Porridge Vs. Oatmeal

Eating a healthy and nutritious breakfast is essential for maintaining high energy levels throughout the day. However, if you feel sluggish rather than energized after your morning meal, you might not be eating the right foods. For a healthy dose of morning fuel, we recommend reaching for a bowl of oatmeal or porridge. Due to their similar nature, it can be easy to mix these two breakfast foods up. Continue reading to discover the similarities and differences between porridge vs oatmeal and better understand how their unique nutritional contents complement your diet.

What Is Porridge?

When discussing porridge, people usually reference any grain, cereal or legume that is boiled in liquid and served hot. Porridge can contain a combination of grains, including but not limited to rice, oats, corn, barley and wheat. Native to the Scandinavian area of Northern Europe, porridge is typically enjoyed as a breakfast food but can be served as a savory lunch or dinner.

What Is Oatmeal?

Surprisingly, oatmeal is a type of porridge. Though all oatmeal is considered porridge, the term porridge does not always refer to oatmeal. Still, the two words are often used interchangeably, which can be confusing. Unlike porridge, oatmeal is always made from rolled, ground, or flattened oats. It can be purchased in several varieties and combined with various ingredients. As a traditional Scottish dish, oatmeal is now a meal that's enjoyed worldwide.

Variations of Porridge

Because porridge is a warm grain, cereal, or legume-based breakfast, the name often changes depending on what it's made from. Much like a porridge made from oats is called oatmeal, a porridge made from corn is called cornmeal. Knowing what each dish is called depending on its ingredients can get tricky, which is why most forms of this dish are generally labeled as porridge.

Porridge Culture

Though porridge might have originated in Northern Europe, it is enjoyed worldwide. Asian menus feature a rice porridge known as congee, whereas South Africans make porridge from sorghum grain. The types of porridge don't end there. Russia, Southern India and East Africa are just a few of many places worldwide that enjoy porridge regularly.

The Best Porridge Recipes

We mentioned that porridge is a versatile dish that embodies all kinds of ingredients, and we weren't lying. We've rounded up a few of our favorite recipes to show you how universal porridge is. All unique and delicious in their way, there's bound to be something you enjoy.

Savory Spring Porridge

First up on the list is this Savory Spring Porridge. Made from Organic Farro, it's a healthy and filling dish that can be enjoyed as a side or light entree. Loaded with flavorful ingredients like shallot, snap peas, asparagus and pea puree, each bite of this porridge will leave you wanting more. Pair this porridge with a protein like chicken or fish to create a meal that meets your nutritional needs.

Piloncillo Pecan Pie Porridge

An award-winning recipe, this Piloncillo Pecan Pie Porridge was the runner-up for the 2014 Spar for the Spurtle and a massive hit at the Bob's Red Mill office. Piloncillo, an unrefined cane sugar popular in Central and Latin America, is used to sweeten this recipe creating a delicious dessert-like porridge. It's almost irresistible when combined with Steel Cut Oats, butter, vanilla extract and pecans. Swap the steel cut oats with our Gluten Free Old Fashioned Rolled Oats instead to make this recipe gluten-free.

Coconut Amaranth Porridge with Spiced Apple and Date Compote

Are you looking to create a sweet recipe that will upgrade any dessert table you add it to? This Coconut Amaranth Porridge with Spiced Apple and Date Compote takes traditional amaranth porridge to the next level by combining cooked amaranth with a rich, spicy apple and date compote. A sweet breakfast recipe that doubles as a dessert, this porridge will impress anyone who tries it. Whip up a bowl for yourself, or make it in batches for friends and family to try. No matter where or when you serve this porridge, it's sure to be a hit.

Oatmeal

Since oatmeal is always made from oats, you won't be able to make it from amaranth, farro, or any other grains. Nonetheless, it is still an incredibly versatile dish that's presented in several different flavors and textures. When cooked, oatmeal has a subtle and sweet nutty flavor and produces a slightly chewy and creamy texture. In addition, oatmeal can be boiled, baked, or soaked overnight to make a dish that's overflowing with flavor and nutritional benefits.

