Instant porridge benefits. Are oat flakes that do not require cooking healthy? How harmful is express oatmeal?

Breakfast is a morning meal on which your mood, strength, and well-being for the whole day depend. The balance of food plays an important role, so in the morning it is customary to eat boiled cereals, rich in vitamins and microelements. Semi-finished products will save oversleeping housewives. The benefits and harms of instant cereals, their calorie content, and varieties are described below.

Instant porridge production technology

Whole grains undergo multi-stage cleaning to remove debris, husks, and solid particles. Then they are flattened to a thickness of 0.3 - 0.5 mm for instant products, 0.5 - 1.5 mm for instant porridges. Notches are made on the flakes to increase throughput, speed up the cooking process, and improve properties.

After flattening, hydrothermal treatment follows - this can be steaming, welding, or irradiation with infrared rays. When the product has reached the desired condition, it is dried at high temperatures. The consistency of future food and its beneficial properties depend on the quality of the last process.

Types of instant porridges

For accelerated cooking products, the following grains are used:

  • buckwheat;
  • barley;
  • wheat;
  • rye;
  • corn.

They are used to make semi-finished products for quick and instant preparation. Further, the products are divided according to the type of cereal crops, the presence of fruit and berry additives, and the number of cereals in the composition: one or several. What uncooked porridge brings to the body - benefit or harm - depends on its components and processing method.

Composition and calorie content of instant porridge

Manufacturers indicate the following components on the packaging:

  • rye, oat, wheat, barley, other flakes;
  • table salt;
  • sugar;
  • sweetener;
  • additives – finely chopped berries, fruits, mushrooms.

There are few additional components, so they do not have a significant effect on health. The calorie content of boiled cereals is from 350 kcal: this food is harmful for people with high insulin levels. The benefits of instant porridge will result in unpleasant consequences for them.

Are instant porridges healthy?

Thermal treatment of cereals to semi-finished products destroys most of the beneficial substances in their composition, while oat flakes do not require such radical measures. To speed up their preparation, it is enough to grind the base, which is what the manufacturers do. Instant porridge brings the same benefits to the body as regular porridge.

Other types of semi-finished products are necessarily subjected to various types of processing that reduce their beneficial properties. To compensate for the lack of vitamins, manufacturers mix cereals with additives, sweeteners, and artificial vitamin-containing substances, which increase the harm of the finished product.

Attention! The presence of references to preservatives and artificial sweeteners on the packaging indicates low quality of the product. It's not worth buying.

Do instant cereals help you lose weight?

After pouring the contents of the package into a container, you can see sugar crystals with the naked eye. For people who want to lose excess weight, nutritionists recommend limiting natural sugar and its artificial substitutes. An unjustified increase in calorie content due to fast carbohydrates has a negative impact on body weight.

The benefits and harms of instant cereals for people losing weight are obvious. The glycemic index (the effect of a product on increasing blood sugar) of oatmeal is 35 - 50, while for instant cereals it increases to - 70 - 75. There is only one verdict - semi-finished products do not help you lose weight, but harm your figure.

How often can you eat cereal in bags?

Doctors recommend reducing the number of ready-made breakfasts to 2 times a week. You should eat no more than 200 g at one time. If circumstances dictate other conditions and you have to eat semi-finished products more often, then the dose is reduced to 50 g, and the menu is supplemented with healthy foods.

Are instant cereals harmful?

Fibers, which cleanse the body of harmful substances, are practically absent in quick breakfasts. Porridges that do not require cooking do more harm than good. Sugar, abundantly contained in products, increases appetite, accelerates skin aging, and harms organs and blood vessels.

From frequent consumption of processed foods, glucose levels quickly rise and fall, causing the pancreas to suffer, which has to work harder. Additives designed to improve the taste of food are usually of artificial origin, which negatively affects health.

