What to Add To Oatmeal for Protein?

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There is no doubt that oats are considered to be one of the healthiest whole-grain foods on the planet earth. Although oats naturally contain plant-based protein, the organic compound is essential to every cell in the human body and necessary for growth, development, and cell repair. Here is what to add to oatmeal for protein.

So, what can you add to oatmeal for extra protein? Nuts, seeds, milk, yogurt, and protein powder are the best things to add to oatmeal for protein.

Oatmeal offers a number of health benefits in addition to being a gluten-free food. Further, it is also a rich source of fiber, minerals, vitamins, and antioxidants. They help with weight loss, bring down levels of blood sugar, and also reduce the risk of heart disease.

In this article, we will have a look at some interesting facts and information about oatmeal protein. In addition, this article explores the benefits of eating oatmeal for protein, and discusses ways to add more protein to that bowl of oats.

Oatmeal Protein

Below we will detail easy ways to make that bowl of oatmeal a good source of protein.

How Much Protein is in Oatmeal?

In fact, many different types of oats that are used to cook oatmeal. The most common are steel-cut oats, rolled oats, and quick oats, but the list does not stop there.

A standard serving of oatmeal is a half-cup of dry oats. When the portion is measured dry, it has around 5.9 grams of protein.

When cooked, half cup of dry oats turns into a full cup of tasty and nutritious cooked oatmeal. If you eat the oatmeal as it is, there is only 5.9 grams of high-quality plant-based protein.

Is this possible? Let us try and have a look at ways to increase protein in oatmeal.

How Do You Increase Protein in Oatmeal?

Many simple and easily doable tips could help you increase the protein content as far as your oatmeal is concerned.

For example, after cooking the oatmeal, you can add milk and top it up with a handful of almonds. This is good enough to increase the protein content in your oatmeal from 5.9 grams to over 20 grams.

Apart from the above, there are other ways to add protein content to your bowl of oatmeal. Let us learn a few ways by which this can be done easily and without too much struggle and effort.

Cook it in Milk

Cooking your oatmeal in milk is probably the easiest and simplest way to increase protein concentration. Coat the oats with a glass of whole milk, skim milk, almond milk, or even soy milk, for a protein boost.

An average man should aim to get around 56 grams of protein daily. Protein must account for around 10 to 35% of your daily calories. The rest of the caloric intake should come from other nutrients like carbohydrates and healthy fats.

Nut Butter and Seeds

Adding peanut, cashew, or almond butter is one of the simple ways that could help add protein content. Peanut butter can add an impressive 8 grams of protein to your oatmeal.

Apart from almond butter and peanut butter, look at other types of nuts depending on your taste buds. Sunflower butter and tahini are a few palatable choices that we enjoy. Stick to unsweetened products so that you can have better control over your sugar intake.

Chia, flax, and hemp seeds are some additional options that can be eaten raw as a garnish. Or, you can cook quinoa with the oats for more diversity.

Greek Yogurt

Greek yogurt adds a tangy and luxurious flavor apart from adding a silky and creamy texture to the oatmeal. While regular yogurt also is a reasonably rich source of protein, Greek yogurt is considered to be superior.

A 6 ounce serving of quality Greek yogurt contains around 16 to 20 grams of protein. It can easily provide you with a protein equivalent to a 2 to 3-ounce serving of lean meat.

What can I mix with Oatmeal?

The good thing about oats is that it is a versatile food that goes well with several other pairings. While being one of the healthiest breakfast items on planet Earth, it also is quick to prepare, cheap, and packed with several vital nutrients.

However, eating the same bland preparation of oats day in and day out could be boring and underwhelming. Hence, we are happy to have a look at some of the oatmeal toppings that could make it more enjoyable, tasty, and of course, filling and nutritious.

Drizzle your Chai. You could make use of a pre-mixed concentrate such as Dona Chai and this will help create aromatic and nuanced oats.

You also could replace your conventional cooking liquid with herbal tea and this will certainly increase the flavor and give that tasty and appetizing perfumed flavor.

If you want to add some grainy element to it, you could think of amaranth, buckwheat, and millet. You also could pair it with sweet potatoes or homemade applesauce, this will add taste to it apart from giving that special and unique creamy punch.

Many people add clarified butter, also known as Ghee. This does improve the taste quite considerably.

You are only limited by your imagination when it comes to adding other ingredients to make oatmeal tastier and perhaps even more nutritious.

There are many who enjoy oatmeal with curry paste and pumpkin puree. Another great idea would be to add unsweetened coconut flakes and coconut milk to amplify the taste of your oatmeal quite considerably.

Fried egg and crispy bacon drizzled with maple syrup is a beautiful combination that will surely enhance the amount of protein in your oatmeal dish.

Can I add Protein to Oatmeal?

Yes, there is nothing wrong in adding protein powder to oatmeal. However, you should only add the supplements after the oatmeal has been cooked and while it is still hot.

Adding protein powder supplement to the oatmeal when it is hot helps it to dissolve quickly and it is also easier to stir. Once the oats have cooled, they clump up and it becomes difficult to mix in a dry powder.

Realize that adding dry powder will thicken the oatmeal, so you could add a splash of regular milk or dairy-free milk for taste and to adjust the consistency of the oatmeal based on your preference.

How to Add Protein to Vegan Oatmeal?

If you are a vegan, but still would like to ensure that your oatmeal has the required protein content in it, you need not worry. There are many vegan-based proteins that are as nutritious as animal protein or dairy protein.

Nuts, seeds, dairy-free yogurts and plant-based protein powders will help you as a vegan to get the required protein in your oatmeal.

Tips for Oatmeal Protein

The best thing about oatmeal is that it is a highly nutritious food on its own, though it could be a little low in the amount of natural protein. Oats provide a balanced source of nutrition, and they are a great vehicle for toppings, mix-ins, and garnishes that are protein-rich.

If you regularly consume a protein-rich diet, then you can eat oatmeal without added protein.

If not, we are sure that the above would have given our readers a reasonably good idea about adding oatmeal protein externally.

The best sources of protein to add to oatmeal are nuts, seeds, milk, yogurt and to supplement with protein powder. The next time around you are planning an oatmeal and would like to make it protein-rich, keep that in mind.

There is no doubt that you have plenty of options available. This article provided countless variations of oatmeal protein options that are tasty, nutritious, affordable, and also simple to prepare.