How to make protein porridge #Proats

Love your daily bowl of oats, but looking to add more protein to your breakfast? Enter, protein porridge, aka #proats. Powering up your everyday oats with protein powder is a breakfast game-changer; making for the ultimate hunger-crunching, muscle-building, energy-boosting breakfast.

But here’s the catch. Protein porridge might sound simple, but a few savvy cooking hacks can mean the difference between lumps of curdled protein (no, thank you) and a smooth, creamy breakfast bowl of dreams (yes, please). We know which one you’re looking for!

Here’s how to make protein porridge, the right way…

Why make protein porridge?

Oats are an amazing source of soluble fibre, while protein powder is a great source of (well, you guessed it) protein. Both are healthy in their own right, but putting them together is like a match made in breakfast health heaven.

A bowl of proats provides a more balanced macronutrient ratio of carbohydrates, protein and fats, meaning you’ll stay fuelled and fuller for longer, which in turn, can help you to maintain a healthy weight.

And if you’re not keen on the flavour of porridge on its own, adding protein powder and a few nutrient-dense toppings (more on that later) is an easy way to amp up the texture and flavour.

A bowl of creamy, flavour-packed oats, which will keep you full for hours? Here for it.

How to make protein porridge

The base of your protein porridge is super simple. All you need is oats, protein powder (check out Purition if you’re looking for a high-protein shake) and your favourite milk.

You can change up the volume of ingredients to suit you. Looking for a lighter breakfast? You could try 30g oats and 20g of protein powder (2 heaped tsp Purition), with a few berries on top.

Got an active day ahead of you or looking to build muscle? You might choose 50g oats and 40g of protein powder (4 heaped tsp Purition), plus some healthy, protein-packed toppings like nuts and seeds.

Tip: You can also try adding your protein powder into your porridge after it’s heated through. It’s really a case of trial and error, as all protein powders will work differently. Give both methods a go to see which gives you the smoothest result.

Photos by Emma Harrel at Cook, Shoot & Share

If you prefer to keep things simple, just pour your proats into a bowl and voila. Protein-packed morning oats, ready in a flash!

But if you fancy amping up your proats with some extras or toppings, now’s the time. It’s as simple as a quick sprinkle of your fave seeds, nuts and fruits. Stir them through or leave them on top – it’s up to you.

We’ll talk about the most nutritious topping options later, but for now, here’s one of our go-to protein porridge topping ideas. Remember that this is totally optional; you can use whichever toppings you like.

Photos by Emma Harrel at Cook, Shoot & Share

How to make protein porridge: 7 extra tips

No one has time for mediocre protein oats. You deserve creamy, nutty, rich and healthy breakfast proats and nothing less!

With that said, these 7 must-know protein porridge tips will help you to make the #proats of your breakfast dreams...

1. Try different methods

Is it better to add protein powder to your oats before, during or after cooking? You’ll get conflicting opinions on this one. Everyone will have their own preferred method, so we’d recommend trying the following 3 methods to see which gives you the flavour and consistency you enjoy most.

• Mix the protein powder with oats and milk before cooking your oats. Make sure to keep the heat low and stir often. Too much heat could cause your proats to clump up.
• Mix the protein powder into your oats immediately after cooking and stir thoroughly.
• For a super smooth experience, try stirring protein powder into a paste with a little milk or water before adding it to your oats.

2. Use milk for the creamiest result

Cooking your oats with milk, rather than water, will give you a thicker, creamier protein porridge.

Experiment with different kinds of milk to see which you like the best. Dairy works great, but why not try out some unsweetened nut or seed milk too? They’ve got the potential to add a whole new flavour element to your protein porridge! We love coconut, hemp and oat.

If for any reason you’d prefer to go easy on the milk, try a 50/50 ratio of water to milk.

Photos by Emma Harrel at Cook, Shoot & Share

3. Choose nutritious toppings

Adding toppings to your protein porridge is an easy way to increase both the nutritional value and flavour of your bowl. After all, who doesn’t love creamy hints of nut butter or crunchy bites of nuts and seeds?

However, being savvy with your topping choices is key to making your proats both nutritious and satisfying. You wouldn’t want to undermine an otherwise healthy breakfast by adding high sugar or processed toppings. Opt for natural, unprocessed options if you can.

Bear in mind that extra toppings bring extra calories. If you’re trying to maintain or lose weight, opt for a light sprinkling of protein porridge toppings. Berries are a flavour-packed, nutritious and low calorie choice.

4. Patience is key! Cook low and slow

If you have the time, cooking your porridge on a low heat, whilst stirring consistently, for around 10–15 minutes will bring you winning proats. Once your oats have absorbed all the milk, you should be left with a delicious, creamy consistency.

Try not to let your porridge boil or bubble – it could lead to a lumpy consistency and oats sticking to the bottom of the pan.

5. Be cautious with instant oats

Instant oats are often packed with artificial flavours, sugars, salt and other not-so-good-for-you ingredients, making them a nutritionally inferior choice. 

They also tend to score higher on the glycemic index than rolled or steel-cut oats. This means they’ll digest quicker, push up your blood sugar and, consequently, could leave you feeling hungry shortly after eating your morning meal.

Using traditional rolled or steel-cut oats and cooking up a bowl of porridge yourself is the healthiest option. If time is a worry for you, you’ll love the next two tips…

6. Busy morning? Try overnight proats

No time to faff over the stove in the morning? Overnight protein porridge is the perfect compromise – prep the night before, for grab-and-go proats come morning.

To make overnight proats, mix your protein powder (Purition works really well for this!), oats and milk together in a bowl or jar with a lid. Once it’s well mixed, stir in any added extras (nuts, chopped berries, seeds etc), seal tightly with the lid and leave in the fridge overnight. If the mixture is a little stiff in the morning, loosen it up with a drop or two of water or milk.

Try out these Purition overnight oats recipes:

• Coconut & raspberry overnight protein oats
• Carrot cake overnight protein porridge

7. Try instant low-carb protein porridge

Protein porridge, without the oats? That’s right! If you’re looking for a low-carb oats alternative, try Purition as an oat-free, instant low-carb porridge. 

Just take 40g of Purition, add a splash of hot boiled water or milk, mix well and add your choice of toppings and voila.

Made from 100% whole food ingredients, Purition is a blend of seven seeds and nuts and a premium vegan or vegetarian protein. It’s packed with protein, fibre & natural fats, but is low in carbs and sugar. 

Purition makes a great breakfast or lunch option for anyone looking to lose weight or control their blood sugar, naturally. As well as making a delicious instant porridge, Purition can be blended into a quick shake or mixed into yoghurt for a crunchy and creamy breakfast bowl.

If you like to keep your nutrition and energy levels high, but cost and hassle low, why not give us a try?

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