What better way to gain the strength and energy to carry you through a hectic morning schedule than with

a steaming bowl of freshly cooked oatmeal. Oats are harvested in the fall but are available throughout

the year and can add extra nutrition to a variety of healthy dishes. Oats, known scientifically as Avena

sativa, are a hardy cereal grain able to withstand poor soil conditions in which other crops are unable

to thrive. Oats gain part of their distinctive flavor from the roasting process that they undergo after being

harvested and cleaned. Although oats are then hulled, this process does not strip away their bran and

germ allowing them to retain a concentrated source of their fiber and nutrients.