Telluride Times, April 30, 2026

“A grain, which in England is generally given to horses, but in Scotland supports the people.”  – Samuel Johnson

There’s this young guy on social media with a hefty following whose thing is oats. Oats as an ingredient, in oat bakes, oat breads, oat puddings, crackers, and everything you can imagine to exalt this simple and inexpensive grain that contains fiber, magnesium, iron, zinc, and B vitamins. He stores them in large drums; and, of course, has his own product line, as well.

It’s worth mentioning that there is a bit of a battle going on between the anti-grainers (including paleo, keto, and carnivore stances) and those who generally believe grains and beans constitute an important part of a well-rounded, more Mediterranean-style diet. We are, each of us, somewhere on the oat spectrum—from anti-oat and protein three times daily to pro-oat and 100% plant-based, from zero carb to omnivore whole-foodist.

Meanwhile, as the dispute grinds on, you yourself are different than your best friend or your doctor. You have your sensitivities, your cravings, the things you know give energy, and those that steal energy. You have opinions and habits of thinking; and sometimes, laziness prompts the reach for something familiar, convenient, and not that healthy. That’s most of us, as far as I can tell.

Personally, I developed a very intimate relationship with oats the summer of 1978, after moving to DC for a paying internship with my state representative (D-WA) that never materialized. Before I figured out how to stretch the truth to get whatever job would have me, I spent a little over a month eating pretty much one thing: oats. Specifically, oatmeal.

There simply was no money, and I needed fuel for tromping around the insane number of free museums in the city while anxiously awaiting the news that would never come. When I finally gave up and scrambled to find work, two restaurant jobs kept me tired, hungry, and eating a wider variety of foods, right up until the moment the Greyhound bus took me back to school in LA.

In the years to come, I would never again have to put myself on an oatmeal drip. But thinking about it now, there probably would have been worse single foods to survive on—lots of them. Subsequently, oats would come and go in my life. A treasured memory in early-days Telluride was a breakfast of crispy oat cakes (leftover oatmeal) fried on a woodstove in a cast iron pan in a classic house on Columbia. Eventually, the muesli days of oats arrived, then the steel-cut, the oat bran, and the overnight oats. It’s an easy grain to admire.

That being said, I know from recent use of a glucose monitor that oats with sweetener can spike my personal blood sugar and lead to a full-on crash, as can oat-based sweets like bars and cookies. If eaten with added protein, however—in the form of nuts, seeds, dairy, or protein powder—oats can be substantial and sustaining.

Oats (Avena sativa) are technically gluten-free, but they contain avenin, a protein similar to gluten, which some are sensitive to; and without certified gluten-free sourcing, cross-contamination is a concern for those with celiac disease.

Oats also contain phytic acid, like other grains and seeds, which can modestly reduce mineral absorption within the same meal, though this effect can be small in the context of a varied diet. Their carbohydrate content is also a point of debate, as mentioned, despite oats being widely recognized as a nutrient-dense whole grain.

Oats are rich in soluble fiber, especially beta-glucan, which slows gastric emptying and can moderate post-meal glucose response while supporting more gradual digestion. Traditionally, phytate (phytic acid) is reduced by cooking, fermenting, sprouting, and soaking. In the case of overnight oats, it can lightly ferment if yogurt or kefir is added, which has become a common oat lovers protein hack.

Nowadays, a quick search or passing scroll brings up endless oat recipes that make experimentation a lot more interesting. Topping the trend list right now are savory oat protein bowls made from either steel-cut oats or groats, the most unrefined versions of the grain. One way to eat them is pan-Asian style, starting with oats and broth, then adding soy, ginger, and greens, topped with an egg, scallions, and chili crisp. Both steel-cut and groats are more manageable when pre-soaked (steel-cut for 6–12 hours, groats for 12–24) and best made in larger batches.

Personally, I like a good chew factor, and still need the nudge away from (sneakily) sweetened breakfasts toward something more sustaining. But if you like a sweeter trend, try looking up oat bakes or no-bake oatmeal protein bites. You might find this inexpensive grain making a comeback in your life.