Oats upma is a savory, spiced breakfast dish made by sautéing rolled oats with tempered lentils and crunchy vegetables. Originating from South India as a modern twist on traditional semolina upma, it is commonly served hot for breakfast or a quick snack.
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Nutrient score: Excellent
Goodness for its calories, 25 to 100.
How is this worked out?
The nutrient score shows how much goodness a recipe gives for its calories, from 25 to 100. Every recipe gets at least 25. It is the same for everyone.
It adds up how much of 11 nutrients people need the recipe gives for its calories: protein, fibre, vitamins A, C and E, calcium, iron, potassium, magnesium, folate and zinc. Each counts up to a full day’s worth for the calories. It then takes points off for saturated fat, added sugar and sodium above a fair share for the calories.
75 and over: Excellent. 60 to 74: Very good. 45 to 59: Good. 35 to 44: Fair. 25 to 34: Low.
The formula (from the recipe’s values per 100 g):
- Share of the day: the recipe’s kcal per 100 g ÷ 2,000 (under 40 kcal per 100 g, such as a herb or tea, counts as 40 kcal).
- 11 nutrients to encourage: protein (50 g), fibre (28 g), vitamin A (900 mcg), vitamin C (90 mg), vitamin E (15 mg), calcium (1,300 mg), iron (18 mg), potassium (4,700 mg), magnesium (420 mg), folate (400 mcg) and zinc (11 mg). For each: amount ÷ (Daily Value × share), at most 1. Add them up.
- 3 nutrients to limit: saturated fat (20 g), added sugar (50 g) and sodium (2,300 mg). For each: amount ÷ (limit × share) − 1, only when above 0 and at most 3. Add them up.
- Result = 100 × (step 2 − 2 × step 3) ÷ 11, kept between 0 and 100.
- Score = 25 + 0.75 × result, rounded. The scale runs from 25 to 100 instead of 0 to 100: every edible recipe gets at least 25, and the order doesn’t change.
It follows the Nutrient Rich Foods index (NRF 9.3) with the U.S. FDA Daily Values for a 2,000 kcal day. Different from the published index: folate and zinc are added (11 nutrients instead of 9), the nutrients to limit count double and each at most three times its share, the 40 kcal floor, and the 25 to 100 scale. When some of the values it needs are unknown, the score is shown as “about”.
A recipe’s values are worked out from its ingredients, whose values are estimates.
Sources: Drewnowski A. Defining nutrient density: development and validation of the Nutrient Rich Foods index. J Am Coll Nutr. 2009;28(4):421S-426S; U.S. FDA, Daily Value on the Nutrition and Supplement Facts Labels.
A low score doesn’t make a recipe bad: treats and festive dishes have their place. Use the score to compare similar recipes. In the GapPlate app you also see how much of the gaps in your day a serving fills.
Units:
Ingredients
- 2 cups Rolled oats (uncooked) (213 g)
- 2 tbsp Vegetable oil (27 g)
- 1 tsp Mustard seeds (3.7 g)
- 1 tsp Split black gram (4.2 g)
- 8 leaves Curry leaves (4 g)
- 1 medium Onion (150 g)
- 2 pieces Green chili (30 g)
- 0.25 cup Carrot (38 g)
- 0.25 tsp Turmeric powder (0.6 g)
- 2 cups Water (473 g)
- Salt, to taste
- 1 handful Fresh Coriander (30 g)
- 1 tsp Lemon juice (5.1 g)
- Ingredients in total: 979 g
- Weight lost in cooking: 529 g (mostly water boiling off)
- Net weight (cooked): 450 g · 2 servings of about 225 g
Method
- Dry roast the rolled oats in a heavy-based pan over medium heat for 3 to 4 minutes until fragrant, then remove and set aside.
- In the same pan, heat the oil over medium heat and add the mustard seeds; once they start to pop and crackle, add the split black gram and sauté until golden.
- Add the curry leaves, green chillies, and onions to the pan, cooking until the onions turn translucent and soft.
- Stir in the chopped carrots and turmeric powder, cooking for 2 minutes until the carrots are slightly softened.
- Pour in the water and add salt, bringing the mixture to a rolling boil over high heat.
- Lower the heat and stir in the roasted oats, covering the pan with a lid to cook for 3 to 5 minutes until the water is absorbed and the oats are tender but not mushy.
- Remove from heat, fluff the upma with a fork, and garnish with chopped coriander leaves and a squeeze of fresh lemon juice before serving.
