Oats are super healthy but bland and stick to the saucepan. These flavoured, convenient varieties may make porridge more appealing – but are they good for you?
When it comes to breakfast foods, you will be hard-pressed to find a better option nutritionally than oats. A natural wholegrain, oats are one of the most satiating foods we can enjoy.
Naturally high in dietary fibre, and offering a range of key nutrients including vitamin E, protein and zinc, a bowl of oats teamed with yoghurt or milk is one of the few breakfast options likely to keep you satisfied until lunchtime.
Like many supermarket foods, though, there is an increasing range of flavoured and quick-cook oat options to choose from, especially if you enjoy your oats with a little more flavour.
Oats are oats
The first thing to know about oats is that plain rolled oats are the same product, no matter which brand you buy. While steel-cut oats are slightly better nutritionally, as they release glucose more slowly into the blood stream, whole, rolled oats remain one of the strongest options nutritionally, and can retail for as little as $2 per 750g bag.
What about “quick cook”?
Quick-cook varieties are slightly more processed than whole rolled oats, but again still a good option, with no significant difference nutritionally between brands. For this reason, all plain oats are ranked as the top choice nutritionally, better overall than flavoured varieties that generally have sugars added.
Another variant you may see are stabilised oats. These oats have been processed to minimise the action of naturally occurring enzymes that would otherwise cause the oats to naturally lose their freshness. Stabilised oats will keep fresher for longer, but are slightly more processed than natural, unstabilised oats.
What about added sweetness?
Some would argue that oats are simply not appealing without a little added sweetness — honey, brown sugar, maple syrup or fruit to make the oats a little more appetising. As oats are already carbohydrate rich, adding a tablespoon of sweetness via added sugar or even with fresh fruit doubles the carbohydrate content of this meal.
For active people, or those who do not have blood glucose issues, this is no cause for concern, but if you need or choose to keep your carb and sugar intake controlled, lower sugar options that still offer sweetness include vanilla, cinnamon, low-sugar syrups or berries or passionfruit, which are all relatively low in sugar compared with dried fruit.
Alternatively, sweetened options that contain less than 5g of total sugars overall are still relatively low in sugars.
To make it a little easier to suss out the best options, we have looked at the nutritional profile of the most popular supermarket oats, aside from the original plain options that naturally get a 10/10. Here is how they stack up.
Carman’s Natural 5 Grain & Super Seed (Coles, Woolworths)
Per 40g: 153 cal; 5.3g protein; 0.5g sugar; 5.2g dietary fibre
With a mix of 90 per cent oats and 10 per cent seeds, along with no added sugar, the bonus of enjoying your oats with extra seeds is that you get more protein and good fats added to your breakfast.
Pros: No added sugar and a high percentage of seeds
Cons: More expensive than plain rolled oats
Uncle Toby’s Rolled Oats Protein with Pepita and Chia (Coles, Woolworths)
Per 40g: 156 cal; 6.8g protein; 0.4g sugar; 3.7g dietary fibre
Another strong option nutritionally with no added sugar, 6 per cent seeds and added wheat to bump up the protein content.
Pros: No added sugar, added seeds for good fats
Cons: Not as cost-effective as plain, rolled oats
Per 50g: 190 cal; 10g protein; 0.8g sugar; 5.5g dietary fibre
A formulated higher protein oat option thanks to the addition of soy protein, this is one of the lowest sugar oat options with plenty of protein and dietary fibre.
Pros: Higher in protein, low in sugars, high in dietary fibre
Cons: More processed with added soy protein
Carman’s Porridge Sachets Protein Rich Almond, Vanilla & Cinnamon
Per 40g: 153 cal; 5.3g protein; 0.5g sugar; 5.2g dietary fibre
This has a relatively “clean” ingredient list, including a wholegrain mix, 6 per cent almonds to create a higher protein oat blend, with the added benefits of extra vitamin E. It’s a quick-cook option that contains some added sugar.