How to choose healthy instant porridge

Among all the ready-made cereals, nutritionists advise choosing those based on flax and oatmeal. It is from these cereals that the most useful products are obtained, since their grain does not require heat treatment. contains many polyunsaturated acids Omega-3, Omega-6, potassium, magnesium, calcium, manganese. The calorie content of the product is 82 kcal per 100 g. It strengthens the walls of blood vessels, makes them elastic and does not harm health.

Antioxidants contained in breakfast contribute to rejuvenation of the body, and female phytohormones increase skin elasticity and strengthen hair. Flaxseed porridge is recommended for poisoning and irradiation, and oatmeal for diseases of the intestinal tract. Not all porridge minutes are harmful. The beneficial properties of these two types of cereals without impurities have a positive effect on the health of the entire body.

How can you replace quick porridge?

Regular cereals are much healthier than finished products. They contain enough vitamins to energize the body. The cooking time can be reduced by pouring boiled cold water over the cereal overnight, and in the morning all that remains is to cook it. This allows you to better preserve all the beneficial properties.

Advice! To improve the taste and beneficial properties, add nuts, mushrooms, fruits, berries, honey, milk, and butter.

Conclusion

You can eat cereals that do not require cooking, but the benefits and harms of instant cereals will affect the body. What effects to expect from a ready-made breakfast depends on the honesty of the manufacturer, price, and ingredients. If the packaging indicates natural ingredients, then you can use it 3-5 times a week. Packs with low prices and a large selection of substitutes in the composition are not recommended to be consumed more than 3 times a month.

July 22, 2018

Instant porridges, the benefits and harms of which we are discussing today, help out when you don’t have time to stand at the stove for a long time. How convenient - there are no problems at work, and there is an inexpensive, very tasty dish on the table! But won't you have to pay for the convenience with your own health? Isn’t such food, if not harmful, then devoid of beneficial qualities? Everyone knows the consequences of a poor diet. However, enough guessing, it’s time to step back from stereotypes, leave speculation behind and trust the opinion of experts.

The main complaint that is made about “quick” cereals is the lack of vitamins and minerals in them. Of course, if you eat food without these components, the immune system will weaken, anemia and vitamin deficiency will begin. But not all processed cereals are completely “empty” - this depends on the manufacturing technology.

A modern biosaving method of processing cereals involves 5-10 second exposure of raw materials to high temperature under significant pressure. This time is enough to turn the cereal into flakes without significant changes in the chemical composition. Usually the packaging indicates that the grains have undergone just such processing. You will have to pay more for “preserved” porridge than for products made using other technologies.

You also need to pay attention to the type of instant porridge. Benefit or harm awaits you after consuming it, you can tell by the amount of time required to bring the product to readiness. Porridges that are poured with boiling water for a couple of seconds are poorer in composition than preparations that require waiting a few minutes or cooking in special bags.

Properties of high-quality “quick” cereals

If you bought cereal that has not undergone too aggressive processing, you can expect that it will not only satisfy your hunger for a long time, but will also cleanse your intestines, replenish your reserves of B vitamins and vitamin E, as well as zinc, magnesium, manganese and phosphorus. These substances will help you get rid of skin rashes, strengthen your nails and hair, improve digestion and give you much-needed stress resistance in our time.

Let's consider how porridges made from the most popular cereals can be useful.

  • Buckwheat.

This porridge is a real salvation from vitamin deficiency. In addition, it fights high cholesterol levels and activates the immune system. The absence of gluten in the composition makes buckwheat safe for allergy sufferers.

  • Oatmeal.

Only aliens have never heard of oatmeal for breakfast. Properly made oatmeal will thoroughly cleanse the gastrointestinal tract, normalize its functioning, strengthen the walls of blood vessels and lower blood pressure. Oatmeal is the best choice for those who are gaining weight due to metabolic disorders.

Porridge made from crushed rice cereal drives away toxins, reduces swelling, energizes and freshens breath. Rice does not pose a risk of food allergies and protects the waist from the formation of a fat layer. However, rice porridge is harmful to people with a tendency to constipation and intestinal lesions.

