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For the Lemon Jelly song of the same title, see Rolled/Oats

A tablespoon of rolled oats

Rolled oats are oat groats that have been rolled into flat flakes under heavy rollers. The oat, like some other cereals, has a hard, inedible outer hull that must be removed before the grain can be eaten. After the hulls have been removed from the bran-covered oat grains, the remainder is called oat groats. Oat groats can be used as cereal, but since the bran layer makes the grains tough to chew and contains an enzyme that can cause the oats to go rancid, oat groats are usually steam-treated to soften them and denature the enzymes. Steel-cut oats are oat groats that have been chopped into smaller pieces and retain bits of the bran layer.

Rolled oats sold as oatmeal usually, but not always, have had the tough bran removed. They have often been lightly baked or pressure-cooked. Thick-rolled oats are large whole flakes, and thin-rolled oats are smaller, fragmented flakes. Oat flakes that have simply had the bran removed can be cooked and eaten as "old-fashioned" oatmeal, but more highly fragmented rolled oats absorb water much more easily and therefore cook faster, so they are sometimes called "quick" or "instant" oatmeal. Oatmeal can be further processed into coarse powder, which, when cooked, becomes a thick broth. Finer oatmeal powder is often used as baby food.

Oats are an excellent source of thiamin, iron, and dietary fiber. Fiber is helpful in reducing cholesterol levels in the bloodstream. Oats are also the only source of antioxidant compounds known as avenanthramides; these are believed to have properties which help to protect the circulatory system from arteriosclerosis. Oat products also contain beta-glucan, which may help Type 2 diabetics control their blood sugar level, and might also help stimulate the immune system to fight off bacterial infections.[1]

Rolled oats are the primary form of bait for biologists trapping terrestrial small mammals in temperate zones. They are used alone or in a mixture with peanut butter. A trail of dry rolled oats is set leading to the treadle of Sherman traps or moistened rolled oats is set on snap traps. In tropical regions rolled oats are often used, but they are usually replaced by more aromatic local bait such as manioc or palm nut husks.