot of time. Based on their names alone, it’s apparent that they require minimal cooking, allowing you to enjoy a steaming bowl or mug of oats without much effort — perfect for anyone who is always in a rush to have a healthy meal.
However, there are some differences between quick cook oats and instant oats that a health-conscious consumer like you has to know. Once you are aware of them, you can make the right choice.
Generally speaking, quick cook oats are sold in containers, ranging from small to large. Usually, too, they are cheaper than instant oats pound for pound. What makes quick cook oats cook very quickly is the fact that they are out of rolled oats that are chopped up into very small pieces.
You can cook quick cook oats in the traditional fashion — by boiling it in either water or milk — but it will take you a lot less time, which means that you can enjoy a serving of oatmeal in just a couple of minutes. A lot of people also prefer to whip up a bowl or mug of quick cook oats using the microwave.
On the other hand, instant oats require virtually no cooking because they are pre-cooked for you. Usually, you simply have to pour hot water or hot milk into it and you can start enjoying it. Instant oats can also be cooked using the microwave, although it will cook so much faster than quick cook oats.
Instant oats are usually sold in small boxes or packets. What’s more, they tend to come in a wide variety of flavors, from chocolate, cinnamon to strawberry. This only means that they have added ingredients.
Some of the added ingredients in instant oats are healthy ones such as dehydrated fruits. Other times they are far from healthy, such as artificial flavorings and colorings. It’s not unlikely for flavored instant oats to also pack a lot of sugar as well as sodium to make them more palatable.
Price-wise, instant oats seem cheaper, but not when you do the math — pound for pound, quick cook oats are cheaper than instant oats because they contain no added ingredients, and thus they are easier on the pocket.
Now that you know some of the key differences between quick cook oats and instant oats, you will be able to make the best possible choice the next time you are at the supermarket shopping for oatmeal.