  • Millet.

Millet is a leader in the content of useful components: rich in magnesium, phosphorus, potassium, vitamins B6 and a variety of vegetable fats. Millet porridge will heal the heart, remove toxins and poisons from the body, and speed up thought processes. But such food is unlikely to make you more energetic - it is better to eat another cereal at the beginning of the working day.

Soluble grains as medicine

Adding powder from medicinal plants to porridge turns it into a biologically active composition. Porridges, along with which you consume nettle, alfalfa or burdock, alleviate the condition of stomach ulcers, gum diseases, and heartburn attacks.

Plantain, echinacea and dandelions make rice and buckwheat drugs against diarrhea and liver dysfunction. Porridges with Jerusalem artichoke tubers contain insulin, which is important for diabetics. But even if we are talking about an ordinary food product, we must not forget that medicinal additives give it the properties of a medicine. In order not to suffer due to self-medication, before updating the menu, you need to talk about this topic with doctors.

Porridge for breakfast is not always a symbol of proper nutrition

Long-term heat treatment of raw materials for instant porridges leads to the loss of most useful components. Only B vitamins and vitamin E “do not burn in fire.” The high starch content in processed cereals negates their healing effect on the digestive system; on the contrary, it threatens:

  • weight gain;
  • problems with the heart and thyroid gland;
  • metabolic disorders.

The finer the grain particles in the porridge preparation, the more starch will enter your body. This is another argument against porridges that are prepared instantly. It is better to choose larger flakes.

Pieces of fruit and berries, which make the dish more valuable, are replaced by unscrupulous producers with ordinary apples. Apples are easily transformed into other fruits using dyes and flavors. These chemical food additives have a negative effect on the entire body, so in this case there is no need to talk about the benefits of porridge. It is especially important to ensure that the cereal is not “seasoned” with MSG.

This very common flavor enhancer:

  • addictive;
  • deprives a person of the opportunity to fully experience the taste of natural products - they begin to seem fresh to him;
  • irritates the mucous membrane of the digestive organs;
  • excessively tones the nervous system, leading to exhaustion.

Do not rush to buy a product if you do not notice the names of known food chemicals on the packaging. Large amounts of sugar are often added to carefully crushed grains. Undoubtedly, sweets in excess are harmful to the figure, are contraindicated for diabetes and destroy overall health. The least amount of sugar is in porridges with additives in the form of medicinal herbs.

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Instant porridge: benefit or harm

In recent years, more and more products have appeared on store shelves. instant porridge, while porridge and other similar instant dishes position themselves as healthy. So, are they any use? How to choose such products? How did instant porridge become a useful product? Porridge can be healthy because it fills the body with carbohydrates needed for energy. Still, there is a basis for mistrust of instant food.

Justified mistrust

For many ordinary people instant porridge evokes associations with something artificial. Is this true? These associations are partly true. No chemicals are used in the production of instant porridges. It's all about the processing of the product - in physics. The grains are converted into flakes by flattening and then steamed. This method allows you to cook porridge in a couple of minutes, without boiling it, but steaming it. This “physics” evaporates some of the nutrients from the porridge. But the problem is different.

Instant cereals (and other fast foods) tend to contain a lot of sugar. In addition to sugar, which is harmful to the figure, manufacturers add all kinds of additives (flavors, taste enhancers) to instant porridges. These ingredients are very popular in the production of instant food. But among modern “fast” products there are also health benefits.

Healthy

Some instant porridge contain extracts of medicinal plants. For example, burdock root (licorice, chicory), which is reduced to a powder state. Medicinal herbs (dandelion, nettle, horsetail, milk thistle) are aimed at treating specific problems. Manufacturers assure that such porridges are useful especially for those who suffer from gastrointestinal diseases (heartburn, ulcers, stomatitis). Such dishes heal the mucous membrane, have an anti-inflammatory effect, and normalize the production of gastric juice.

