Who can have enough of oatmeal? Oatmeal is very easy to prepare, especially in the morning, when you just need to whip up something every simple and rush to work. However, if there is one thing that oatmeal is not rich in – its protein! Protein is an essential macronutrient as it helps in building muscle, renewing, and generating cells and contributes to healthy body organs. Therefore, you need to include protein in every meal, especially breakfast, to provide energy throughout the day. Remember, breakfast is the most important meal of the day, so you need to have a balanced diet. In this article, we are taking a look at protein oats. Here are eleven ways to add protein to oatmeal to ensure you reap the goodness of fiber, protein, and other nutrients from your breakfast. Take a look!
- Protein powder in oatmeal
- Cottage cheese oatmeal
- Cook oatmeal with high protein milk
- Oatmeal with Egg whites
- Greek yogurt oatmeal
- Oatmeal with nut butter
- Sprinkle some ground flax/chia/hemp seeds over your oatmeal
- Oatmeal with turkey bacon
- Oatmeal with Pistachios
- Oatmeal with Sliced turkey
- Oatmeal with Black beans
Protein Powder in Oatmeal
Protein Value 26g
Looking for a fast and effortless ingredient for those crazy mornings, you can’t chop up ingredients? Protein powder is the ideal ingredient! Protein powder may first strike you as something for bodybuilders and athletes only, but I have tried it, and to say the least, I love it! Its quick, simple, and packs loads of proteins.
The best part is there are so many varieties of protein powders in flavor, so you can always choose your best. I have tried the chocolate peanut butter protein powder, and I can’t explain how well it goes with oatmeal. There is also a variety of protein butter options for vegans.
Protein powder goes well with any oatmeal, so don’t stress about the nitty-gritty. You can use one scoop of protein powder to mix with your oats overnight or on a cooktop for a couple of minutes.
Protein Powder in Oatmeal Recipe
- 1/2 cup of rolled oats
- 1 scoop of protein powder
- 1/2 sliced banana (optional)
- 1/2 tsp cinnamon (optional)
- A pinch of sea salt
- 1 cup of water
- Toppings of your choice
Protein Powder in Oatmeal Instructions
- Add the oats, banana slices, and sea salt into a saucepan. Add the water and stir.
- Add the cinnamon or vanilla if using.
- Heat for 8-10 minutes or until all the liquid has been absorbed. Ensure you stir severally to ensure the banana slices melt into the oats.
- Remove from the heat when the liquid has absorbed, and the oatmeal is thick and fluffy.
- Stir in the protein powder.
- You can add some milk or water if the consistency gets too thick.
- Transfer the oatmeal to a bowl, add the toppings, and enjoy!
Cottage cheese oatmeal
Protein value: 25g per cup of cottage cheese
Cottage cheese in oatmeal is a double win because it adds the protein value to the oats and makes the oatmeal much creamier! Before you jump in with your dislike for cottage cheese, give this recipe a chance. You will not even feel the cheese’s taste in the oatmeal as the cheese completely blends in with the oats and other ingredients.
Cottage cheese also goes well with any type of oatmeal. You don’t need a whole cup to reap the benefits of the cottage cheese. If you are not a big fan of cottage cheese, ensure you add the cheese to warm oatmeal so the warmth can breakdown the cheese and mix it with the oats and other ingredients.
You can swap the cottage cheese for parmesan cheese for a savory taste in your oatmeal. However, parmesan contains less protein compared to cottage cheese.
Cook oatmeal with high protein milk
Protein serving: 9g per 1 cup serving
If you like your oatmeal with milk, why not use some high-protein milk? Besides adding protein to your morning dish, the milk will also make the oatmeal creamier and tasteful. Remember that milk has more benefits than juts proteins. You will reap all the calcium, potassium, and iodine among the nutritional benefits.
Vegans or anyone who does not take dairy can swap the dairy milk with soy, hemp, rice, flax, quinoa, almond, or coconut high protein milk. Ensure you read the packaging as other types of milk usually don’t have any protein. Using high protein milk adds nutrients to your oatmeal compared to using water.
