Groats

Okay, imagine you have a bowl of oatmeal. Now, before that oatmeal becomes oatmeal, it starts off as something called groats.

Groats are basically whole oat grains that haven't been chopped up or processed in any way. They are usually removed from their tough outer shell, called the hull, and can then be eaten as is or processed further into things like oatmeal, porridge, or flour.

So, groats are like the starting point for all oat products. They're kind of like the raw material that other oat products are made from. And even though they might not look as pretty as the finished products, they're still packed with lots of nutrients and fiber that are really good for you.