What is oat bran? choose high-quality and delicious oat bran?

I found that people are very concerned about oatmeal products, and I am very happy to help everyone learn more about oatmeal. Last week, when I was live-streaming the “New Products Arriving” oatmeal session with Teacher Shen and Cai Ma, everyone in the comment area mentioned many times that they wanted to know more about “oat bran” . I happen to be very familiar with this topic. No, here’s the continuation of the oatmeal category review – Oat bran review is here.

Classification of popular science oat products

Preliminary summary – let’s first review the classification of various oat products,

In the previous answer, I introduced in detail the highlights of oatmeal as a whole grain – high protein, high dietary fiber, containing high-viscosity soluble dietary fiber β-glucan, which is more likely to produce a feeling of satiety; among various cereals , oatmeal contains the highest protein, vitamin B1, zinc, and calcium. It is one of the most recognized healthy cereals in the world and one of the best breakfast foods. 

Considering the convenience of consumption, compared to whole oatmeal and steel-cut oats, oatmeal is more commonly eaten by people every day. But in fact, there is a hidden king in oats. It can be said that 90% of the essence of oats (water-soluble dietary fiber) is in it. It is oat bran, which is what we focus on today.

What is oat bran?

Let’s first understand the concept of bran.

Bran is found in all known grains, including rice, corn, wheat, rye, oats, and millet. Many friends tend to confuse bran and hull, which are completely different. Chaff is the rough, scaly outermost layer of grains. It is not part of the grain and cannot be digested by our human body. Bran is the sub-aleurone layer surrounding the endosperm. Together with the germ and endosperm, it is edible. Components of whole grains.

Oat bran (oat bran), as the name suggests, is the “layer of skin” wrapped around the endosperm of oat grains after removing the outermost husk of oats, a bit like the “red coat” on the outside of peanut grains.

Compared with other parts of oatmeal, oat bran has a particularly high content of antioxidants (High in Antioxidants). Oat bran is faster to eat than oatmeal and also contains a large amount of protein, various minerals and vitamins. In addition, its dietary fiber, especially the soluble dietary fiber β-glucan content, is much higher than that of oatmeal, but its calorie and GI value are lower than oatmeal. Based on these advantages, if you choose oatmeal whole grains, oat bran is the best choice. A better choice.

Since oat bran has such high nutritional value and has so many advantages over oatmeal, why has it been ignored before?

When I was studying and working abroad, oat bran was still very common in my daily diet, such as oat bran porridge, oat bran yogurt nut fruit bowl, oat bran bread, etc. It is true that China has only become popular in the past few years. I have tried to summarize the reasons:

• In the past, everyone did not know enough about the nutritional value of oat bran. With the improvement of living conditions, everyone is pursuing the taste, that is, “refining the grain.” For example, after grinding, the bran and germ are removed, leaving only a softer texture. The endosperm of rice has a more delicate texture, which is what we commonly call polished rice, refined noodles, etc., and the bran is basically thrown away.
• The problem with contemporary people’s diet is that it is too “refined”, which has also brought about many health problems. As a natural and healthy “coarse grain” with low GI, high dietary fiber, high protein and low carbohydrate, rich in β-glucan, and rich in minerals, oat bran does have many irreplaceable advantages.
• In the past, oat bran was directly thrown away or polished off. There is another very important reason – limited by the processing technology and oat varieties, the oat bran left after ordinary oat processing has a poor taste and is not easy to brew. , not easy to eat.

Now, as people pay more and more attention to topics such as health, natural food, and low GI in recent years, domestic professional oat brands and related food technologies have also developed rapidly, and there is no shortage of delicious and high-quality oat bran. , if you don’t know how to choose, or want to copy the homework directly, reading this article is enough. Xiaoyao has actually tested the five best-selling brands of oat bran on the market, and objectively helped you evaluate the quality, aroma, taste, water absorption and other dimensions. If you are concerned about healthy eating, you can save it and you will definitely use it. Yes~

Recommended high-quality, delicious oat bran

①Basic information comparison

The ingredient lists of these five oat bran products are all very clean, with only oat bran being the only one. Some other basic data are compared as follows:

l β-glucan content: B>D>C, A and E are unknown (I consulted the store customer service and did not find out)l Dietary fiber content per 100g: B>E>A>C>Dl Protein content per 100g: B=D=E＞A＞Cl Calories per 100g: B＜A＜C＜E＜Dl Fat content per 100g: D＜C＜A＜B＜E

In fact, here are the basic data. The 5 selected oat bran products are all very good, and the difference is not too big (after all, they are all hot-selling models). If we choose the best among the best, B has the best comprehensive data, and it belongs to the 5 products with high protein. Low in calories, especially the two most important indicators of oat nutrition, dietary fiber content and soluble dietary fiber β-glucan content are much higher than other products.

In addition, I found that Brand B is the only one that has obtained the low GI certification. Other brands searched for product details, product packaging, and consulted the customer service of the flagship store, but none of them have this certification.

