It’s that time of year when the weather is cold, and we start to crave warm, comforting foods. Oats or porridge are a very common winter warming breakfast. Packed full of fibre, they are a great choice to keep us fuller for longer and provide lasting energy.

With that being said, there are healthier and less healthy ways to prepare your morning oats. A lot of my clients like to opt for the sachet variety as they find having the oats pre-portioned and the short cooking time to be more convenient. However, the sugar content can really creep up. Making the meal, higher GI/more likely to spike your blood sugar levels.

When choosing any type of cereal, it’s best to aim for <10g sugar, >5g fibre and <400mg sodium per 100g. As you can see in table 1, all Uncle Toby’s varieties of quick sachet oats meet the standards for fibre and sodium, however only the Hi-Fibre or Original varieties meet standards for sugar.

Another competitor for quick sachets of oats are Carman’s brand. While Carman’s brand is more expensive (an extra $0.83/100g, as per Woolworths prices), across the board they are lower in sugar (see table 2). Ranging from 1.2g/100g in the Almond, Pecan & Hazelnut flavour, to 19g/100g for the Apple, Sultana & Cinnamon.

Once again, knowledge is power! Make sure you’re checking your labels. If your go to variety is one of those that’s higher in sugar, opt for a lower sugar variety. If you have the time and resources, try cooking plain quick oats or wholegrain rolled oats. Then you can add your own sweeteners (e.g. honey) in small amounts or sweeten naturally with fresh, dried or frozen fruits.

Table 1. Uncle Toby’s Quick Sachet products – All quantities per 100g

Table 2. Carman’s Quick Sachet products – All quantities per 100g

Looking for a Meal Plan? check out the following: 
Mediterranean Diet Meal Plan Program (7days)
Plant Based 15 Ingredient Meal Plan Program (7days)
Tailor Made Meal Plans