Oats have numerous uses in foods; most commonly, they are rolled or crushed into oatmeal, or ground into fine oat flour. Oatmeal is chiefly eaten as porridge, but may also be used in a variety of baked goods, such as oatcakes, oat cookies, and oat bread. Oats are also an ingredient in many cold kinds of cereal, in particular, muesli and granola Oats are also used for the production of milk substitutes (“oat milk”).
In Scotland, a dish was made by soaking the husks from oats for a week, so the fine, floury part of the meal remained as sediment to be strained off, boiled, and eaten. Oats are also widely used there as a thickener in soups, as barley or rice is.
The whole plant is also restorative for the nervous system and can also help to reduce blood cholesterol levels. Traditionally, the newly harvested whole green plant was used medicinally.
To use: a standard infusion of oat straw taken daily is drunk as a restorative for the nervous system.