OATMEAL IS A PREPARATION OF OATS THAT HAVE BEEN DE-HUSKED, STEAMED, AND FLATTENED, OR A COARSE FLOUR OF HULLED OAT GRAINS THAT HAVE EITHER BEEN MILLED OR STEEL-CUT. GROUND OATS ARE ALSO CALLED WHITE OATS. STEEL-CUT OATS ARE KNOWN AS COARSE OATMEAL, IRISH OATMEAL, OR PINHEAD OATS, OATMEAL IS HIGH IN SEVERAL VITAMINS AND MINERALS, INCLUDING THESE: MANGANESE, MOLYBDENUM, PHOSPHORUS, COPPER, BIOTIN, VITAMIN B1 (THIAMINE). STEEL CUT, ROLLED OATS, OR INSTANT OATS ARE THE BEST CHOICE TO USE FOR PREPARING OATMEAL. WHEN PREPARING OATMEAL, THE OATS CAN BE COOKED WITH WATER, MILK OR A COMBINATION OF BOTH ON THE STOVETOP, IN THE MICROWAVE, OR IN A PRESSURE COOKER. INSTANT AND ROLLED OATS WILL COOK FASTER THAN STEEL CUT. OATS WERE CULTIVATED IN ANCIENT CHINA AS FAR BACK AS 7000 B.C., BUT THE ANCIENT GREEKS WERE THE FIRST TO EAT OATMEAL AS THE PORRIDGE-TYPE CEREAL WE KNOW TODAY. PEOPLE AROUND THE WORLD ENJOY OATMEAL IN SEVERAL DIFFERENT WAYS. IN GERMANY AND SWITZERLAND, PEOPLE EAT OATS LIKE A FORM OF CEREAL.
