Power Oats

"Breakfast is the most important meal of the day". Im sure everyone has heard that once or twice. Whether or not it's actually true, most of the time it's printed on the back of breakfast cereal boxes that claim to have tons of fiber and a low sugar content. While these two things are healthy, it's also good to have protein and healthy fats for breakfast, which are rarely included in even the most "healthy" breakfast cereals.

This post shows you how to make an easy, tasty, and healthy bowl of oats to kickstart your day, complete with protein, heathy fats, fiber, and low-glycemic carbs.

Ingredients:
 - 1/2 cup quick cook or old fashion rolled oats
 - 1 scoop of protein powder of your choice
 - 3 Tbs ground chia seeds (1.5 Tbs whole chia seeds)
 - optional toppings like bananas, blueberries, nuts

Nutritional Benefits:
Oats are not only very high in fiber and low in sugar, but contain a ton of low-glycemic carbs. 1/2 cup of oats also has 5 grams of "complete protein" (all amino acids). This recipe also contains chia, which supplies you with 4 grams of Omega 3s and 6s, which slow your digestion and make you feel full for longer, in addition to all the other amazing health benefits they have (like a complete protein complex). Finally, the protein powder adds over 20 gramps of protein, the equivalent of 5 eggs or 2 servings of lunch meat. This small bowl of oats is a great way to start your day!

Directions:
If you are using rolled oats, grind them for a few seconds in a food processor or coffee-grinder to turn them into "quick cook" oats (just smaller, faster-cooking, flakes of oats).

If your chia seeds are not ground, grind them for 10-15 seconds in the same grinder until powdery. Using whole seeds is fine too, they will just digest slower and your oatmeal won't be as thick.

In a large, microwavable cereal bowl, mix together the oats, protein powder, and chia seeds. Add however much lukewarm water you like in your oatmeal, and stir until the protein powder and chia seeds are fully incorporated. If you ground your chia seeds, you may need to add more water because they absorb water and turn into a gel-like substance. Also, if you add boiling water instead of lukewarm water, the protein powder may 'curdle' and not dissolve. 

Microwave your oatmeal for several minutes, checking to make sure it doesn't boil over.
When it's cooked, add your favorite toppings, or just eat it as is!

Nutrition Facts 
Serving Size:    1 bowl
Calories:                350

Fat:                          8 g
    Saturated Fat:     1 g  
    Omega-3/6:        5 g
Carbs:                   35 g
    Sugar:                 2 g
    Fiber                 11 g
Protein:                 33 g