High Protein Dark Chocolate Cinnamon Pecan Oatmeal with Peanut Powder | Vegetarian

Enjoy this warm, flavorful, high-protein oatmeal with dark chocolate and hints of peanut butter, cinnamon and pecan that’s ready in two minutes or less!

Did you know National Oatmeal Month is a thing?! Well first of all, yes it is and it’s this month. And secondly, I really like oatmeal. My dad always says you have to celebrate yourself because no one else is going to, and since oatmeal can’t celebrate itself I think we should celebrate it here! I created this high protein dark chocolate cinnamon pecan oatmeal recipe with peanut powder using Nature’s Path Organic new oatmeal cups, and I’m dishing on a few of the benefits of including oatmeal in your regular breakfast rotation.

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Disclosures: This recipe was sponsored by Nature’s Path Organic. Sponsorship with on topics that resonate with my values helps keep new content coming; thanks for supporting staceymattinson.com! 

Why Oatmeal Should Be a Regular Part of Your Breakfast Routine

Oatmeal can be a nutritious way to fuel your morning! In oatmeal, the most nutritious parts of the grain (the bran and germ) stay in tact instead of being removed like in a refined grain. When you throw out the bran and germ you lose about 25% of the protein and 17 vitamins and minerals. Oatmeal is comparatively higher in protein vs. other grains, and a rich source of vitamins, minerals and fiber which also means lower total net g carbohydrate.

What Does the Research Say About Oatmeal?

Without diving too deep (I know I know, you just want the recipe), there is promising research on the benefits of oats. Oats have a particular fiber called beta-glucan that may help improve immune function, lower insulin resistance and blood glucose response after meals and lower blood cholesterol which is important for heart health (1,2,3). Oatmeal also contains avenathramide which emerging research suggests may have antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties (3). Interestingly, follow-up of the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (n=22,823) found that people who consumed oatmeal had lower body weight, body mass index (BMI), smaller waist circumference, and overall ate more nutritious diets (3). If you can believe it, I’m only scratching the surface here, but we can move on to a yummy way of eating oatmeal :).

High Protein Dark Chocolate Cinnamon Pecan Oatmeal with Peanut Powder

If you’ve followed me for a while, you know that I like to get as much nutritional value into the foods I’m already eating as possible. So the only thing oatmeal is lacking to make it a complete meal by itself is getting enough protein in. With just a couple tricks this meets proper “breakfast criteria”!

What Makes This Recipe So Easy

Here I use Nature’s Path Organic Dark Chocolate Cinnamon Pecan Oatmeal as the base. It’s already pre-portioned out in a “to-go” container which makes your clean-up a breeze. Then I’ve just got two ingredients to add in. It couldn’t be easier if you wanted it to!

What I Like About Nature’s Path Dark Chocolate Cinnamon Pecan Oatmeal

Okay aside from the fact that dark chocolate is involved (zero shame in my sucker-ness for dark chocolate game) and it tastes super yummy, of course nutrition is involved in my answer.

Each serving of Nature’s Path Dark Chocolate Cinnamon Pecan Oatmeal packs 6 g of fiber, is low in sodium at 110 mg per serving, and is lower in sugar than its competitors for flavored oatmeal at 9 g sugar. As an added bonus, this oatmeal is an excellent source of ALA omega-3 fatty acids, providing 360 mg ALA per serving, coming from chia seeds.

This oatmeal is also vegan and USDA certified organic so if you are following a completely plant-based diet and/or prefer organic foods, this product may be a good fit for you.

How I Made This High Protein

First off, this Nature’s Path oatmeal has 7 g protein per serving by itself.

Secondly, I used a 100% peanut powder and added a high protein milk to make this a fully-loaded meal (I’m usually looking for 15-25 g protein per meal).

Peanut powder is essentially roasted peanuts that are pressed to remove the fat (which significantly reduces calories) and then ground. I like this as a more whole-foods ingredient, compared to conventional protein powder, which both increases the fiber and protein (2 Tbsp has 6 g protein). High-protein milks are generally ultra-filtered to increase the protein content, again without added ingredients. The one I use has 13 g protein per 8 oz. Alternatively you could use a regular cow’s milk or soymilk which both have 8 g protein per 8 oz.

Make Oatmeal a Regular Thing

I love mixing oatmeal into my breakfast rotation! It’s a great way to have a nutritious meal quickly and fuel your morning all the way until lunch. As always, I hope you love this recipe!

What’s your favorite kind of oatmeal?

Have you tried Nature’s Path Dark Chocolate Cinnamon Pecan oatmeal before?

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High Protein Dark Chocolate Cinnamon Pecan Oatmeal with Peanut Powder

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time 1 min

Cook Time 1 min

Total Time 2 mins

Course Breakfast

Cuisine American

Servings 1

Calories 305 kcal

Ingredients

  

1x2x3x

• 1 pre-portioned package Nature's Path Organic Dark Chocolate Cinnamon Pecan Oatmeal
• 1/2 c fat-free high-protein milk
• 2 Tbsp powdered peanut butter

Instructions

 

• Open the lid to oatmeal and remove the seal.
• Add in powdered peanut butter and milk. Stir well.
• Microwave for 50-60 seconds uncovered. Enjoy!

Notes

Note: If you let your oatmeal sit a few minutes before eating it will thicken up, if you prefer that consistency.

Nutrition

Sodium: 270mgSugar: 13gFiber: 7gCholesterol: 3mgCalories: 305kcalMonounsaturated Fat: 3gPolyunsaturated Fat: 2gSaturated Fat: 2gFat: 8gProtein: 20gCarbohydrates: 43g

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