national-oatmeal-day-october-29NATIONAL OATMEAL DAY

One of America’s favorite breakfast foods is celebrated each year on October 29,  National Oatmeal Day.  

There are many health benefits to eating oatmeal.

  • A bowl of oatmeal daily can lower cholesterol
  • May reduce the risk of heart disease
  • May reduce your risk for cancer (according to the American Cancer Society, eating a diet high in fiber may help reduce your risk for caner)
  • Low in fat
  • Low in calories
  • Good source iron and fiber

Some of the favorite oatmeal toppings include: brown sugar, sugar, cinnamon, peaches, blueberries, strawberries, bananas, nuts, granola and etc.

Oatmeal has a long tradition in the state of Vermont which originated with the Scottish settlement in the state.  Although there were many variations, most of the oatmeal recipes began with steel cut oats.  The oats were soaked overnight in cold water, salt and maple syrup.  Early the next morning, the cook added ground nutmeg, ground cinnamon and if desired, ground ginger.  The pot was then placed over heat and cooked for approximately 90 minutes and then they were served with cream, milk or butter.

Vermont leads the United States in per capita consumption of cooked oatmeal cereal.

The Quaker Man is one of the oldest advertising mascots in America.  He was registered by the Quaker Oats company as the first trademark for a breakfast cereal in 1877.

NATIONAL OATMEAL DAY HISTORY

Within our research, we were unable to find the creator or origin of National Oatmeal Day, an “unofficial” national holiday.