Types of Oats

Though all oats derive from the same ingredient—whole grain oats—they can be milled in several ways. Different types of oats will result in different textures, and knowing the variations between each will help you create a bowl that suits your flavor preferences.

Steel Cut Oats

Steel cut oats, also known as Irish oats or pinhead oats, have a longer cooking time when compared to rolled and instant oats. Our Bob's Red Mill Organic Steel Cut Oats are freshly milled from high protein organic oats and cut into tiny pieces on a steel burr mill. Though they may take a bit longer to make, they produce a chewy, full-bodied hot cereal worth the effort. Cook these oats over the stove, or place them into a slow cooker overnight and wake up to a delicious whole-grain breakfast. A source of fiber, complex carbohydrates and protein, these oats offer many health benefits. Plus, you can use steel cut oats to make a lot more than oatmeal. Dumplings, risotto and pilaf are just a few of the dishes that you can create with oats.

Organic Old Fashioned Rolled Oats

A delicious and wholesome hot cereal, enjoying a bowl of Organic Old Fashioned Rolled Oats will provide you with lasting energy all morning long. Offering up several health benefits, the dietary fiber found in this grain will keep you fuller for longer and help control blood sugar levels. In addition, with a cook time of just 2-10 minutes, these organic oats are an easy way to make a top-notch meal in a short amount of time.

Instant Rolled Oats

Think you don't have time to make a healthy and flavorful breakfast? Think again. Like our other oatmeal varieties, we make our Instant Rolled Oats from high-quality whole grain oats—which include the wholesome germ, bran and endosperm from the oat groats. However, instead of being pre-cooked, these oats are rolled thinner than any other variety, which means they cook up in a flash without sacrificing any flavor. The opposite of steel cut oats, these instant rolled oats have a cook time of just one minute, making them a convenient way to work more wholesome foods into your diet.

An excellent alternative to the packets of quick oats that you'll find on grocery store shelves, several extras can be added to your morning oat bowl to take it up a notch. Add-ins like chia seeds, flaxseed meal and dried fruit will boost the flavor and texture of the dish while also increasing its nutritional benefits.

Steel cut oats, rolled oats and instant oats all come from the same ingredient—oat groats. This means that you're bound to get the same wholesome nutrition no matter what oat variety you choose.

The Best Oatmeal Recipes

To make oatmeal that tastes just as great or better than the porridge dishes above, try out one of the flavorful recipes below.

Apple Cinnamon Walnut Oatmeal

Soak up all of the flavors that oatmeal offers and make this bowl of Apple Cinnamon Walnut Oatmeal. In this dish, chopped walnuts, Steel Cut Oats, and apples are paired with sweet ingredients like brown sugar, cinnamon, and vanilla extract. The perfect mixture of ingredients, this is one oatmeal recipe that everyone will enjoy.

Baked Pear Oatmeal

Here at Bob's Red Mill, we love working with seasonal ingredients, especially when it comes to fruits and veggies.To add a naturally sweet twist to your favorite bowl of oats, incorporate baked pear and ground cinnamon with rolled oats for a fancy upgrade to your everyday breakfast. A breakfast dish that looks as fantastic as it tastes, make a bowl of this Baked Pear Oatmeal for yourself or create a large batch for friends and family to enjoy.

Now that you better understand the difference between porridge and oatmeal, you can decide which dish best suits your lifestyle. Though porridge may offer a wider variety of flavor options, oatmeal is loaded with nutritious and filling ingredients that make it an excellent morning meal. We're confident that whatever dish you choose to make, it's sure to be delicious. From everyone at Bob's Red Mill, have a healthy and happy day!

Do you have a preference for oatmeal or porridge? We'd love to learn more about your love for these ingredients. Share your favorite recipes with us in the comments below.