As a grain breakfast, cream of wheat and oatmeal are common choices. Cream of Wheat is a porridge mix called Farina, a brand of breakfast food. While oatmeal is produced by de-husking, steaming, and flattening oats, or by milling or steel cutting hulled oats. Both are eaten as hot cereals with milk or water.
So cream of wheat vs oatmeal, which is better?
It is difficult to say which one is the most effective. Each of them has its health benefits and should be used according to one’s needs. Like cream of wheat is a good source of iron while oatmeal is a better source of protein, fibers, calories, and other essential nutrients.
Read on to learn more.
Table of Content
Comparison of Cream of Wheat and Oatmeal
Despite both being cereal breakfasts, cream of wheat and oatmeal differ in many ways. Depending on the raw material, their nutritional value, taste, texture, and the way they are produced, they differ significantly. Let’s have a look at the cream of wheat versus oatmeal in detail.
Basics:
Types of oatmeal cereals include two categories: steel-cut oatmeal and rolled oatmeal. Steel-cut oats, also known as pinhead oats, Irish oatmeal, or coarse oatmeal, are cut into small pieces, while rolled oats are less processed and are produced just after the de-husking and steaming of oat grains. Milk or water is often mixed with oatmeal before consumption. Oatmeal is made up of pure grains or kernels of oats.
While the cream of wheat cereal is made with wheat middling, which is a type of breakfast porridge mix. Because wheat grits are ground from wheat kernels, they have a smoother texture than corn grits. Cream of wheat is made up of semolina flour (Using robust durum wheat, semolina is a glutenous flour with high gluten content. Usually yellow, it has a coarse texture and is high in gluten protein.)
Nutrition Facts of Cream of Wheat vs Oatmeal:
Oatmeal nutrition facts and cream of wheat nutritional info are discussed below:
Proteins:
You might have heard, is oatmeal a good source of protein? Actually, both the cream of wheat and oatmeal contain significant amounts of protein. But the cream of wheat is much higher in protein content as compared to oatmeal. 100 grams of cream of wheat contains 10.5 grams of proteins, and the same amount of oatmeal contains 2.37 grams of protein in it.
Cream of wheat can be used by a person who wants to lose weight. The cream of wheat is richer in protein, and protein helps a person to feel full, even after eating less. Thus, it can prevent a person from overeating, and it will help a person in losing weight.
Lipids:
A significant amount of lipid is also present in cereals. Lipids are also a major source of energy for the human body. It is primarily used for the storage of energy in the body. 100 grams of cream of wheat contains 1.5 grams of lipids, and the same amount of oatmeal contains 1.36 grams of lipids in it.
Minerals:
Although minerals are needed in much less amounts, they are crucial for the maintenance of a healthy body. The cream of wheat minerals and oatmeal minerals are listed below:
- Calcium: Cream of wheat contains more amount of calcium in comparison with oatmeal. 606 mg of calcium is present in 100 grams of cream of wheat, and 80 mg of calcium is there in 100 grams of oatmeal.
- Iron: These cereals are an excellent source of iron. Cream of wheat iron content is much higher than oatmeal iron content. 28.6 milligrams of iron are present in 100 grams of cream of wheat, and 5.96 milligrams of iron are there in 100 grams of oatmeal. Almost the whole amount of iron required by an adult daily can be fulfilled by the consumption of these cereals.
- Magnesium: A cream of wheat contains more amount of magnesium. 100 grams of cream of wheat contains 27 milligrams of magnesium, and 26 grams of it is present in 100 milligrams of oatmeal.
- Potassium: Cream of wheat is higher in the amount of potassium than oatmeal. 100 grams of oatmeal contains 61 mg of potassium, and 100 grams of cream of wheat has 120 grams of potassium in it.
- Sodium: Oatmeal is richer in sodium amount as compared to the cream of wheat. 100 grams of oatmeal contains 49 mg of sodium, and the same amount of cream of wheat contains 7 mg of sodium in it.
- Phosphorus: A cream of wheat contains a higher amount of phosphorus as compared to oatmeal. 100 grams of cream of wheat contains 115 mg of phosphorus and 100 grams of oatmeal contains 77 mg of phosphorus in it.
- Zinc: A cream of wheat contains a higher amount of zinc. About 0.88 milligrams of zinc is present in 100 grams of cream of wheat and 0.62 mg is present in 100 grams of oatmeal.
- Copper: Oatmeal contains much less copper in it as compared to the cream of wheat. 100 grams of cream of wheat contains 0.26 grams of zinc, while 100 grams of oatmeal contains only 0.206 milligrams of zinc.
