Oatmeal is more than a meal. Many people remember oatmeal as something suited to cold winter mornings, but this age-old dish is perfect for snack time. The American Cancer Society gives five reasons you should incorporate oatmeal into your diet.

According to a Penn State University study, oatmeal helps you maintain a steady level of energy throughout the day. This is because of its large amount of extra-soluble fiber, which helps slow the release of sugar into the bloodstream, helping you avoid sugar spikes and keeping you from getting that sleepy feeling shortly after you eat.

Oatmeal contains high amounts of insoluble fiber, which contains cancer-fighting properties that attack certain bile acids, reducing their toxicity.

Soluble fiber found in oatmeal has been found to reduce the bad LDL cholesterol without lowering the good HDL cholesterol.

Oatmeal is a good source of many nutrients including vitamin E, zinc, selenium, copper, iron, manganese and magnesium. Oatmeal is also a good source of protein.

It has been found that those who eat more oatmeal are less likely to develop heart disease, a disease that is currently widespread in the United States.

So when shopping for oatmeal, challenge yourself to look for brands that are low in sugar, because the added sweet stuff defeats the purpose of maintaining level blood sugar.