Porridge base

What are all instant porridges made from - oatmeal? Oatmeal is the first thing that comes to mind when you think of “instant porridge.” These are the types of breakfasts that were originally common on the market. But the main one may be another cereal. Health-improving porridges include porridges made from whole wheat, rye, buckwheat, and rice bases. Separately, it is worth mentioning the linen base. Its taste will seem strange and unusual to many. But it has a lot of useful properties:

1. flaxseed porridge prevents the formation of gastritis, enveloping the gastric mucosa.

3. Lignals - special plant substances, which are also contained in porridge, prevent the growth of cancer cells.

How often to eat

How often should you eat quick healthy cereals? If the goal is disease prevention, then healthy porridges should be eaten regularly. The best option is to eat in the morning on an empty stomach or have a snack at work. As a treatment, porridge can only be eaten after consulting a doctor. Unlike regular foods, fortified meals have a stronger effect on the body.

How to recognize

How to recognize a healthy product, since many companies position their “quick” products as health products on the sly? What points should you pay attention to when choosing a healthy instant porridge? The absence of artificial components is the main selection criterion. It is difficult to count on a health effect if the porridge contains flavoring additives, even if they are identical to natural ones. It is advisable that whole grains be used in production. But remember: instant porridges cannot compare in taste and benefits to those prepared at home.

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Is it possible to eat instant porridge often?

The current life of a person is filled with hustle and bustle, and sometimes there is no time left for a normal, nutritious meal. Manufacturers of fast food products have come to the aid of humanity, which are simply quick and affordable to prepare. Instant food is sold in almost every supermarket, and its wide range allows the consumer to choose a delicious dish for breakfast, lunch or dinner (see Benefits and harms of instant noodles). Just take out a bag of instant porridge and your instant healthy breakfast is ready. Few of the lovers of such food have even thought about how often they can eat instant cereals, the benefits or harms of which have recently been clarified by scientists.

Most pediatricians are convinced that a child should start every morning with eating porridge. It saturates the child’s body with useful substances that are so necessary for the proper development of the baby. Just a few decades ago, every mother who cared about the health of her child cooked porridge for her baby for breakfast. In order for the child to eat healthy food, the caring mother put various additives on the food plate: fruits, berries, jam, butter, sugar. Nowadays, instant porridges have become a frequent guest in the diet of not only adults, but also young children.

How to make express porridge

Instant porridge consists of thin, instant flakes that require only the addition of hot water to swell. After a few minutes, the food can be consumed. The process of making such flakes is called micronization. Cereal grains are pre-steamed under high pressure, then they are flattened and irradiated with infrared rays. Thanks to this technology, the flakes acquire special porosity and the ability to quickly swell in hot water.

The benefits of a quick meal

Everyone knows that grains included in any porridge are very beneficial for the human body. That is why the dish must be included in the diet of young children, people with diseases of the stomach and intestines, patients who have undergone severe surgery or poisoning (see Nutrition after poisoning).

Even for a completely healthy adult, this food will be an excellent start to a working day and will fill the body with the necessary energy. Women who dream of gaining a slim figure should include porridge in their menu with the addition of various berries and nuts, which should be cooked only in water.

Find out how often you can eat corn flakes and whether there are benefits from corn sticks.

All about milk: benefits and harms for the body of an adult and a child.

Cereals have the following beneficial properties:

  • improve metabolism;
  • normalize the functioning of the digestive system (see How to start the stomach after poisoning);
  • regulate blood glucose levels;
  • remove waste and toxins;
  • reduce cholesterol levels;
  • saturate the body with vitamins, micro and macroelements.