Nutrition
| Nutrient | Per serving (225 g) | Per 100 g |
|---|---|---|
| Calories | 591 kcal | 263 kcal |
| Protein | 16.8 g | 7.47 g |
| Water | 95.9 mL | 42.6 mL |
| Sodium | 28 mg | 12.5 mg |
| Total Carbohydrates | 85.4 g | 37.9 g |
| Total Fat | 21.9 g | 9.75 g |
| Sugar | 6.28 g | 2.79 g |
61 more nutrients
Carbohydrates
| Nutrient | Per serving (225 g) | Per 100 g |
|---|---|---|
| Added Sugar | 0 g | 0 g |
Minerals
| Nutrient | Per serving (225 g) | Per 100 g |
|---|---|---|
| Iron | 6.11 mg | 2.72 mg |
| Calcium | 119 mg | 52.9 mg |
| Magnesium | 177 mg | 78.6 mg |
| Potassium | 818 mg | 363 mg |
| Iodine | 0 mcg | 0 mcg |
| Phosphorus | 622 mg | 276 mg |
| Zinc | 4.72 mg | 2.1 mg |
| Chloride | 69.8 mg | 31 mg |
| Selenium | 31.9 mcg | 14.2 mcg |
| Copper | 0.79 mg | 0.35 mg |
| Fluoride | 0.091 mg | 0.041 mg |
| Manganese | 5.56 mg | 2.47 mg |
| Molybdenum | 11.9 mcg | 5.3 mcg |
| Chromium | 39.4 mcg | 17.5 mcg |
Fats
| Nutrient | Per serving (225 g) | Per 100 g |
|---|---|---|
| Trans Fat | 0 g | 0 g |
| Saturated Fat | 3.26 g | 1.45 g |
| Cholesterol | 0 mg | 0 mg |
| Monounsaturated Fat | 7.59 g | 3.37 g |
| Omega-3 Fatty Acids | 0.33 g | 0.14 g |
| Polyunsaturated Fat | 10.1 g | 4.47 g |
| Omega-6 Fatty Acids | 9.74 g | 4.33 g |
| DHA (Docosahexaenoic Acid) | 0 mg | 0 mg |
| EPA (Eicosapentaenoic Acid) | 0 mg | 0 mg |
| ALA (Alpha-Linolenic Acid) | 0.22 g | 0.1 g |
| Arachidonic Acid | 0 mg | 0 mg |
| Medium-Chain Triglycerides | 0 g | 0 g |
| Omega-9 Fatty Acids | 6.04 g | 2.69 g |
Fibre
| Nutrient | Per serving (225 g) | Per 100 g |
|---|---|---|
| Fiber | 14 g | 6.23 g |
| Soluble Fiber | 5.03 g | 2.23 g |
| Insoluble Fiber | 10.8 g | 4.8 g |
Vitamins
| Nutrient | Per serving (225 g) | Per 100 g |
|---|---|---|
| Vitamin B12 | 0 mcg | 0 mcg |
| Vitamin D | 0 mcg | 0 mcg |
| Vitamin C | 33.9 mg | 15.1 mg |
| Folate (B9) | 102 mcg | 45.4 mcg |
| Niacin (B3) | 1.78 mg | 0.79 mg |
| Vitamin A | 220 mcg RAE | 97.9 mcg RAE |
| Thiamin (B1) | 0.9 mg | 0.4 mg |
| Vitamin B6 | 0.33 mg | 0.15 mg |
| Riboflavin (B2) | 0.22 mg | 0.099 mg |
| Pantothenic Acid (B5) | 1.74 mg | 0.77 mg |
| Vitamin E | 3.78 mg | 1.68 mg |
| Vitamin K | 58.8 mcg | 26.1 mcg |
| Biotin (B7) | 23.8 mcg | 10.6 mcg |
| Beta-Carotene | 2,386 mcg | 1,060 mcg |
Others
| Nutrient | Per serving (225 g) | Per 100 g |
|---|---|---|
| Choline | 57.7 mg | 25.7 mg |
| Leucine | 1,619 mg | 719 mg |
| Lysine | 837 mg | 372 mg |
| Polyphenols | 378 mg | 168 mg |
| Methionine | 304 mg | 135 mg |
| Oxalates | 41.4 mg | 18.4 mg |
| Threonine | 693 mg | 308 mg |
| Tryptophan | 245 mg | 109 mg |
| Valine | 1,097 mg | 487 mg |
| Flavonoids | 159 mg | 70.7 mg |
| Histidine | 518 mg | 230 mg |
| Lutein / Zeaxanthin | 1.63 mg | 0.72 mg |
| Lycopene | 0 mg | 0 mg |
| Phenylalanine | 1,037 mg | 461 mg |
| Purines | 92.5 mg | 41.1 mg |
Proteins
| Nutrient | Per serving (225 g) | Per 100 g |
|---|---|---|
| Isoleucine | 1,020 mg | 454 mg |
Worked out from the ingredients with the GapPlate food library, per 100 g of the cooked dish. Estimates, not medical advice.
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