Q: If you grew up eating either of these or both I wonder if you knew the difference, would that of made u choose one or the other? And would it have made a difference in our overall physique and performance. So, I did a bit of research and noticed that most fitness and figure competitiors, as well as bodybuilders and endurance athletes, choose oatmeal as their steamy calente cereal of choice. So, the question is--Is there a differance between cream of wheat and oatmeal?
A: Ok. So here is the down low on these miracluous grains!! While oatmeal and cream of wheat are both hot cereals, and both are made from grains, their similarities end there. "For starters, as their names imply, cream of wheat is made from the grain, wheat, while oatmeal is made from the grain, oats. Furthermore, and this is really where their major differences come into play, cream of wheat is highly processed. Just like white bread, which also starts with wheat, cream of wheat is stripped of most of its fiber-filled bran and vitamin- and mineral-rich germ. The end result is mostly starchy endosperm. Of course, the cereal is later fortified with vitamins and minerals, but the real problem is that with the majority of the fiber gone, this starchy cereal is a fast-digesting carb. If you’re eating that for breakfast you won’t be burning as much fat throughout the day, or have as much energy, as research shows you will with a whole-grain, such as oatmeal. Oatmeal is not stripped of its fiber and therefore is a slow-digesting carb. Research shows that athletes who consume a slow-digesting carb for breakfast, burn more fat and have more energy throughout the day, as well as during exercise. Oatmeal also provides multiple health benefits. It has been shown in clinical studies to help lower cholesterol and it contains antioxidants, which have been shown to help reduce plaque formation on arteries."(Jim Stoppani, PhD)
So let's stick with yummy Hot oatmeal as your breakfast cereal of choice. However, if you want to get your cream of wheat fix, as research suggest--an optimal time to have some would be "immediately after workouts when the insulin boost this fast-carb provides will help to drive the carbs into your muscles and turn on the processes in muscle that boost recovery and growth".(Jim Stoppani, PhD) Or you can try cream of brown rice....sounds weird but oh so yummy!!!!!
Here’s the nutritional comparison of oatmeal and cream of wheat:
1 cup cooked oatmeal: 147 calories, 6 g protein, 25 g carbs, 4 g fiber, 2 g fat
1 cup cooked cream of wheat: 131 calories, 4 g protein, 28 g carbs, 1 g fiber, 0.5 g fat