There is another product on sale that is quick to prepare - porridge, which requires 5-minute cooking. Typically, buckwheat, oat, rice, and multigrain flakes are found on store shelves. This product, unlike instant porridge, contains vitamins, fiber, and minerals, since multi-stage grain processing technology is not used for its production. The raw materials simply need to be ground more finely so that the flakes boil faster. It is the quick-cooking raw material that nutritionists recommend eating for breakfast if there is no time to prepare food from whole grains.

Pay attention! But all this applies only to porridge that requires cooking; the instant semi-finished product does not have any beneficial properties.

Harm of instant food

After several stages of processing of raw materials, grains are deprived of most nutrients and dietary fiber. Only a huge amount of starch remains in the semi-finished product, thanks to which instant cereals are able to swell and increase in volume. So are instant cereals harmful? When starch enters the human body, it tends to be quickly absorbed. Under the influence of special enzymes, sugars are formed from the substance, and an excess can lead to serious diseases of the endocrine system: obesity, diabetes (see Harm from sugar).

Many manufacturers add various additives to instant products: dried fruits, berries. But most manufacturers, in order to save money, prefer artificial flavors and dyes consisting of chemicals to natural additives. Excessive consumption of instant porridge is very harmful to the digestive system, as it can lead to stomach or intestinal upset.

After a thorough study of fast semi-finished products, scientists found that completely unscrupulous product manufacturers use cheaper substitutes instead of some of the ingredients stated in cereals. Thus, the composition of one instant porridge includes natural dried apricot fruits; in fact, instead of dried fruits, dried pieces of apples soaked in flavoring were found.

How harmful is express oatmeal?

Many people know about the benefits of oatmeal for human health. A nutritious breakfast can not only enrich the body with vitamins and minerals, but also help get rid of certain diseases (obesity, gastrointestinal diseases). Regular oatmeal requires a long preparation time; it needs to be cooked for at least 30 minutes. But this is the kind of breakfast that will bring maximum health benefits.

Oats contain:

  1. B vitamins, nicotinic acid, tocopherol.
  2. Proteins.
  3. Dietary fiber.
  4. Amino acids.
  5. Zinc, magnesium, sodium, phosphorus, iron, calcium.
  6. Soluble fiber.
  7. Antioxidants.

Unfortunately, not every person has the time to prepare this healthy breakfast, so many people prefer to buy cereal instead of whole grains, which does not require such a long cooking time. In stores you can find instant oatmeal and instant oatmeal.

Instant oat flakes are oat grains that have undergone special processing. The grains are first steamed and then flattened through rollers. The chaff shell of the grains is removed, but the hard shell is retained, as a result of which the oat flakes retain their beneficial qualities. Porridge made from such flakes is absorbed more slowly by the body, allowing a person to remain alert and full longer. To prepare the dish, the product must be cooked on the stove for 5 minutes.

Such a concept as fast food has come into our everyday life relatively recently, with the general acceleration of the rhythm of life. Now in any grocery store you can purchase various products that require both long-term and short-term processing. If you decide to choose instant porridge for yourself to save time, the benefits and harms, as well as their features, should be fully known to you. This will allow you to make an informed choice.

Types of instant porridges

Today, various types of products are produced under the words “instant porridge”. Therefore, you should immediately identify the difference between them. Instant porridge itself falls into one category. They need to be boiled, but this process only takes about 5 minutes. The second variety would be best described as an instant product. It does not require cooking at all. You just need to pour hot milk or water over the cereal, and in a few minutes you will get ready-made porridge.

To understand the fundamental difference between these two types, it is best to understand the technology used to make them both.

The essence of cereal production in this case is that the flakes are crushed more thoroughly. It is this mechanical processing that allows you to reduce the cooking time of porridge. Smaller particles cook faster. In all other respects, they are no different from regular cereal.

Thus, oatmeal differs in the degree of grinding. Information about this is present on the packaging. As for buckwheat, wheat and other types of flakes, they do not have such a gradation. This is simply not necessary since they are very thin and porous. Thanks to this, porridge made from them does not require long cooking.

