Usually, yes. Cleveland Clinic says it is hard to go wrong with basic oats, but flavored instant oatmeal packets are often laced with enough sugar to erode some of that nutritional value.

The oats themselves are the good part. Cleveland Clinic calls basic oats a whole grain with a stellar nutritional resume, packed with protein and dietary fiber. It counts both old-fashioned rolled oats and steel-cut oats as nutrient-rich choices. A half-cup of oats has about 4 grams of dietary fiber, and the clinic puts the daily fiber target for good gut health between 25 grams and 35 grams.

Part of what makes oats useful is beta-glucan, a soluble fiber. Cleveland Clinic explains that it breaks down into a gel-like solution that coats your gut and slows the absorption of glucose into your bloodstream. The Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health adds that the kind of oat matters for blood sugar. Less processed oats such as steel-cut take longer to digest, so they have a lower glycemic index than rolled or instant oats.

The trouble starts with the flavored packets. Cleveland Clinic says food manufacturers add sugar, often a lot of it, to make instant oatmeal taste better. Its advice is simple: check the label for added sugars, and if you see them, look for another option. Harvard Chan School gives the same warning, since many brands of instant oats come sweetened or flavored.

If plain oats taste too neutral, sweeten them yourself so you control the amount. Cleveland Clinic says fruit and spices make flavorful additions, and brown sugar or maple syrup are fine in moderation. The clinic also notes that some studies suggest oatmeal is an ideal food for someone with Type 2 diabetes, while other research has been more subdued about its effect on blood sugar control.

There is more to oats than sugar control. The Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health notes that the Food and Drug Administration allows a health claim on food labels linking beta-glucan soluble fiber from whole grain oats with a reduced risk of coronary heart disease. Harvard also says beta-glucan has been researched for slowing digestion, increasing fullness and curbing appetite. Several randomized controlled trials have found that oat beta-glucan can increase satiety, Harvard reports, though other studies have not consistently shown that eating oats leads to significant weight loss.

For people with Type 2 diabetes, Harvard Chan School points to a meta-analysis of 14 controlled trials and two observational studies. Compared with control groups, eating oats or oatmeal significantly reduced fasting blood glucose and hemoglobin A1c, a test that measures average blood glucose over the previous 2-3 months, especially in people who started with a high A1c. Harvard adds that the glycemic load of less processed oats like steel-cut is low to medium, while highly processed instant oats have a high glycemic load.

Time is the trade-off. Harvard says steel-cut oats generally take 25-30 minutes to cook, while instant oats take 1-2 minutes. One workaround is overnight oats, which Harvard suggests making with old-fashioned or rolled oats, not instant, soaked in a jar with milk and chopped fruit. Cleveland Clinic offers slow cooker steel-cut oats as another make-ahead option, and it notes that the mix of insoluble and soluble fiber in oats can help keep you regular.

Talk to your doctor if you need help fitting oatmeal into a diabetes eating plan.