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High Protein Chocolate Oatmeal! Make better balanced oatmeal with protein for balancing fat loss hormones and losing weight. Prep as instant oats or overnight oats with simple, healthy ingredients. Gluten Free + Low Calorie
I love a good bowl of oatmeal in the morning to wake up to. Oatmeal is a great form of fiber which is so important for weight loss. I talk more about why that is in my free weight loss training.
But here's the thing about oatmeal...you can't eat it without PROTEIN. Protein is king for stabilizing blood sugar and balancing the good carbs in oatmeal.
I find with my clients they are never eating enough protein and they're not balancing the ingredients in their meals in a way to keep their blood sugar stable. Blood sugar management really is key regardless if you're someone who is pre-diabetic, diabetic or has metabolic disorder.
Cravings is the number one question I get from people. The truth is cravings can be complex, but generally cravings are a result of not eating enough of food and not eating enough PROTEIN.
Why high protein oatmeal is important
Adding protein to oatmeal is so important and a common mistake people make.
Eating food isn't just about the number of calories, having healthy ingredients and high quality ingredients, but about the proper nutrition.
What I mean by proper nutrition, is balancing the protein, carbs and fat.
If you're eating something high in carbs like oatmeal without adding a significant amount of protein, you will be hungry a few hours later because there's no protein to balance your blood sugar.
If you're asking if just adding fat like nuts and nut butters is good enough for a protein source, the answer is no.
Nuts and nut butters are much higher in fat than protein and adding a higher fat food to a high carb food like oatmeal without protein is a recipe for cravings because the ingredients were not balanced properly.
High Protein Chocolate Oatmeal
This easy, make at home oatmeal uses just five simple ingredients. Ingredients I highly recommend are always in your pantry!
Oats, protein powder, ground flax and cinnamon. This mix of ingredients keep the nutrition (carbs, fat and protein) balanced so you'll stay full after eating it.
I used a dairy-free, Vegan and gluten free protein powder, but you can use any protein powder.
My only watch out with the protein powder is to pay attention to the carb content. The protein powder I used is lower in carbs to balance the good carbs in the oats.
What You Need
- Gluten Free Rolled Oats (or oats of choice)
- Chocolate Protein Powder
- Ground Flax
- Cinnamon
- Milk
- Berries (optional)
How to make high protein oatmeal
To make high protein chocolate oatmeal, add the dry ingredients together in a bowl, add the milk and heat for two minutes in a microwave or warm in a saucepan on the stove 5-7 minutes stirring until thick and most of the milk is absorbed.
What protein powders are best for protein oatmeal?
The best protein powders are higher in protein (20 grams or more) and lower in carbohydrates. Ideally, they have no added sugar.
As I mentioned above, I like plant-based Garden of Life (gluten and dairy free) but any protein powder that agrees with you and that you like will work. Protein powder is very individual and you will have to try different brands and flavors to find one you enjoy!
Here are some of the protein powders I personally enjoy: Active Stacks Beef Protein, Legion Whey Protein, Legion Plant-Based, Orgain, 1st Phorm, Premier Protein
Can I use collagen instead of protein powder?
Collagen is not a complete protein and is missing the important amino acid leucine which aids in muscle protein synthesis. Collagen is great for hair, nails and joints, but it is not helpful when the goal is maintaining or building muscle mass and / or changing body composition.
Can you meal prep high protein oatmeal overnight oats
Yes! You can definitely meal prep this recipe as overnight oats with milk and let it soak overnight in a mason jar. Here is my Protein Overnight Oats Recipe!
More Oatmeal Recipes:
- Protein Overnight Oats
- Blueberry Protein Oatmeal Bake
- Healthy Berry Protein Oatmeal Bake
- High Protein Oatmeal, How To Make Healthier Oatmeal
High Protein Chocolate Oatmeal
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup Gluten Free Rolled Oats
- 1/3 cup Chocolate protein powder
- 1 tablespoon Flax Meal or chia seeds
- 1/2 teaspoon Cinnamon
- 3/4 cup Unsweetened Almond Milk or as much milk as you need to thicken
Instructions
For Instant Oats:
- Place all ingredients except milk in a mason jar or plastic bag. When ready to eat, add milk, stir, and heat for 1:30 to 2:00 minutes in the microwave. Top with fresh fruit if you wish.
For Overnight Oats:
- Place all ingredients in a mason jar. Stir the ingredients together, cover and place in the refrigerator overnight. Eat the next day. Fruit can be added the night before or day of.
Notes
- Visit my Amazon shop for more products I used for this recipe and recommend to my nutrition clients.
Nutrition
What I Used For The Recipe
1/2 tablespoon cinnamon? That seems like a lot, should it be 1/2 teaspoon?
Yes! Thanks for the catch. It's been updated.
How would you do this using greek yogurt in combination with almond milk? Greek yogurt would add some more protein to the mix!
If I were to do that, I'd do 1/2 cup Greek yogurt then add 1/2 cup of milk and see what the consistency is like. You can always add more milk depending on how you like it.