- Selenium: Cream of wheat is slightly richer in selenium than oatmeal. 20 micrograms of selenium are present in 100 grams of cream of wheat and 5 micrograms are present in 100 grams of oatmeal.
Vitamins:
Cream of wheat and oatmeal both are rich sources of vitamins. The following vitamins can be found in oatmeal and cream of wheat:
- Oatmeal and cream of wheat both contain vitamin B9 or folate. As compared to oatmeal, cream of wheat contains a higher amount of vitamin B9. 100 grams of cream of wheat contains almost 121 micrograms of vitamin B9, while oatmeal contains 44 micrograms of vitamin B9.
- Oatmeal contains less amount of vitamin B1 or thiamine as compared to oatmeal. 100 grams of cream of wheat contains 0.5 milligrams and oatmeal contains 0.26 milligrams of vitamin B1.
- Oatmeal is slightly richer in vitamin B2 or riboflavin than that of cream of wheat.
- A slightly greater amount of vitamin B3 or niacin is present in cream of wheat as compared to oatmeal.
- Vitamin B5 or pantothenic acid is present in greater amounts in cream of wheat as compared to oatmeal.
- Cream of wheat contains less amount of vitamin B6 or pyridoxine as compared to oatmeal. 0.108 milligrams of it is there in 100 grams of cream of wheat, and 0.29 milligrams are there in the same amount of oatmeal.
- Neither oatmeal or cream of vitamins contain vitamin B12 in them.
- Vitamin K is more in cream of wheat.
Dietary Fibers:
Dietary fibers are abundant in wheat cream. 100 grams of cream of wheat contains 3.8 grams of fiber, and oatmeal has 1.7 grams of fiber in it. Oatmeal and cream of wheat fiber content, although they do not contain any nutrients in them, play an influential role in the digestion of food in the intestine. It usually helps in maintaining normal bowel movements, preventing constipation.
Fibers can also work in lowering the cholesterol level in the blood of the human body. Both of these cereals are a healthy source of dietary fibers.
Carbohydrates:
Many people ask about the cream of wheat vs oatmeal carbs. Carbohydrates are the main source of energy in the human body. Both oatmeal and cream of wheat are rich in carbohydrates. Cream of wheat carbohydrates are greater than compared to oatmeal. 100 grams of cream of wheat contains about 76.5 grams of carbohydrates, including 0.2 grams of sucrose, and 100 grams of oatmeal contains 11.7 grams of carbohydrates, including 0.25 grams of sucrose in it.
Calories:
A calorie is the unit of energy required by our body for proper functioning. Depending on the nutritional values, the cream of wheat calories are more than oatmeal calories. 100 grams of cream of wheat can provide 370 kcal, and the same amount of oatmeal can provide 68 kcal.
These are average values that can be present in 100 grams of oatmeal and the same amount of cream of wheat. As there are different varieties and brands of cereals, the number of nutrients can be varied.
The sources of the amounts of nutrients mentioned above include:
Is Cream of Wheat Healthy?
Cream of wheat contains many vitamins, including niacin, vitamin B6, thiamine, riboflavin, and folate. It is also a good source of proteins, carbohydrates, and lipids. It also contains a considerable amount of iron, one of the most powerful minerals lacking in vegans and vegetarians. So, you can say that cream of wheat is healthy.
Is Oatmeal or Cream of Wheat a Good Breakfast?
Both oatmeal and cream of wheat cannot provide enough energy, as needed by a body. As there is a smaller number of calories present in oatmeal and cream of wheat. Lipids are also in less amount, which is a major source of energy. So, one should not completely rely on these cereals for breakfast.
FAQs:
Question: How many carbs are in cream of wheat?
Answer: Compared to oatmeal, cream of wheat contains more carbohydrates. In 100 grams of cream of wheat, there are 76.5 grams of carbohydrates, including 0.2 grams of sucrose, and in 100 grams of oatmeal, there are 11.7 grams of carbohydrates, including 0.25 grams of sucrose.
Question: Is cream of wheat good for you?
Answer: Cream of wheat can provide you with many health benefits. The most important fact is that it is a good source of iron, which cannot be provided by many other vegetables. Further, it is also a good source of many essential nutrients.
Question: Is cream of wheat gassy?
Answer: Wheat and oats contain fiber, raffinose, and starch. Gas is produced when bacteria break down these compounds in the large intestine.
Conclusion:
Cream of wheat vs oatmeal has long been a contentious topic. It is difficult to say which one is better. Choosing cereal should be based on one’s needs. To lose weight and to get more calcium and iron, a person should select the cream of wheat over oatmeal. In addition, a person who wants more vitamin B2 and B6 should consume oatmeal instead of cream of wheat.
