Whole Hulled Oat Congee

Why people make this congee

As a food-therapy adviser for a soup kitchen, I got to taste-test a congee made from whole hulled oat grains, and I was won over. These grains are thick and satisfyingly chewy — lovely whether you cook them into a sweet congee or simmer them in stock with meat and vegetables. Oats are wonderfully nutritious and rich in dietary fibre, especially beta-glucan, a soluble fibre that is associated with supporting healthy cholesterol and balanced blood lipids. Whole oat grains are a better choice than many packaged oat flakes, which are often loaded with added sugar or additives that can pile on calories and make blood-sugar balance harder.