Pros: Good source of fibre, sugars comes from fruits
Cons: Does contain more sugars than plain, rolled oats
Uncle Toby’s Quick Cook Hi-Fibre (Coles, Woolworths)
Per 40g serve: 145 cal; 4.2g protein; 3.8g sugar; 7g dietary fibre
The addition of extra oat fibre and linseeds bumps up the overall fibre content of this quick oat option, but it still contains some added sugars.
Pros: High in dietary fibre
Cons: Does contain added sugar
Carman’s Porridge Sachets Apple, Sultana & Cinnamon (Coles, Woolworths)
Per 40g serve: 155 cal: 4.6g protein; 5.2g sugar; 4g dietary fibre
The main difference with this product is that it contains no added sugar, and rather gets the natural sugars via added fruits and cinnamon, plus extra fibre via the addition of seeds.
Pros: Good source of fibre; sugars comes from fruits
Cons: Does contain more sugars than plain, rolled oats
Woolworths Honey Quick Oats (Woolworths)
Per 35g: 134 cal; 3.8g protein; 4.5g sugar; 3.2g dietary fibre
With a base of 80 per cent oats, along with sugar, honey flavour and 1 per cent honey, this flavoured mix creates a wholegrain product that fares average nutritionally with a teaspoon of added sugars and 3g of dietary fibre.
Pros: Cost-effective option
Cons: Only 80 per cent oats base with added sugars
Carman’s Oat Sachets Honey Vanilla & Cinnamon (Coles, Woolworths)
Per 40g: 152 cal; 4g protein; 5.9g sugar; 2.9g dietary fibre
With 12 per cent sugars, these flavoured oats yet offer a higher overall percentage of oats with fewer additives overall than the majority of flavoured oats on the market.
Pros: Fewer additives than many sweetened options
Cons: Does contain added sugar
Coles Quick Oats Honey Sachets
Per 35g: 136 cal; 4g protein; 5.9g sugar; 2.9g dietary fibre
While this product does contain added sugar and honey, with an 82 per cent oat base it still fares well nutritionally.
Pros: Cost-effective option
Cons: Does contain added sugar and honey
Uncle Toby’s Quick Sachets Milo (Coles)
Per 35g: 136 cal; 4g protein; 5.9g sugar; 2.9g dietary fibre
With a 69 per cent oat base, and 8 per cent Milo, this product contains added sugars but has the benefit of added micronutrients including vitamin D that come from the addition of the Milo.
Pros: You get the added bonus of extra nutrients from a Milo base, including vitamin D. Plus, fussy kids might be tempted
Cons: Does contain added sugar
Uncle Tobys Oats Quick Sachets Protein (Coles, Woolworths)
Per 35g: 133 cal; 8.9g protein; 6.5g sugar; 1.9g dietary fibre
With just a 56 per cent oat base (compared with 100 per cent for plain oats), and plenty of added sugars, while there may be an increasing number of brands that market products based on protein content, there are better quick-cook oats available in supermarkets.
Pros: Higher in protein overall
Cons: Only 56 per cent oat base, and low in dietary fibre
Aldi Goldenvale Honey Oats Sensations (Aldi)
Per 35g: 137 cal; 3.5g protein; 7.5g sugar; 2.4g dietary fibre
A 74 per cent oat base along with three different types of added sugar makes this quick-cook honey oat option convenient, but it has more than a teaspoon of added sugars per serve, along with some added fat thanks to the added full cream milk powder.
Pros: Cost-effective option
Cons: High percentage of added sugars
Uncle Toby’s Creamy Honey (Coles, Woolworths)
Per 35g: 136 cal; 3.5g protein; 6.8g sugar; 2.3g dietary fibre
A 70 per cent oat base means there is a decent proportion of added sugars in this quick-cook option.
Pros: Tasty, quick-cook breakfast option
Cons: High percentage of added sugars and relatively low in fibre
Note: Susie Burrell had a commercial relationship with Carman’s between mid-2022 and 2023.
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Susie Burrell is an accredited practising dietitian and nutritionist.