Here I would like to explain to you what β-glucan (β-Glucan) is

We have always said that the “stickier” oatmeal or oat bran tastes after cooking or soaking, the better. In fact, this is because β-glucan makes oats taste “sticky”. 

Beta-glucan is a high-viscosity soluble dietary fiber in oats, which can slow down the transportation of food and delay gastric emptying, which is commonly referred to as “satisfaction.” Daily oatmeal is sticky. The taste is due to β-glucan. Regarding the β-glucan content requirements of oat bran products, the regulations of the American Grains Association and the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), CFR – Code of Federal Regulations Title 21, are clearly stated.

Oat bran – The oat bran portion does not exceed 50% by weight of the oat raw material, has a beta-glucan soluble fiber content of at least 5.5% (dry weight basis), and a beta-glucan soluble fiber and total dietary fiber content of at least 16% One-third of the total dietary fiber is soluble fiber

. Based on this standard, only B of the 5 popular oat bran products on the market meets and exceeds the FDA standard.

②Oat bran shape

Take out some of each of the five types of oat bran and place it on a white plate. If you look closely, you will find that the shape of each type of oat bran is quite different. This actually reflects the level of technology in “peeling off” the bran from the oat grains. Generally speaking, bran is thin and light, contains less flour (endosperm), is relatively “whole”, is of higher quality, and has a better taste. Of course, this requires higher processing techniques.

Among these five types of oat bran, the bran of B and E are very light and thin, just like a thin layer of skin, with more skin and less powder. Pieces C and D are thicker, with more powder and less skin. Pieces A are more crumbly and have thicker skin.

③Water absorption capacity, actual taste, aroma, and taste measured comparison

In addition to basic data information, the most important thing when choosing oat bran is the aroma and taste. Otherwise, no matter how much you say, it will not taste good, you will not be able to eat it, and all the nutrition will be in vain.

For the evaluation, I drew on some of the steps and methods I used to pass the SCA World Specialty Coffee Sensory Cupping Test.

• Take 10g of each type of oat bran, record the dry aroma first. And at the same time add 60g of 100°C hot water, stir evenly. Record the wet aroma, and let it sit for 1 minute.
• Water absorption capacity – after draining the water, weigh the dry weight, which is the weight of oat bran after absorbing water. This part can reflect the feeling of fullness after eating.

A—39gB—52gC—42gD—44gE—49g

Gain weight after absorbing water: B>E>D>C>A

B gained the most weight, and this result is consistent with the content of soluble dietary fiber β-glucan in the basic information section.

After inviting 5 evaluators to join me in the blind eating evaluation, we have the following results (only representing the taste preferences of the six of us) for your reference:

1. Aroma——

After opening the bag, these dry oat bran models all have a pleasant oat aroma. After adding boiling water, more aroma substances evaporate and the wheat aroma becomes stronger. Among these 5 models, except for C and E, the aroma is slightly It’s weaker. And the other 3 models are comparable.

2. Taste——

In terms of taste, we did not expect that the gap between these 5 products is so obvious, especially the first and last ones. The taste difference is very big.

The one with the highest votes among the 6 blind eaters was model B. Summary of everyone’s comments on B:

The taste is very delicate and soft, and the particles in the mouth feel uniform in size. It tastes very smooth, without any “messy feeling”, and has a more obvious and pleasant natural oatmeal aroma. Compared with oatmeal, the taste is stronger It is chewy and feels like eating fish roe. It is chewy and chewy when you bite it. In addition to the fragrance of oatmeal, you can also taste some natural nutty aroma.

The one with the worst taste is C. It will have a “sharp throat and rough” feeling. If you just eat B and then take a bite of C, the taste difference will be particularly obvious.
Here I scoop out a spoonful of B and C on a white plate for comparison:

It can be see from the picture that B is because a very thin layer of “skin” expands when it encounters water, and the “thin skin” “rolls up” into a “sago” feeling. This is crystal clear and the water absorbed. There are a lot of them, and the whole thing is very moist: and C, because of its “thick and pink skin”, has weak water absorption ability, and is overall dry. Also echoes the previous data comparison when comparing water absorption capacity.

The taste of B really subverts the stereotype of “oat bran” that several of us had before. It can be so smooth, elastic, soft and delicious. And if you look carefully, every piece of B’s ​​bran absorbs water and expands. Very uniform and pure, no impurities.

④Evaluation results

Looking back at the comparison of basic data before and after, water absorption capacity, aroma and taste. After a comprehensive comparison, B wins with an absolute advantage. I believe that after seeing this, everyone is already very curious about what brand B is, and it will be reveal soon!

It’s the high-fiber oat bran from Simai brand!

In fact, in the preparation stage, when I was doing product information research and selection. I was very impress by the high-fiber oat bran of the Simai brand.

Because the Simai brand itself has been deeply involve in the field of oat health food for many years. It is the first listed company in the entire oat industry chain in China. This advantage is that it can control and test every link from the source. It truly achieving “from the field to the restaurant”. Makes me feel more at ease.

Many products will promote their low GI value, but they are generous, conscientious, certified, and have professional qualifications. Brands are more trustworthy.