Oat Substitutes

Oats are used anywhere from breakfast, to dinner and to baking. However, despite their multiple uses, there are those that cannot eat them due to health reasons, such as a gluten allergy. Luckily, if you cannot eat oats, there are many other replacement options out there for you to enjoy.

A buckwheat field. (Image: GYRO PHOTOGRAPHY/amanaimagesRF/amana images/Getty Images)

Millet

Millet is the sixth most important grain in the world and sustains one-third of the world's population. Millet can be used as a breakfast substitute for oats when it is made into porridge. Millet can be used to replace oats in soups or for baking purposes. Millet is an extremely healthy grain that contains protein and high amounts of fiber and B-complex vitamins.

Barley

Barley is most commonly known for, and grown for, the use in alcoholic beverages; however, it does have other food uses. The most commonly used form of barley is pearled barley, which can be used in soups or made into porridge. Barley has many nutritional advantages, such as high fiber and antioxidant content; barley is also cholesterol free and a low fat food.

Buckwheat

Buckwheat was originally cultivated in the United States as a means for feeding livestock. In the 1970s, buckwheat became popular in the making of breakfast cereal, which is its major use today. To make breakfast cereal, the buckwheat must first be made into groats by removing the outer hull of the grain from its kernel. These groats are then used as a breakfast cereal and in making porridge.

Flour

Oats are often milled to be used as flour for baking and thickening purposes. There are many replacement flours that can be used. These include: bajri flour, which is made from ground millet seed; banana flour, which is made from the plantain; barley flour, which is made by grounding barley; chickpea flour, which is created by grinding dried chickpeas and corn meal, which is made by grinding dried corn. All of these flours are good substitutes, and they are gluten free.