Oatmeal with egg whites
Protein value: 3.5g per 2 tbsps
Egg white? I was also as surprised as you were when I realized people use egg white in their oatmeal, but I couldn’t look back when I tried it. Adding egg white to your oats is also very simple as you need to add them in the last two minutes of cooking. 2-3 tablespoons of egg white are enough of you don’t want it overbearing the oatmeal. Egg whites add a toasty flavor to your oats, so if you are craving some toast, give this a try!
You can add egg whites in any of these three ways;
- By using egg whites from whole eggs in your fridge. Ensure you separate the egg white from the yolk very carefully.
- Add a whole egg, including the yolk, for more protein.
- Purchase packaged egg whites from the grocery store.
Greek yogurt oatmeal
Protein value: 7g per 1/4 cup of Greek yogurt
Greek yogurt, similar to cottage cheese, is one ingredient that you either like or dislike. However, the good news is that with the right combination and additional ingredients, you will be wonderfully surprised. Yogurt is loaded with proteins and probiotics, both of which are great for your digestive tract.
I recommend going for the plain or full-fat Greek yogurt. The flavored varieties usually contain a lot of sugar, which is not good. You can add your favorite toppings or syrup as a sweetener. However, if you cannot stand plain Greek yogurt, you can use flavored yogurt. Also, Greek yogurt works with any oatmeal, whether cold or warm. Avoid adding Greek yogurt to hot oats to it will curdle.
Oatmeal with nut butter
Protein value: 8g per 2tbsp of butter
Adding a scoop of nut or seed butter to your oatmeal is both nutritious and tasteful. The nut butter is as nutritious as it looks and adds a decent amount of protein to the oats depending on your choice of butter. Peanut butter or almond butter works well with oats, but you can give any other a try.
The best time to add the butter is right after the oatmeal is off the heat. Add two tablespoons and stir until it blends into the oats. You can also drizzle the butter on top of the oatmeal as a topping. You can start with two tablespoons and see how you like it to add or reduce over time.
If you are allergic to nuts, don’t worry. You can always be a seed butter like sunflower seed butter instead of nut butter. Ensure its equally protein-rich to get the same benefits. Remember that nut butter is also packed with minerals like zinc, magnesium, and phosphorus.
Sprinkle some ground flax/chia/hemp seeds over your oatmeal
Protein value: Flax and Chia seeds – 1.5g per 1 tablespoon; hemp seeds- 3g per 1 tablespoon
Flax and chai as seeds are some of the best seeds when it comes to protein content. Hemp seeds are even richer than the two in protein content. These seeds are a great way to increase the protein content in your oatmeal while maintaining the oats’ texture and consistency. You will also be adding a chewy flavor to the oatmeal. Flax and chia seeds absorb the water in your oatmeal during cooking, leaving the oatmeal dry and viscous. Ensure you add more water.
These seeds can either be added while the oatmeal is cooking or after cooking. Ensure your flax seeds are well-ground as the body can absorb the nutrients when ground rather than when the seeds are whole. Apart from the protein, these seeds also add fiber and omega fatty acids to the oatmeal.
Other ways of adding protein to your oatmeal include;
Oatmeal with turkey bacon
Sounds surprising, but mixing some veggies, turkey bacon shreds, and peanut butter into your oatmeal is delicious and satisfying. A quarter cup of turkey bacon packs six grams of protein.
Oatmeal with Pistachios
These are great toppings with some almonds a peanut. Each ounce of pistachios packs six grams of protein. You can include the pistachios with the rest of your favorite toppings.
Oatmeal with Sliced turkey
Use up the turkey sitting in your fridge to add protein to your oatmeal, especially if you have oatmeal for lunch or dinner. You can chop it into smaller pieces and combine it with some cheese or butter. Once slice of turkey packs 3.5g of protein.
Oatmeal with Black beans
If you are having your oatmeal for dinner or lunch, some black beans are a great addition. There are amazing recipes if you are sceptical about this. Every 1/4 cup of black beans contains three grams of protein.
Protein Takeway:
Protein Oats – 11 Ways to Make Protein Oatmeal
So, which is your favourite addition to make protein oats? We have ensured all the products we have reviewed are easily available and affordable to make everything easier for you. Try out these go-to ingredients and let us know your fav!
