When you’re living a healthy lifestyle or even if you’re on a health kick, meal prepping can be a secret weapon to ensure you stick to your diet goals and maintain proper weight management. Overnight oats are an easy and convenient way to get started with meal-prepping your breakfast or even snacks. While you can buy them ready made, making your own overnight oats gives you the freedom to customize the recipe to your nutritional needs and preferences.
There are many ways to prepare overnight oats. Today, I’m sharing some high protein overnight oat recipes you can recreate at home that you’ll love and enjoy.
High-Protein Overnight Oats Recipe
If you haven’t yet tried making your own overnight oats or even eating some for breakfast, you’re going to become a believer after this post. We’ll start by giving you the scoop on why overnight oats are so great, how often they can be made ahead, and then share some yummy high protein overnight oat recipes you can try out for yourself.
Are Overnight Oats High In Protein
Before we jump into some recipes, let’s back up a bit to explain what exactly are overnight oats. You may already have some idea, but to be clear we’re talking about a breakfast made with rolled oats that have been soaked in milk or another liquid overnight, which transforms them into this soft, creamy textured meal. There are many ways to eat oats besides oatmeal. It’s a dish traditionally prepared in a mason jar or some other type of airtight container with a lid. Some people often add in fruit, nuts, seeds, honey, maple syrup, yogurt, protein powder or more.
So now that we’ve got that out of the way, let’s answer the question: are overnight oats high in protein? Yes!
Generally speaking, overnight oats are a healthy breakfast option that is high in fiber, a good source of protein, antioxidants, and nutrient retention.
Many of the ingredients added contain protein including the rolled oats, skim milk, Greek yogurt, nuts and seeds, and even protein powder. There are also plenty of ways to increase the nutritional content within overnight oats making them not only delicious but also a super nutritious and powerful way to kickstart the day.
Can You Add Protein To Overnight Oats
A basic overnight oats recipe contains about 20 grams of protein with just the oats, milk, and yogurt. Adding protein to your overnight oats can help make it healthier and give you between over 30 grams of protein per serving, depending on the additives, which is great!
Experts say that adding protein to overnight oats can make this breakfast idea a great source of macronutrients.
Overnight oats have been found to boost immunity with the presence of beta-glucans and help enhance digestive health, heart health, and bone health to name a few. The fiber found in oats has been shown to help lower cholesterol.
Protein is essential to support muscle recovery and rebuild muscle tissue, making overnight oats a great breakfast option for athletes and those who lead a physically active lifestyle. Protein can also help you feel full longer, which is great for weight loss and management.
There are several ways to add protein to overnight oats including the few already mentioned above like Greek yogurt, nuts and seeds, and protein powder; and you can also add ricotta cheese or even eggs as great protein options as well. The sky’s the limit!
How Much Protein To Add To Overnight Oats
How much protein to add to overnight oats depends a lot on what your lifestyle, dietary needs, and taste preferences.
As I mentioned earlier, the basic overnight oats recipe already contains about 20 grams of protein per serving, which is a great start!
Here’s the protein breakdown on that per item:
- Old-fashioned rolled oats, plain: 6 grams of protein per 1/2 cup
- Milk: 1-2 grams of protein per 1/2 cup
- Yogurt: 10-15 grams of protein per 1/2 cup
With additives, the amount will only increase from there.
If you want to know how much protein to add, consider the fact that the National Institutes of Health (NIH) recommends a minimum of 0.8 grams of protein per kilogram of body weight per day for adults. So for a 150 lb person, it’s suggested they consume about 54 grams of protein per day. For someone who weighs 250 lbs, that works out to be about 113 grams of protein per day. To calculate how much protein to eat per day for yourself, multiply your weight x 0.45359237 kg.
What To Add To Overnight Oats For Protein
The best oats you’ll want to use to make overnight oats are old-fashioned rolled oats or steel cut oats. Steel cut oats are good if you have a couple of days to let them soak. One type of oats you absolutely do not want to try to make this dish with are quick oats. Quick oats will just turn into mush. The best choice are old-fashioned rolled oats.
