Our Berry Breakfast Bake is a dessert-like breakfast treat. (Photo by Emily Kate Roemer/Studio D)

A hearty, healthy congrats to our friends at Quaker Oats for earning the Good Housekeeping Nutritionist Approved Emblem, which is awarded to foods that make it easier to stick with good-for-you meals and snacks. “Whole grains, including oats, can make any meal more nutritious, thanks to their combo of fiber, vitamins and minerals,” said GH Nutrition Director Jaclyn London. Read on to learn more about the (surprising!) advantages of eating oats.

Provide Energy

Fiber-filled foods like whole-grain oats help promote a steadier, more consistent release of glucose into your bloodstream. Energy that’s absorbed gradually is energy that lasts, helping you fuel busy mornings and start your day strong.

Promote Satiety

“Whole-grain oats can help promote satiety because they contain both soluble and insoluble fiber,” said London. “This may slow down the rate of digestion and absorption in your GI tract.” And if you feel full, “you could be less likely to graze on extra calories,” she added.

Support Digestion

The insoluble fiber in oats can aid in moving things through your gut, helping to keep you on schedule. London added, “Drinking plenty of water with fiber-filled foods also may assist with regularity. Aim to increase your intake of both fluids and fiber-filled foods gradually.”

Benefit Heart Health

Beta-glucan, a type of fiber found in oats, has been shown to lower LDL cholesterol, a key factor in reducing risk of cardiovascular disease. When included in a diet low in saturated fat, 3 g of beta-glucan per day helps lower cholesterol — and a 40 g serving of oats has 2 g.

Recipe: Berry Breakfast Bake

Oats are naturally light in flavor, so they soak up the sweetness of nutritious strawberries and blueberries easily. Adding fruit, nuts and seeds plus creamy (plain) low-fat Greek yogurt can transform your regular oatmeal into a pie-like treat. Try this recipe for a delicious energy boost.

Step 1: In a greased baking dish, combine 1 cup each old-fashioned oats and quinoa, 1/2 cup roasted almonds, 3 tablespoons chia seeds and 1 teaspoon baking powder. Pour a mix of 2 cups milk, 1 tablespoon melted butter and 1 tablespoon vanilla on top. Top with 3 cups berries and bake at 375 F for 45 minutes. Serve with Greek yogurt and drizzle with honey, as desired.

ON ANOTHER MATTER …

Seal Spotlight: Stay-Well Stars

Embrace winter with these GH Seal standouts.

Germ-Fighting Soap

Keep Simple Pleasures Hand Soap ($5, poshandpop.com) by every sink. Washing your hands is one of the most important – and easiest! – ways to zap flu-causing germs. And yes, there’s a right way to do it: Wet hands with hot or cold water, lather, scrub for 20 seconds (time it by singing “Happy Birthday” twice), rinse and then air-dry hands or use a clean towel.

Tummy Tamer

Your GI tract acts like a bodyguard for your immune system. Taking Culturelle ($19, culturelle.com), with active ingredient Lactobacillus rhamnosus GG, daily can restore beneficial bacteria, helping to return healthy balance to your intestinal tract.

Recalls Alert

The following products and vehicles were recalled by the Consumer Product Safety Commission and the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. Unless otherwise indicated, discontinue use of the products immediately and return them to the store where purchased for a refund. For more information about the products, call the manufacturer or CPSC’s toll-free hotline, (800) 638-2772. Only some cars or trucks recalled are affected. Contact a dealer for your model to see if it is included in the recall. The dealer will tell you what to do.

PRODUCT/VEHICLE PROBLEM

OshKosh Baby B’gosh Quilted Jacket, sold at OshKosh, Bon-Ton, Kohl’s, Fred Meyer and other retail and department stores nationwide, and online at www.oshkosh.com between August 2017 and September 2017 for between $35 and $40.

The snaps can detach, posing a choking hazard. Consumers should immediately take the recalled jackets away from children and return them to any OshKosh or Carter’s store, or contact OshKosh for a full refund in the form of a $34 gift card (for an infant size) or $36 gift card (for a toddler size). Consumers can contact OshKosh at (800) 692-4674 from 9 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. EST Monday through Friday, or online at www.oshkosh.com. Click on “Product Recalls” at the bottom of the page for more information.

Chrysler 2011-2014 Dodge Durango and Jeep Grand Cherokee

The affected vehicles had brake booster shields installed under a previous campaign to prevent water from entering the brake booster and limiting braking ability. This recall is to verify that the brake booster shield installation was performed properly. If the brake booster shield was not installed properly, the vehicle’s braking ability may be reduced, increasing the risk of a crash. Chrysler will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the brake booster shield, correcting the installation as necessary, for free. Owners may contact Chrysler customer service at (800) 853-1403. Chrysler’s number for this recall is T59.

© Hearst Communications Inc. Distributed by King Features Syndicate

—GOOD HOUSEKEEPING REPORTS: The powerful nutrition of oats–