The oat meal originally comes from Scotland. That's no wonder: the most important ingredient in the basic porridge recipe is oat flakes. Oats like wet, cold climates, which is typical of the Scottish Highlands. And it just so happened that the farmers and shepherds who lived there were particularly fond of oats. They cooked porridge with it and quickly discovered the advantages of the warm power meal: the cooked flakes kept you full for a long time and provided plenty of energy for the hard work in the fields.

Many working-class families in Scotland had warm porridge as breakfast to start the day. A quick porridge was also popular at lunchtime because it only had to be mixed with water and heated up. Cold milk, cream or buttermilk provided variety. The full spoonful of porridge was dipped into it before it went into the mouth. As an evening meal, the oat meal provided soothing warmth on frosty Highland evenings.

In Scotland, porridge is called brochan. This is Gaelic and goes back to the word brothchán, which in English means something like pottage. Pottage, in turn, comes from the French word pot for pot.

The Germans were more descriptive when coming up with a name and did not name the cooking utensil, but rather the result: porridge. The term oatmeal has become established in the USA. It also refers to the end result: a delicious oatmeal. So there is no difference between porridge and oatmeal. Both terms describe the same, delicious superfood .

The breakfast porridge is still popular today, and not just in his home country. Porridge fans in many other countries also appreciate its benefits. In some regions of the world, exotic variants have emerged from the classic porridge.

Congee, for example, is the Asian version of porridge, the basic ingredient of which is rice. In India, the day starts off spicy, because there they eat upma for breakfast - a spicy breakfast porridge made from semolina. And in South Africa, many children know Motogo: a porridge variant based on corn flour.

Today porridge is finding more and more fans among children and adults in Germany. Anyone who is vegan, takes care of their health, has little time in their everyday lives or wants a lot of variety for the most important meal of the day will appreciate the benefits of porridge.

The difference between porridge and overnight oats is a few degrees Celsius. Cooking porridge is quick and easy. But even without a stove or microwave, it's easy to get the full flavor out of oatmeal. Because they need a little more time to swell without cooking - ideally all night - this porridge variant is called Overnight Oats.

Without oat flakes there is no oat meal - but which are the best oat flakes for porridge and where do they come from? They are made from Avena Sativa, a type of grain from the sweet grass family and better known as oats. In order to obtain flour or flakes from it, the heart of the oat plant - the oat grain - must first be processed. The way it is processed determines the texture of the oatmeal.

Crunchy oat flakes (old-fashioned rolled oats): The classic oat flakes. For this purpose, the whole oat grain is cleaned, dried and then rolled flat. The resulting flakes give the porridge a bite because they absorb liquid much more slowly than other oat flakes.

Delicate oat flakes (quick rolled oats): The delicate flakes are created by cutting the oat grains into small pieces in a groats cutter. Only then are they rolled out into flakes. These oat flakes are ideal for porridge as they absorb liquid better than other types.

Instant oats : These soluble oat flakes are made from whole oat flour that is rolled into particularly thin flakes. The name suggests it: instant oats dissolve into liquid in no time and literally melt in your mouth.

Oat bran (steel-cut oats): For oat bran, only the outer grain layers and the seedling of the oat plant are used. This means that oat bran is rich in fiber. It can be used to cook particularly fine porridge.

We at 3Bears prepare our porridge with hearty oat flakes that mix with delicate flakes. We swear by this combination: Our oat flakes ensure that your porridge stays nice and smooth and still has a bite.

Now you know the difference between hearty and tender oat flakes. Which oat flakes are suitable for your porridge depends entirely on your preferences. Porridge with coarse oat flakes is ideal for people who value a hearty chewing experience. The finer oat bran or tender-melting instant oats go wonderfully with yoghurt and quark or can be easily processed into smoothies. No matter what you decide – with our recipe ideas you can easily prepare all oat flakes and refine them to your taste.

When it comes to bread and pasta, do you like whole grain products? Then we have good news for you: Every porridge is automatically a whole grain porridge - oat flakes are made from the whole grain. So, apart from eight additional letters, there is no difference between oatmeal and whole grain oatmeal.

But be careful: If you come across whole grain porridge somewhere, take a closer look. It could be spelled porridge. Spelled can also be processed into flakes and, just like with oats, the whole grain is used.

Have we mentioned how versatile porridge is? Oat Heroes can not only be prepared flexibly, but are also a real treat around the clock. Oatmeal is traditionally part of breakfast, but who says it doesn't taste good in the evening too?

With a little imagination and our recipes , you can integrate porridge into every meal and enjoy your creations on the go, in the office, savory or as a dessert. Porridge is also so versatile, easy to store and can be combined with other foods that it can be used to create seasonal highlights all year round.

A good breakfast is and remains the most important meal of the day. Because without reserves of energy, you'll run out of steam before the day has really started. The big appearance of porridge: Nutritious breakfast with the Oat Hero is not only prepared in under five minutes, but also provides the body with important nutrients.

Oats provide the body with plant protein, complex carbohydrates and satiating fiber. It contains little sugar and saturated fatty acids. And it is full of iron, zinc, magnesium and vitamins.

