Rolled oats

Rolled oats are a type of lightly processed whole-grain food. They are made from oat groats that have been dehusked and steamed, before being rolled into flat flakes under heavy rollers and then stabilized by being lightly toasted. Thick-rolled oats, or old-fashioned oats, usually remain unbroken during processing. Rolled whole oats, without further processing, can be cooked into a porridge and eaten as oatmeal; when the oats are rolled thinner and steam-cooked more in the factory, these thin-rolled oats often become fragmented but they later will absorb water more easily and cook faster into a porridge; when processed this way, they sometimes are marketed as "quick" or "instant" oats. Rolled oats are most often the main ingredient in granola and muesli. They can be processed further into a coarse powder, which breaks down to nearly a liquid consistency when boiled. Cooked oatmeal powder is often used as baby food.