Instant porridge

The stores have a wide selection of instant oatmeal porridges. During their production, the flakes are processed in a special way. The most commonly used technology is steaming or long-term simmering followed by drying. As a result, to prepare the dish, the consumer can only pour boiling water over the flakes. In just a couple of minutes they fill with liquid and become soft.

acceptable to include in your menu, without abuse

The benefits and harms of instant cereals

Most often, manufacturers offer instant oatmeal, the benefits and harms of which will be taken as the basis in this material. Not in such large quantities, but also found, are rice, buckwheat, wheat, millet and some other cereals, which allow you to get a ready-made breakfast in a short time. Their properties after processing are largely the same, so they should be considered as a single group.

Beneficial properties of quick cereals

Hercules flakes, which require short-term cooking, are the most useful product of all discussed in this article. They are not much different from regular, large oatmeal. They are simply crushed to make it possible to prepare the dish faster. Therefore, the product retains all useful minerals and vitamins, fiber and other active substances important for our health. And the reduced cooking time also helps ensure that they are preserved to the maximum in the finished dish.

Other types of flakes require special processing in order to achieve the desired shape. They require cooking, but undergo a preparation process similar to that of instant porridge. Thus, much of the benefit in both is ultimately lost. Only a small portion of vitamins and minerals remains. Therefore, any instant porridge, as well as porridge made from processed cereal flakes, will be useful only as a way to quickly satisfy the feeling of hunger.

The harm of quick cereals

As for harm, it is worth noting all types of cereals, except oatmeal, as well as any porridge that does not require cooking. It should be noted right away that their harmful effects on the body are very conditional and depend on a number of factors.

First of all, you need to pay attention to the chemical composition of the flakes. After special processing, they contain few useful chemical compounds and a lot of starch. The latter is quickly absorbed and breaks down into sugars. Therefore, if consumed regularly, instant porridge can lead to the development of diabetes and obesity. If you eat them only from time to time in small quantities, then there will be no harm to a healthy body, as well as no benefit.

But this remark is only true if you choose a quality product. If we consider quick and instant porridges with additives, then most often you can find in them not only dried berries and fruits, but also chemical additives. Many of them cause real harm to certain organs. If possible, you should avoid such products, even if they contain only natural ingredients. It is better to add frozen or fresh berries, nuts, and dried fruits to the dish yourself.

So, we looked at instant cereals - the benefits and harms of this product category are relative. Thus, finely ground rolled oats that require cooking have a number of useful properties. And any instant porridge without additional additives can be called neutral. You can snack on them from time to time without overusing them.

Instant porridge is a great find for any housewife. Fast, simple, cheap and tasty.

Or maybe it’s also useful? So what properties do instant porridge have?

Fans of instant porridges are probably wondering how they can get a familiar, tasty porridge in a couple of minutes. The technology for producing such porridges is more complicated. It is worth noting that the composition of the porridge does not change. The effect of rapid cooking is achieved by additional processing of grains and bringing them to the flake stage. Flakes, as a rule, absorb moisture more actively and swell faster. The thinner the flakes, the faster the porridge will brew.

In pursuit of speed of preparation, porridge manufacturers are tirelessly developing new technologies for processing grains. For example, you can find instant porridge, the flakes of which will be scored, torn fibers, or completely ground into powder.

Types of instant porridges

In the modern world, instant porridge manufacturers constantly surprise consumers with the variety of their products. The following types are mainly popular:

Instant porridge

Instant porridge

These two types differ from each other in cooking time. Instant porridge simply needs to be poured with boiling water, and “quick cooking” means waiting a few minutes, and sometimes even cooking in special bags.

In addition to different cooking times, porridges can be regular or with the addition of additional ingredients: berries, mushrooms, fruits, nuts.