Thanks to their valuable nutrients, oat flakes are the perfect companion for every breakfast. There are also many other good reasons for a porridge breakfast: warm porridge for breakfast makes your stomach feel good, porridge made from sprouted oat flakes is essential for a basic breakfast and an English breakfast without porridge - we don't even want to imagine that . Hungry for more arguments as to why porridge is perfect for breakfast? It's coming soon.

But now to the question: What is the difference between porridge and muesli? You've probably asked yourself before. Both contain oat flakes, but there is a small, subtle difference in the preparation: While oat flakes are the main ingredient for porridge and have to be cooked and soaked, in muesli they are just one of many components that are only briefly soaked in milk or a plant-based drink.

Everyday life is full of exciting adventures, for which a nutritious oat meal provides the necessary power. At lunchtime, porridge provides enough energy for the second half of the day and can also be prepared heartily.

Porridge on the go is quick to prepare and anything but boring. Our tip for fresh air fans: If you want your oat creations to travel long distances with you, avoid preparing them with dairy products to ensure they last as long as possible. We have three ideas for long-lasting oat enjoyment for you: Take-away porridge .

Porridge with a difference: If you are looking for a particularly handy porridge snack for small and large adventures, simply transform our hearty classic into a power bar in no time.

Clearly: yes! If you enjoy your porridge in the evening, you will give your stomach a short break at night and you can both sleep through the night relaxed. This is because porridge is easy to digest and the nutrients in the oat flakes are so digestible. They also give the body the strength to regenerate even more effectively while sleeping.

You now know what effect porridge made from oatmeal can have throughout the day. Let's take a look behind the scenes and find out exactly why oat porridge is good for you and what benefits the body has beyond the taste buds.

Porridge lowers cholesterol levels: oats contain, among other things, a lot of beta-glucan. This fiber is initially difficult for the body to digest. He therefore has to produce a lot of bile and uses an extra portion of cholesterol to do this. Porridge helps to sustainably reduce cholesterol levels.

Porridge supports conscious nutrition: Instead of milk, oat flakes can easily be prepared with water or plant-based drinks. This saves a few calories and means that even lactose intolerant people or vegans can enjoy porridge without any concerns.

Porridge is filling: the ingredients in oat flakes work hand in hand to stimulate digestion. The blood sugar level remains constant and thus ensures a long-lasting feeling of satiety. Nevertheless, porridge is not heavy on the stomach.

Porridge promotes well-being from head to toe: Anyone who spends a little time with oatmeal and porridge will always discover new benefits. Alkaline porridge made from sprouted oat flakes has a purifying effect and noticeably improves intestinal well-being. Combined with other food heroes like pumpkin seeds or avocado, porridge even creates beautiful, strong hair that even Rapunzel would be jealous of.

Of course, only porridge without sugar is truly nutritious porridge. This is also the reason why 3Bears Porridge does not contain any additional sugar - we rely 100% on natural sweetness!

Basically, oat flakes do not naturally contain gluten. However, it can never be completely avoided that contamination with grains containing gluten occurs during the cultivation of the oat plants and later during processing. So oatmeal that is not labeled gluten-free may have a low gluten content.

Whether a prepared porridge made from gluten-free oat flakes is 100% gluten-free depends, of course, on the porridge ingredients used. If you have gluten intolerance, it is recommended that you only include oatmeal and porridge in your diet after a consultation as part of medical treatment or nutritional advice.

A topic that stresses many people, but that hardly anyone likes to talk about, is digestion. Since we're just between ourselves: porridge and digestion are a real dream team. While oatmeal lowers cholesterol levels on the one hand, the number of important bacteria in the intestines increases on the other. In the long term, this can have a positive effect on digestion and minimize the risk of illness.

Porridge for diarrhea: Oat meals are easy to digest and provide the body with important nutrients and fiber. The fiber beta-glucan contained in oatmeal forms a kind of gel film in the stomach and slows down its emptying. This means that porridge is gentle on the stomach and is suitable as food for diarrhea, for example. The oat meal also compensates for fluid loss.

Porridge for constipation: Conversely, if you occasionally suffer from constipation, you need a lot of fiber to stimulate digestion. Oatmeal has more than enough of that to offer. This helps the intestines to loosen up.

Porridge for irritable bowel syndrome: For some people, digestive problems are the order of the day. The cause may be irritable bowel syndrome. Conscious and gentle nutrition helps to alleviate the symptoms. This is where porridge comes into play: The oat flakes make it easy to digest and also contain valuable ingredients and only very small amounts of irritants.

As soon as they start solid food, babies can also enjoy porridge. Because the advantages that porridge offers to tall people also apply to very small porridge fans. What definitely belongs in a porridge for babies and toddlers? We'll give you tips to help you create a nutritious breakfast for 1-year-olds and older children.

By the way, porridge is very popular with mothers during pregnancy, breastfeeding and beyond - oatmeal has a calming effect on the gastrointestinal tract.

Something that tastes as good as porridge can only cause unpleasant surprises on the scales - can't it? In fact, one serving of our hearty classic has just 186 kcal and still provides a good energy boost for hours.