Therefore, it is preferable to use soaked oats, which are cooked for about 5 minutes in the morning, rather than pre-cooked fast oats, which are ready to boil after one or two minutes. Phytase is the enzyme needed to break down phytic acid, a dietary inhibitor that is abundant in cereals such as oats. This simple test is an anecdotal way to demonstrate the usefulness and health benefits of ensuring that phytic acid is broken down in oats before consumption. Food manufacturers cook, dry, and cut slightly finer oats when they make fast oats than normal oats. I’ve had this simple test several times over the years, and it’s amazing how much LESS I eat soaked oats before I’m full. Since nutrient bioavailability can easily be observed depending on how much oat you eat and how long you are full, consider the amount of soaked oat you eat. You can soak fast oats overnight and cook them in the morning like normal oats. Because they are better processed, fast oats are cooked in a fraction of the time in your kitchen compared to oats that are not precooked. Mixing a little hot water is not enough to protect the intestines from devastation caused by the powerful anti-nutrients that oats, like all cereals, contain in abundance. If you have a quick bag or box of oats in your pantry, you don’t have to worry. Since 2002, Sarah has been a health and nutrition teacher dedicated to supporting families who effectively integrate the principles of traditional nutrition into modern households. Soak an oatmeal pan in water before going to bed and cook well in the morning. If you prefer hardened steel oats, use them instead. Do the same thing the next day with a jar of fast oats.