The Thrive Nutrition App compares Steel-cut oats and Rolled oats per 100 g dry from two different USDA FoodData Central rows: steel-cut oats use USDA FDC Foundation 2346397 (Oats, whole grain, steel cut) and rolled oats use USDA FDC SR Legacy 169705, a generic oats row titled “Oats (Includes foods for USDA's Food Distribution Program).” The slug and page title say rolled oats; the USDA row name does not. The table below links each live card. A blank cell means Missing: that row does not report the nutrient. It is not a zero and must not be filled from the other card. Differences between the two cards are differences between those source rows, not a claim that cutting or rolling the groat changes the composition.
Both cards are Measured — each is the source row itself, not a closest match to another food.
How the two Thrive Nutrition App cards differ as records
The steel-cut card is a USDA Foundation row named for steel-cut whole-grain oats. The rolled-oats card is a USDA SR Legacy row whose published title is generic “Oats,” including foods for USDA’s Food Distribution Program. They are different datasets. This page compares the recorded rows; it does not argue that one cut is better, and it does not discuss glycaemic index.
Energy on the steel-cut oats card is the Atwater general-factors figure printed on that card. The Foundation record also publishes an Atwater specific-factors figure. The table uses the energy value the card shows.
Both cards are dry / as sold (dry on steel-cut; dry on rolled oats). This page does not convert the figures to a cooked porridge portion, because no cooked-oats card exists yet.
Nutrient coverage is not identical. A vitamin or mineral may appear on one card and not the other. Missing is not zero. % NRV (UK) is shown only for magnesium, iron and zinc — nutrients that have a UK NRV. Energy and protein have reference intakes, not NRVs; fibre has no NRV.
Per 100 g comparison (dry)
| Food | Energy kcal | Protein g | Fibre g | Magnesium mg | Iron mg | Zinc mg |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Steel-cut oats Measured | 381 | 12.51 | —Missing | 129 (34% NRV UK) | 3.8 (27% NRV UK) | 2.84 (28% NRV UK) |
| Rolled oats Measured | 389 | 17 | 11 | 177 (47% NRV UK) | 4.7 (34% NRV UK) | 3.6 (36% NRV UK) |
Source rows: USDA FDC Foundation 2346397, Oats, whole grain, steel cut; and USDA FDC SR Legacy 169705, Oats (Includes foods for USDA's Food Distribution Program). The rolled-oats card uses the generic USDA oats row, not a row titled rolled oats.
What these cards do not cover
These forms have no Thrive Nutrition App card today. They are candidates for a later batch only if a verified USDA or CoFID row backs them; they are not rows on this page.
- Instant or quick oats — a distinct CoFID record exists (instant hot oat, plain, raw, fortified) if a later batch wants a card.
- Cooked porridge or oatmeal as eaten — both current cards are dry. A CoFID porridge-made-with-water record exists if a later batch wants a cooked card.
- Oat bran — USDA has oat bran, raw and oat bran, cooked.
- A UK CoFID dry oats card — a distinct CoFID record exists (porridge oats, unfortified, dry). There is no CoFID oats card today.
See also Oat drink, a different food (an unsweetened oat drink), not a third oats row.
How to read the numbers
- Values are per 100 g of the dry food, as on the cards.
- A dash is Missing: the live card does not report that nutrient. Blank is not zero. Do not fill a blank from the other card or from the raw USDA file if the card is still blank.
- Measured means the card is the source row itself.
- % NRV (UK) appears only next to magnesium, iron and zinc.
- More detail: About our data, magnesium per 100 g and fibre per 100 g (fibre only where a card reports it). Browse the food catalogue.
FAQ
What is the difference between steel-cut and rolled oats per 100 g?
The table above puts the two cards side by side per 100 g dry. Values come from those cards. Differences are differences between the two USDA source rows.
How much magnesium is in steel-cut oats?
The Steel-cut oats card lists 129 mg of magnesium per 100 g dry (34% NRV UK). See the Steel-cut oats.
Are steel-cut and rolled oats the same food?
They are the same plant (Avena sativa, already named on the cards) cut differently. Steel-cut oats are also called pinhead or Irish oats on the card. The numbers on this page come from two different USDA rows, so the page compares those records, not a lab test of one batch cut two ways.
Why is fibre missing on steel-cut oats?
Fibre is Missing on Steel-cut oats because USDA FDC Foundation 2346397 does not report it. That blank is not a zero and is not copied from rolled oats.
Do you have instant oats or cooked porridge?
No card today. Instant oats, cooked porridge and oat bran are listed as gaps until a USDA or CoFID row backs a card.
Where do the nutrient numbers come from?
Each card’s USDA FoodData Central record per 100 g dry, taken from the built card. See About our data.