Oat Bran

Oat Bran
© Denzil Green

Each oat grain is covered by a husk. Humans can't eat or digest the husks, so they have to be removed through milling.

The inside part that's left is called the groat. The groat, in turn, is covered by a layer called the bran, inside of which there is the oat germ and the starch. The bran is usually removed from the groat and sold separately. This not only helps the remaining oat to store longer without spoiling, it provides a separate product to sell.

The bran can be "stone-ground", which is coarser, or "milled", which is finer texture.

Cooking Tips for Oat Bran

If cooking for a cooked cereal, cook in boiling water for 2 minutes (though recipes usually have you cook it with other ingredients).

Oat bran is a very tasty added ingredient to breads and muffins. It adds a layer of texture and an oaty taste.

Nutrition for Oat Bran

Per 94g / 1 cup: 230 calories, 7g fat, 4mg sodium, 62g carbohydrate, 16g protein.

Rich in fibre. For a while in the 1970s and 1980s, the food press was telling us that oat bran was a miracle food that would reduce cholesterol.

Storage Hints for Oat Bran

Store in sealed container in refrigerator for up to a year.

Recipe Search

Also called:

Son d'avoine (French); Haferkleie (German); Avena salvado (Spanish)

Other entries for: Oats
Instant Oats, Oat Bran, Oat Groats, Oat Milk, Oats, Quick Oats, Rolled Oats, Steel-Cut Oats

Other entries for: Grains
Amaranth, Barley, Buckwheat, Cereals, Corn, Flax, Kamut, Millet, Quinoa, Red River Cereal, Rice, Rye, Semolina, Sorghum, Spelt, Teff, Triticale, Wheat