Oatmeal

One of the healthiest & quickest meals you can have!

Today’s post is going to be a bit different than usual, but I would be remiss not to share it since I’ve had such positive results with the information.  As I’ve mentioned in numerous other posts, one of the biggest mistakes I commonly see people make is eating a very low-protein diet – especially in the early half of the day. Don’t let me fool you, not so long ago I was also someone who indulged in cinnamon rolls, toaster strudels, and pop tarts bright and early in the morning but that was before I realized how much better I would feel starting my day with a protein-loaded meal. Since I went into a deep dive in one of my previous posts about protein, I won’t be a broken record and repeat myself, but I highly recommend you go back to give it a quick read if you haven’t had the opportunity.

When I had a little more time on my hands, I loved starting my day with a vegetable omelette, fruit, toast and all the fixings. However, with a busier schedule, I don’t have the time to go to all that trouble, but I’ve found another way to get in a very nutritious breakfast that I can eat on the go … protein-packed oatmeal. Not only is it extremely nutritious but the topping choices for oatmeal are endless which allows you to mix it up and not get tired of eating the same thing over and over.

There are a couple options you have here for the preparation process. For me, I like to mix all the ingredients together the night before, let them soak in the fridge until the next morning and then eat them cold. However, if this doesn’t sound appetizing, you can also warm them up after letting them soak the night before or just make them the morning of and warm them up – whatever way you choose, the entire process takes less than 5 minutes!

Below you’ll see my process for making the oats, the ‘overnight’ recipe is when I make them overnight and eat them cold and the ‘hot’ is when I make them in the morning. Also, as mentioned above, you can make them the night before as the ‘overnight’ style and warm them up as you wish!

One thing I’d like to point out for those of you who are trying to lose weight and/or avoid carbohydrates in excess is that depending on your topping choices, this recipe can often get carbohydrate heavy so be cognizant of that. In this case, instead of going for the honey or brown sugar, choose to add your favorite fruit alongside nut butter for a lower carbohydrate option!

Overnight Oats:

Base:

- ¾ cup of old-fashioned oats

- Covered with milk (less = thicker) – I use a 1:1 ratio of milk to oats

- 2 tablespoons of Greek yogurt

- Cinnamon

- 1 hefty scoop of protein powder (I use Optimum Gold Standard chocolate whey)

Extra:

- Sometimes I’ll use pumpkin puree instead of or alongside the yogurt

- I top mine with frozen blueberries, but you can add any fruit

- I often

add walnuts and almond butter for healthy fats

- You can add honey, brown sugar, vanilla extract, or a dash of maple syrup if you want it sweeter!

Whatever you choose, let them sit in the fridge for at least five hours before consuming so they can soften! I make five mason jars full on Sunday and eat them throughout the week for a quick & healthy breakfast on the go.

Hot Oatmeal

Base:

-  ½ - ¾ cup of old-fashioned oats

- Covered with milk (less = thicker) – I use a 1:1 ratio of milk to oats

- Microwave this on high for 1 minute 50 seconds

- Add a scoop of protein powder and cinnamon & stir (sometimes I add yogurt or pumpkin puree, too)

Add the toppings of your choice:

- Frozen blueberries

- Nut butter

- Walnuts or Pecans

- Coconut flakes

- Dark chocolate chips

- Banana

- Strawberries

- Apple

- Vanilla extract

- Honey

- Brown sugar

Again, the topping options are endless which is why I love it and have yet to get sick of it after multiple years of eating oatmeal nearly every single day!

If you have a recipe you love and recommend we try it, drop it in the comments below!

Quote of the week:

“Today is your day to start fresh, to eat right, to train hard, to live healthy, to be proud.”
– Bonnie Pfiester

DISCLAIMER

-       This is NOT Medical advice. Consult your medical professional before starting any supplement, diet regimen, or workout program.