Which Quaker Oats Variety Is The Healthiest?

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The Quaker Oats brand is a mainstay of the cereal aisle, with a history that dates back to 1850. From its humble beginnings, the range now includes Old Fashioned, Steel Cut, Instant, and even Quick Oats, all with plain and flavored options. But are there any real differences when it comes to what's healthiest? When it comes to selecting oats from Quaker, it turns out that you can choose based entirely on the texture you prefer, as all the varieties of oats are equally nutritious. 

Unflavored Quaker Oats all contain the same ingredient: whole grain oats. Whole grain oats are an excellent source of both fiber and protein, with 4 grams of fiber and 5.3 grams of protein in every cooked cup of oatmeal, according to Healthline. With just 166 calories per serving (as noted by the USDA), they're also rich in antioxidants, manganese, and vitamin B1. So, how does this translate to the different Quaker Oat options? It's all about the texture and how you want to use them. 

Quaker's Steel Cut Oats are the most minimally processed, which is why they take so long to cook. They're simply sliced sections of the whole oat, and are great if you like some texture to your oatmeal. The brand's Old Fashioned Oats are what's also known as rolled oats. These have been steamed and rolled flat to speed up the cooking process and can be used for oatmeal or in recipes such as muffins. Quaker's Instant and Quick varieties take rolled oats and cut them finely for faster cooking. Quick Oats can be cooked on the stovetop in as little as a minute. Instant Oats are the most finely chopped, which is why you'll find them in sachets or tubs ready to microwave.

Where the key nutritional difference between various types of Quaker Oats comes into play is flavoring. While flavored varieties all contain the same nutritious whole grain oats, the added sweeteners should be considered when it comes to managing your daily sugar intake.

Our pick for the best Quaker Oats flavor (Raisin, Date & Walnut) contains 11 grams of sugar per serving, 7 grams of which are added sugars, while the rest come from the fruit and nuts. The classic Quaker Oats Apples & Cinnamon flavor also has 11 grams of sugar, but there is a lower sugar option with a total of just 4 grams of sugar. You might also want to compare how much is added sugar vs natural sugar. The Quaker Oats Strawberries & Cream flavor, for example, contains a total of 8 grams of sugar, all or which are added sugars.

If you are comparing flavors to get the lowest sugar option, just be mindful of the serving sizes. While bags and canisters of Quaker Oats show nutritional values for half a cup of dry oats (40 grams), the single-serve sachets range in size from around 37 grams to 45 grams, whereas the instant oatmeal cups contain 30 grams.