Oats refer to the whole grain, while oatmeal is typically the porridge-like dish made from oats, or a processed form of oats. However, the terms are often used interchangeably.
Here's a breakdown:
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Oats: The raw, whole grain from the oat plant. This is the starting ingredient.
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Oatmeal: Can refer to two things:
- The porridge: The cooked dish made by boiling oats in water, milk, or another liquid.
- Processed oats: Various forms of oats that have been processed to make them cook faster or have a different texture (e.g., rolled oats, steel-cut oats, instant oats). These processed forms are also often called "oatmeal."
In practice, if someone says they are eating "oatmeal," they likely mean the cooked porridge or a packaged variety of processed oats intended for making the porridge. The important difference lies in the raw versus cooked/processed state, although common usage has blurred the lines.
