[BrookeDavis]

Hey guys,

I trying to lose weight/get fit/healthy and was wondering if I should introduce oatmeal/porridge into my diet for breakfast, perhaps replacing the special K I normally eat.

How much healthier is it than special K? Is it a good breakfast for weight loss, providing I don't add a tonne of sugar in it? What do you add into it?

Which brand do you buy, and which is the healthiest/ lowest in calories?

Thankss

[stayce88]

I have it for breakfast sometimes with ground flaxseed sprinkled on top, recently been having bench pressed oats as they have added protein but have regular organic gluten free porrige from sainsburys too.
Im guessing it would have less sugar content than special k and fill you up more.

[Annie72]

I've read that special K isnt as good for you as they make out apparently.I'm trying to lose weight and have introduced porridge in to my diet.I eat it with fruit,dont put any sugar on it and make it with semi skimmed milk.My favourite one is Quaker oats , although Scotts is just as good.

[Astronomical]

No specific cereal/food will make you lose weight.

You lose weight when you have a net calorie deficit. You could eat only chocolate and lose weight (although I wouldn't recommend it ).

[TwilightKnight]

(Original post by I smell like maths)
special k is better for weight loss and it is healthier because it is fortified with vitamins and minerals.

"Original Special K cereal is low in simple sugars and fat, making it a healthy breakfast choice for most people. One bowl supplies a fairly small number of calories compared to your daily requirement."

Read more: http://www.livestrong.com/article/32...#ixzz1zQzoaAUe

[ch0c0h01ic]

(Original post by BrookeDavis)
How much healthier is it than special K? Is it a good breakfast for weight loss, providing I don't add a tonne of sugar in it? What do you add into it?

Which brand do you buy, and which is the healthiest/ lowest in calories?

Weight loss is primarily about eating less and/or exercising more, food quality itself has very little influence. If you ate 500 calories of porridge or 500 calories of Special K the end result would be much the same. From a health standpoint porridge is higher in protein, fibre and most vitamins and minerals. The higher protein and fibre content may help to prevent snacking and aid weight loss (emphasis on "may").

What brand? Supermarket own brands are fine, cheap and less likely to have added sugars and flavourings.

What to add? Whatever you like within reason. Flavoured whey protein, some nuts or seeds, fruit...

(Original post by I smell like maths)
special k is better for weight loss and it is healthier because it is fortified with vitamins and minerals.

Not really no. It is lower in fibre and protein which is more important with regards to weight loss than calorie or vitamin/mineral content.

As for being fortified with vitamins and minerals that is because it is otherwise nutritionally devoid of "goodness" (and even then it is not particularly healthy anyway).

[I smell like maths]

(Original post by TwilightKnight)

(Original post by ch0c0h01ic)
Weight loss is primarily about eating less and/or exercising more, food quality itself has very little influence. If you ate 500 calories of porridge or 500 calories of Special K the end result would be much the same. From a health standpoint porridge is higher in protein, fibre and most vitamins and minerals. The higher protein and fibre content may help to prevent snacking and aid weight loss (emphasis on "may").

What brand? Supermarket own brands are fine, cheap and less likely to have added sugars and flavourings.

What to add? Whatever you like within reason. Flavoured whey protein, some nuts or seeds, fruit...



Not really no. It is lower in fibre and protein which is more important with regards to weight loss than calorie or vitamin/mineral content.

As for being fortified with vitamins and minerals that is because it is otherwise nutritionally devoid of "goodness" (and even then it is not particularly healthy anyway).

i'm clearly misinformed
i'll stick to the maths forums...

[Bluer.]

(Original post by stayce88)
bench pressed oats

....is that A Thing

e: oh I just googled it, haha clever

[Becca]

Here is a quick and easy comparison for the 2:

Quaker Oats
Special K

100g Oats = 66.8% carbs, 12.6% protein and 20.6% fat, 356 cals, 9g fibre
100g Special K = 79.4% carbs, 18.1% protein and 2.5% fat, 379 cals, 2.5g fibre

Pretty similar amounts of calories per 100g, but the oats have a more balanced range of nutrients, therefore keeping you fuller for longer. Plus, when you make porridge it's just oats, milk/water and maybe some fruit/honey. That's it. Special K has a whole list of random ingredients. I know what I'd rather put into my body.

As choc says though, it doesn't matter which one you eat if you eat the same amount of calories overall every day. If you are consuming more than you burn you won't lose weight. Porridge will be a more helpful weightloss tool though, because you will be fuller and therefore less inclined to snack and take on extra calories.

[Traininghard]

(Original post by TwilightKnight)

whats not to be serious, Special K is full of sguer which rasied the GI level and give and isnulin spike, that is then brunt of casuing a sger low in the blood, which in turn mnakes you very hungry so it cased you to over eat. Much better to stick to a protein and oat based breakfast like whey protein shake with oats in it.

[Traininghard]

(Original post by Becca)
Here is a quick and easy comparison for the 2:

Quaker Oats
Special K

100g Oats = 66.8% carbs, 12.6% protein and 20.6% fat, 356 cals, 9g fibre
100g Special K = 79.4% carbs, 18.1% protein and 2.5% fat, 379 cals, 2.5g fibre

Pretty similar amounts of calories per 100g, but the oats have a more balanced range of nutrients, therefore keeping you fuller for longer. Plus, when you make porridge it's just oats, milk/water and maybe some fruit/honey. That's it. Special K has a whole list of random ingredients. I know what I'd rather put into my body.

As choc says though, it doesn't matter which one you eat if you eat the same amount of calories overall every day. If you are consuming more than you burn you won't lose weight. Porridge will be a more helpful weightloss tool though, because you will be fuller and therefore less inclined to snack and take on extra calories.

you need to break down the carbs in to trypes of sugers and longer digesting carbs to see why oats are a far far far better option.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/health/8630446.stm

I would eat whole food like oats any day. and if you really want vitamins buy a multi vit becsue the vitamins in special K only come from powder vitamin blends added in the manufacture process to make up for the lack of nutrients from the grain as it has been stripped and bleach bare.