Useful properties of instant porridge

Often, people's opinion about instant cereals leaves much to be desired. However, “quick” cereals still have a number of advantages and useful properties. The following useful properties are distinguished:

Cleanse the intestines

Rich in vitamin B group and vitamin E

Retains zinc, magnesium, manganese, phosphorus

Improves the condition of hair, skin, nails

The benefits of individual grains

That is, we can conclude that, of course, the list of beneficial properties of instant cereals is not long, but blaming “fast” cereals for having an exclusively harmful effect is wrong.

The benefits of individual grains should be discussed in more detail, because there are different types of cereals. Manufacturers of “quick” porridges have learned to turn buckwheat, oatmeal, and rice into flakes. This is not a complete list.

The most popular types of cereals are:

Buckwheat porridge

Everyone's favorite buckwheat is truly rich in vitamins and minerals. It has a positive effect on cholesterol levels and improves immunity. Also, it should be noted that buckwheat does not contain gluten, which is important for people with food allergies.

Oatmeal

Oatmeal is one of the healthiest cereals. Its cereal not only perfectly cleanses the intestines, but also normalizes the functioning of the gastrointestinal tract, lowers cholesterol levels in the blood, and also strengthens blood vessels. No wonder oatmeal is the most popular breakfast.

Rice porridge

Rice cereal is an excellent breakfast, as it gives you a boost of energy for the whole day. Rice porridge is ideal for people with food allergies, as it is low-allergenic. However, people who have intestinal problems and constipation should not abuse it.

Millet porridge

Millet is known for its huge list of various beneficial compounds: magnesium, phosphorus, potassium, vitamin B6 and many healthy vegetable fats. Millet porridge has a positive effect on the functioning of the heart and also cleanses the body, removing all toxins and waste from it. But it should be noted that millet porridge is not nutritious, and should not be considered as a hearty breakfast.

Harm of instant porridge

Despite the unchanged composition and convenience, instant porridges still have their drawbacks. The main disadvantages of this “dish” are:

Loss of nutrients due to processing

Chemical additives

The main disadvantage, of course, is the consequences of processing. During the poultice process, the grains lose most of their beneficial vitamins and minerals due to the high temperature used to dry the grains. Only the B group of vitamins and vitamin E cannot be heat treated. Obviously, the list is not long and the grains still lose most of the beneficial properties.

Another problem with instant porridges is their high starch content. Thus, porridges, which seem to give health and lightness, lead to disappointing consequences: obesity, diabetes and diseases of the cardiovascular system. “Fast” cereals negatively affect the gastrointestinal tract, endocrine system and metabolism.

Also, producers, in pursuit of savings, can use apples that are treated with special chemical flavorings and flavoring additives instead of whole pieces of fruits and berries. In this case, the benefits of individual fruits and berries are lost, and the consumption of chemicals increases.

Choosing healthy instant porridge

To find the right healthy and tasty instant porridge from a huge selection of products, you should, of course, pay attention to its composition.

It is often filled with long and unknown chemical names. But looking for instant porridge that does not contain any additives is a lost cause. You need to pay attention to the presence of medicinal herbs, medicinal plants, natural pieces of fruit and berries in the porridge. Such porridges, as a rule, contain a special icon on the packaging informing the buyer about the medicinal properties of the porridge. There are instant porridges that are recommended for people with stomach ulcers, gastritis and other diseases of the gastrointestinal tract.

Another important factor in choosing instant porridge is packaging. The safety of the special sealed bag is very important for this type of product, since damage to it can lead to bacteria and infections getting into the flakes. Moreover, if the packaging is damaged, the shelf life of the product is significantly reduced.

The most useful representatives of “fast” porridges are those that require cooking for at least 5 minutes. Most often they are crushed grains or large flakes after mechanical processing. It is these porridges that retain all the beneficial properties as much as possible.

Instant porridges, in the modern world and with the frantic pace of life, are simply a godsend. Of course, “quick” cereals have some advantages, but you should not abuse them. It is recommended to consume such porridges rarely and due to severe need. Instant porridges are not a complete replacement for regular home-cooked porridge.