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Taking oats from the breakfast bowl to the dinner table

Stoked Oats makes its entrance into the rice category with its latest product, OatRice, an oat-based rice alternative, targeted toward health and eco-conscious consumers.

According to the company, the product is made from hulled oat groats (whole grain seed with the husk removed) and contains five times the fibre of traditional white rice and double the protein. It also cooks similarly to rice and can be either heated on the stovetop with water for around 30 minutes or in a multi-function cooker on the rice cooking setting.

Stoked Oat’s CEO & Founder, Simon Donato hopes to push the boundaries of what’s possible for oats – taking the breakfast staple and giving it a savoury twist.

It could just be that 2024 is an appropriate time to launch, given the shifting way consumers approach food, health, and sustainability.

Consumers call for sustainably produced products

Food trends from Innova Markets in 2024 show that consumers, especially Gen Z, are particularly interested in protecting the environment. Sustainability-based concerns are consistently top of mind for this generation: 22% believe that sustainability should drive new product development, and 52% of American and Canadian consumers agree that when buying sustainable food and beverages, they feel good about the planet.

Stoked Oats, aiming to be climate-positive and carbon-negative by 2025, uses Gold Standard Carbon Credits, one of the leading standards, and registers in the voluntary carbon market, according to Sustain-cert.

In addition, the oats the company uses in its blends are grown locally in Alberta, Saskatchewan, and Montana in Regenerative Organic Certified fields, using only rainwater.

Donato said in a press release: "We're taking that mission one step further by offering a product that not only meets the demands of health-conscious consumers but also aligns with our Grain from Rain commitment to sustainability. OatRice is the future of food - providing a versatile, innovative, and planet-friendly option for people who care about what they eat and how it impacts the world."

Nutritional density of oats outperforms white rice

Stoked Oats was founded in 2011 by Dr Simon Donato, an ultra-endurance athlete and star of the TV show, Boundless. For Donato, fuelling his training meant he was on the lookout for nutrient-dense, natural, healthy oatmeal, but unable to find any up to his standards, he decided to create his own. Thirteen years later, Stoked Oats products are sold across Canada and in several grocery chains in the US. The company's range of oat-based products is mainly sweet, such as oatmeal blends, gluten-free oat-based pancake and waffle mixes, and low-sugar granolas.

In 2024 the importance of healthy eating and healthy choices continues to rise for consumers, along with growing demands for natural foods over processed ones.

Tapping into savoury mealtimes, not only answers consumers' call for clean-label options but also speaks to those looking for staples high in protein and fibre: StokedOats, for example, claims its oat-based rice alternative has five times the fibre of traditional white rice, and double the protein.

Could oats replace rice on the dinner table?

Eating occasions are changing and consumers want to push boundaries.

Every year global market intelligence agency, Mintel predicts global food trends for the following year. One of the four key trends predicted for 2025 is ‘Rule Rebellion’ which centres around breaking food norms. Oats for dinner could align with this trend, and appeal to those consumers looking for unconventional food experiences.

Oats have been, and still are a staple on the breakfast table in regions like North America and Europe. Think porridge, oat-based cereals, muesli, or granola.

While oats are present in savoury dishes, they are far less common than their sweet counterpart. Skirlie, for example, sometimes called Scottish stuffing, is a side dish that traditionally combines oats, seasonings, onions, and a source of fat, such as beef or vegetable shortening. Or youmian (oat noodle), a specialty dish from the Shanxi region in northern China, which combines ground oats and water into a dough, before rolling pieces into small oval shapes, wrapping them into hollow tubes and placing them into a steamer.

According to Mintel’s Global New Product Database, brands have been turning to savoury oat formulations. In the Netherlands in June of 2024, the Santa Maria brand launched an oat twist on a classic, with its gluten-free oat tortilla. While in Italy, also in June, the brand Tifabene Gusto e Salute launched a protein cracker containing a base of lentil flour and gluten-free oat flakes, alongside extra virgin olive oil, hemp flour, pea protein, flaxseed, salt, and natural olive flavour.

In Germany, the brand Schnitzer launched its “breadless bread” in August made from water, gluten-free wholegrain oat flakes, pumpkin seeds, sunflower seeds, puffed quinoa, apple vinegar, chia seeds, linseed, apple juice concentrate, sea salt, psyllium husk, and sunflower oil.