Protein Powder Oatmeal with Apple Sauce (24g protein!)

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This protein powder oatmeal is the perfect high protein breakfast and a great way to start the day. One bowl contains 24 grams of protein! Plus, you’re going to love the spiced apple sauce I serve it with.

Spiced with warming cinnamon and nutmeg, this is the perfect comforting breakfast for a cold winter’s morning!

Protein is a super important part of any diet. It helps your body to repairs cells and make new ones.

This also means it is important when it comes to building and maintaining muscle. If weight loss is your goal, protein is important because it is the most filling macro, so a protein packed meal will keep you fuller for longer.

The average woman needs 45g protein a day, and the average man needs 55g protein per day. However this varies according to weight and activity level.

As a general rule, you need about 0.75g protein per kilo of body weight.

A scoop of protein powder is an easy way to up the protein content of your meal. There are lots of different types of protein powder you can try!

Whey protein powder is very popular, but vegan protein powder is also available (usually made from peas or soy!)

I recommend checking the ingredients on your protein powder packet and making sure you buy from a reputable brand.

Some protein powders, particularly flavored ones like chocolate protein powder or vanilla protein powder, contain nasty chemicals and artificial sweeteners. Try to buy natural protein powder wherever possible!

Ingredients

What are the key ingredients in this high protein oatmeal recipe?

Oatmeal

Rolled Oats
Rolled oats are oats that have been de-husked and steamed to make them softer and milder. They break down easier, giving oatmeal a creamy texture.

Protein Powder
Whatever your favorite protein powder, whack it in! There’s no need to buy a flavored powder, as you will add seasoning to the oatmeal.

Ground Nutmeg
Nutmeg adds a warm flavor to your oatmeal. If you are feeling brave, why not grate some fresh nutmeg?

Soy milk
If you use soy milk and plant-based protein powder, these protein oats will be entirely vegan! But feel free to use dairy milk if you prefer.

Vanilla extract
Also adds flavor, and a hint of sweetness!

Spiced Apple Sauce

Butter
Butter forms a delicious rich base to the spiced apple sauce.

Apple
Any kind of apple works! I would recommend going for a sweeter variety, as the sauce does not have any sweetener added to it.

Cinnamon
Cinnamon complements the nutmeg to create the perfect wintery, spiced flavor.

Cranberries
Sweet, sharp cranberries add texture, color and flavor to the dish. Replace with raisins if you don’t have cranberries to hand.

How many calories are in this protein powder oatmeal?

This protein powder oatmeal contains 363 calories per serving, and it contains 24g protein per serving.

kcal 363kcal

Carbs 43g

Fat 12g

Protein 24g

These quick oats are also easily made vegan and gluten-free. At around 400 calories, it’s a great dish when you’re counting the calories, and it provides an incredible 24 grams of protein!

Health benefits

This is a great option if you are trying to eat more healthily.

First of all, oats are a great source of fiber, protein and many vitamins, minerals and antioxidants. The fiber they contain is a particularly strong one called beta-glucan.

It dissolves in your stomach to form a thick gel, which really fills you up, as well as helping to reduce your blood sugar, increase the growth of good bacteria in your gut and reduce cholesterol.

Another health benefit of this breakfast is the fact that it contains a huge chunk of your daily protein requirements! Furthermore, it is low in saturated fat, at only 5g per portion. This means that most of the fat in this meal is healthy fat!

How to make protein powder oatmeal

This dish is super easy to put together! Let me show you how:

How to prepare the oats:

• Mix: Add rolled oats, protein powder, nutmeg and salt to a medium saucepan and mix.
• Cook: Add milk, water and vanilla extract. Cook over a medium heat, stirring regularly while it simmers. Cook until the milk has just thickened. Don’t overdo it or your oatmeal will be thick and stodgy.

How to prepare the spiced apple sauce:

• Dice: Dice the apple into 1cm cubes.
• Melt: Melt the butter over medium heat.
• Cook: Add the apple and cook until the edges begin to brown. Then add cranberries, cinnamon and water. Mix and cook until you have a saucy consistency. Don’t let it dry out too much.
• Fold: Fold in the chopped almonds.

To serve, pour the oatmeal into a bowl, then drizzle with the sauce. If you like, you can add a sprinkle of chopped almonds and a dash more soy milk on top! A splash of maple syrup or a smatter of brown sugar will sweeten it, if that’s what you need.

FAQs

Can I make this ahead?

I wouldn’t recommend cooking the oats ahead of time if you intend to reheat them, as they will get very thick and lumpy. However, you can definitely make the oat, nutmeg and salt mixture ahead of time and store in an airtight container or in portions in a ziplock bags.

You can also make the apple sauce ahead of time and keep it in the fridge, then whack in the microwave for a couple of minutes.

You could make this as an overnight oats recipe, however, I think the warm, wintery flavors are best suited to being eaten warm.

How to store and reheat?

This is best eaten fresh, but if you have leftovers, then store them in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days. Reheat the oats in a pan. You will probably want to add a dash more milk to loosen them up a bit.

The apple sauce can be reheated in a pan or the microwave. It will probably also need a dash more liquid.

Is it good to add protein powder to oatmeal?

Yes! It blends in really well, and means you can meet a large chunk of your protein needs in a your first meal of the day!

Does protein powder dissolve in oatmeal?

Yes! As you cook the oats in milk, the protein powder will dissolve into the liquid, in exactly the same way it does when you make a protein shake!

Should you add protein powder to oatmeal before or after cooking?

Before cooking is the best time to add protein powder to oatmeal. This way it has a chance to dissolve into the milk or water, and you won’t even realise it’s there!

Variations and Alternatives

There are many ways to vary this protein powder oatmeal.

You can use any type of milk: cow’s milk, almond milk, coconut milk – whatever you prefer. You can also choose what type of protein powder you would prefer.

If you don’t have protein powder, you could stir in some cottage cheese or greek yogurt. This will never be as high protein as the original recipe, but it will add some extra protein!

Another way that you can up the protein levels in your porridge without using protein powder is by stirring in egg whites. Add them once the oatmeal is almost cooked – you only want to stir them in for 1-2 minutes, not long enough for them to scramble.

If you don’t have cinnamon and nutmeg, then try adding mixed spice instead! And if you don’t have apples, pears would also work for the sauce. Cranberries can be replaced with raisins or another dried fruit of your choosing.

If you want it to be vegan, use vegan protein powder and stick to soy milk! If you want it to be gluten-free, buy gluten-free oats.

More Recipes Section

Love the sound of these healthy morning oats? I’ve got more where that came from. You could try our cornmeal porridge with berry sauce, or this delicious mocha oatmeal, or even our vegan noatmeal porridge (made from quinoa!).

If you priority is finding high protein breakfasts, then why not check out this spinach and chickpea bake (23g protein), this yogurt bowl with raspberry compote (21g), this pineapple spinach smoothie (20g) or these smoked tofu breakfast egg muffins (22g).

In fact, you should really download our High Protein Meal Plan, if you want an easy way to plan a healthy high protein diet!

I hope you enjoyed trying this healthy breakfast of oats, fresh fruit and protein powder. Protein powder oatmeal has got to be one of the best ways to breakfast!