5 MInute Meals - Protein Chocolate Oatmeal

One of the single biggest obstacles people always talk to me about in terms of staying consistent with eating healthy is time. They get rushed in the morning and don't have time to make anything healthy. They didn't meal prep enough for the week and get caught having to eat out for lunch and dinner. Or they are just simply drained after a hard day of work and don't want to cook anything. 

It happens! Getting caught in these situations is inevitable. The problem is when it keeps happening day after day, week after week, month after month. This is when the scale keeps rising, the jeans start getting a little (or A LOT) tighter, and health problems start to become a reality. 

Well, enough is enough. It's time to start arming yourself with some simple 5 minute meals that take that excuse of not having enough time off the table. I thought breakfast would be a great place to start. 

Here is my super simple 5 minute protein chocolate oatmeal recipe!

Oatmeal Disclaimer

Up until just a few months ago, I used to absolutely hate oatmeal. I wanted nothing to do with it. The texture really turned me off and the taste wasn't good enough to overcome my hate for the texture. 

However, lately I have really been trying to find something else other than eggs to mix into my morning routine. Don't get me wrong, I love eggs, but they can definitely get old. And I'm someone who can normally eat the same thing over and over again, but even I have my limits. 

So I started experimenting with oatmeal again. It took a few trial runs for me to get it to the point that I didn't hate it. It took a few more to get to the point where I somewhat enjoyed it. Then one day I finally nailed it. The perfect oatmeal formula. I hope you enjoy it as much as I do now (that's still a little weird to say).

The Ingredients

Here is a quick list of everything you need to get this going plus a few tweaks you can make as well. 

• 1/2 cup old fashioned oats (organic if possible)
• 2/3 cup of milk or milk alternative (I use 2% fair life milk, but almond or coconut milk will work as well)
• 1 scoop of chocolate protein powder (this is the brand I recommend: https://amzn.to/2KCTJr8)
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1 tablespoon syrup or honey (find a syrup with NO high fructose corn syrup)

Here are a few tweaks you can make to get this to fit your taste buds.​

1. Use less or more milk to make it thinner or thicker (I think 2/3 a cup is perfect to mix in the protein powder, but that's just me).
2. Omit the syrup or honey (more on this in a second).
3. Could use vanilla, strawberry, or a chocolate peanut butter protein powder to change flavors.
4. Could do just a half a scoop of protein powder to change the texture a bit.
5. Add a little PB2 powder for some delicious peanut butter flavor.

Directions

This is super easy, but let's get into the actual preparation!
​

1. Mix oats and your choice of milk into a microwave safe bowl.
2. Microwave for 90-120 seconds.
3. Once microwaved, add the protein powder, vanilla, and syrup/honey.
4. Mix thoroughly and let cool for another minute or two.
5. Enjoy!

I've messed around with adding a little fruit to this, but the oatmeal is going to be pretty hot and I didn't enjoy the warm fruit. If you don't mind that though, I think some strawberries, blueberries, or maybe some cut up banana would be pretty decent. 

That really is it. This probably won't even take you the full 5 minutes and I think it's absolutely awesome. It's quick, it's filling, it's protein packed, it's delicious, and it's a great post-workout meal too!

Final thoughts

I know what a lot of people are thinking with this recipe, and they're right. It's fairly carb heavy and the added syrup MIGHT BE completely unnecessary and just adding sugar. I can't disagree with that. 

Here are my thoughts on this.

Excess sugar is definitely a problem when it comes to fat gain, insulin issues, and up and down waves of energy throughout the day. None of that is good.

Excess sugars in pop, energy drinks, and even sports drinks are a disaster on the waistline. 

Excess sugar mixed with fat is even worse (and as addicting as cocaine according to some research). Think candy bars, cookies, cakes, ice cream and pastries. 

What do all of the above have in common?

They are simple sugars in the absence of a good source of protein and they do very little to help keep you full. 

Oatmeal is a complex carbohydrate. It doesn't spike insulin as fast or as much as a simple sugar (yes, I know it does cause a spike, I'm not saying it doesn't). And, it helps fill you up and keep you fuller longer. 

Now, add in a good quality source of protein to help keep that insulin spike even lower and fill you up even more and you have the recipe for a pretty freaking healthy and awesome breakfast. 

Adding just a serving of syrup or honey for sweetness is not going to ruin this meal. If you dump half a bottle on there, then yes, but if you actually control your portion size and follow the recipe, the damage done is next to nothing. 

Also, if you eat this after a workout when your body tends to utilize and store carbohydrates in the muscle and liver rather than convert them to fat, you have a huge win, win situation here. 

Is the above explanation bro science and do I have a bunch of studies and academic research to back this up?

No, I don't have the studies and academic research to back up my statements. And yes, I guess you could say this is a bit of bro science, but I'll leave you with this...

Find me someone who is overweight, obese, or diabetic from eating to much protein and homemade oatmeal and I'll take this post down right away and retire from personal training forever. 

That might be a bit dramatic, but I am more than certain that you can enjoy this recipe (even with a little bit of syrup) with complete peace of mind.

Give it a shot and let me know what you think!