Can Oatmeal Help You Lose Weight?

Poll the dietitian community about their oatmeal-eating habits and you might think that eating the whole grain is a requirement for the letters “R.D.” after your name. Me included.

I make my oatmeal with milk, raisins, banana, hemp seed, and wheat germ—and I eat it at least a couple times a week. I do it for the fiber, which keeps me feeling full. I also do it for the deliciousness.

Yet despite oatmeal being dietitian-approved, and loaded with fiber, and delicious, does that mean that it will help you lose weight? That’s a little more complicated. Before we address the possible weight-loss effects of eating oatmeal, it’s important to first understand its nutritional makeup.

One a cup of cooked oatmeal clocks in at only 150 calories, and you get 5 grams fiber (about 18 percent of your daily goal), a serving of whole grains, and a little bit of protein (about 6 grams, which is the same as an egg, to put things in perspective).

Excerpted from Men’s Health

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