Once you’ve picked your oats, here’s what to add to overnight oats for protein and healthy fats.
- Milk: dairy free or plant based milk, soy milk, whole milk
- Nuts, nut butters and powders: peanut, almond, coconut, cashew, etc.
- Seeds: chia seeds, hemp seeds, pumpkin seeds
- Greek Yogurt
- Cheese: Cottage cheese, ricotta cheese
- Eggs
- Lentils
- Protein powder: These come in varying flavors such as chocolate protein powder, vanilla protein powder, strawberry, peanut butter and more. There are also plant based protein powder options for those with various dietary restrictions.
How To Make High Protein Overnight Oats
Plain Overnight Oats
Before we jump into making a high protein overnight oats recipe, let’s nail how to make the plain and basic concoction. Here’s what you’ll need.
Ingredients
6 oz Yogurt, plain, Greek, 2%, from tub – 128calories
¾ cup Milk, skim, non-fat – 68 calories
½ cup Oatmeal, dry oats (uncooked) – 150 calories
Instructions
Step 1
Combine oats, milk, and yogurt.
Step 2
Let sit in a mason jar with a lid overnight.
Step 3
No dairy? Use a dairy-free yogurt and milk.
Start with this simple overnight oat recipe, and then add in your choice of protein to help bump up the protein content. An easy add is obviously protein powder, but you may also create a more hardy dish with the addition of eggs, cheese, and spinach or even lentils.
Or to sweeten it up a bit, you may add fresh fruit, vanilla extract, honey, maple syrup, chocolate chips, etc. Just be careful not to use any dried fruit since they can ruin the creamy texture you want to create with this dish.
Overnight Oats with Berries
In this recipe, we’re adding in nut butters and Greek yogurt.
Ingredients
6 oz Yogurt, plain, Greek, 2%, from tub – 128calories
¾ cup Milk, skim, non-fat – 68 calories
1 cup Raspberries, frozen, not sweetened – 80calories
½ cup Oatmeal, dry oats (uncooked) – 150 calories
1 Tbsp Peanut butter, unsweetened (Tbsp) – 94calories
Instructions
Step 1
Combine oats, milk, yogurt, berries, PB in a bowl.
Step 2
Add to a mason jar or an airtight container in the fridge, cover with lid
Step 3
Refrigerate overnight.
Step 4
No nuts? Use a seed butter e.g. sunflower seed butter. No dairy? Use a dairy free yogurt and milk.
Blueberry Banana Overnight Oats with Chia Seeds
Here we’re using chia seeds to bump up the protein content.
Ingredients
2 Tbsp Chia seeds – 120 calories
½ Banana – 53 calories
½ cup Blueberries, fresh – 35 calories
½ cup Oatmeal, dry oats (uncooked) – 150 calories
½ cup Milk, 2% (cups) – 61 calories
Instructions
Step 1
Combine oats, milk, and chia seeds
Step 2
Let sit in an airtight container in the fridge (like a Ball mason jar) overnight
Step 3
Top with blueberries and banana
Raspberry PB Overnight Oats
Ingredients
1 cup Raspberries, fresh – 64 calories
1 Tbsp Peanut butter, unsweetened (Tbsp) – 94calories
½ cup Oatmeal, dry oats (uncooked) – 150 calories
½ cup Milk, 2% (cups) – 61 calories
¼ tsp Cinnamon – 0 calories
Instructions
Step 1
Combine oats, PB, raspberries, and cinnamon in a jar (like a Ball mason jar)
Step 2
Add a splash of milk on top
Step 3
Let sit in an airtight container in the fridge
Step 4
No dairy? Use soy or almond milk. No PB? Use another nut or seed butter
Like this high protein breakfast idea and want more? Try also these healthy high protein desserts.
