Protein packed banana nut oatmeal comin’ atcha!!!
You know me, I am not one for sweet, starchy breakfasts. I need protein, I need healthy fats to keep me satisfied – cereal or donuts never cut it for me. BUT just sometimes I can’t do another egg over easy with toast every weekday…I need something more comforting and warming for my winter breakfasts. Protein packed banana nut oatmeal to the rescue!! YAS!
But where is the protein?
EGG WHITES!!!
I know, sounds crazy, right?! BUT stick with me for a second.
You stir some egg whites into partially cooked oatmeal…cook them a little longer and the egg whites cook right into the oatmeal making them all fluffy and double in size! And I promise, you will never detect that there are egg whites in your oatmeal, never! And just like that you’ve got at least 5 grams of protein added into your oatmeal just from the egg whites
It’s like egg white magic!
The other key factors to creating a breakfast that sticks with you are:
- complex carbs – oats and bananas – check
- protein – egg whites – check
- healthy fats – chopped nuts and or nut butter – check
- added bonus: cinnamon helps to stabilize blood sugar levels…and tastes amazing!
Cozy, healthy, quick and easy weekday breakfasts here we come!!!!
I can’t take credit for the egg whites in oatmeal idea…I got this genius idea from Dani Spies over at Clean and Delicious. If you haven’t checked her out, she’s got some great health tips and healthy recipes. She’s awesome!
The particular flavor profile for the banana nut oatmeal came to me as a way to get a little sweetness into your oatmeal in aĀ more natural way. I mash half of a banana right into the oatmeal before I heat it up and that helps to sweeten things up and give it a nice banana taste. Then I slice up the other half of the banana and add it in top once the oatmeal is cooked. I love to stir in lots of cinnamon – the more the better IMO! Then I add some chopped pecans or walnuts on top (walnuts are my fave) for the nut portion of the banana NUT oatmeal – also adds a nice crunch. I really LOVE a spoonful of peanut butter or almond butter on top to add creamy richness. And a little drizzle of pure maple syrup on top for a little extra sweetness, but I will sometimes leave the maple syrup off if I am worried about overdoing it on the sugar.
The result is a comforting, warming bowl of oatmeal that makes my tummy and body happy while giving my mind all the happy vibes!
I especially love this breakfast on mornings that I do intense work outs, specifically weight lifting since it’s heavier on the carbs. That way the carbs go straight to my muscles to help give them energy!!!!
Banana nut oatmeal is perfect for a weekday breakfast, only takes about 12 minutes to make and doesn’t require a pan – thank you microwave! I didn’t really show any prep photos because it is THAT EASY! Besides, do you really want to see bland looking photos of oatmeal being stirred?
I hope you enjoy warming up with a bowl of this banana nut oatmeal as much as we do. Goodbye same-old boring breakfasts, hello banana nut oatmeal! š
Update on my Lasik eye surgery: I CAN SEEEEEE!!!!!
In other words…everything went well!!!
I am glad I was mostly able to take a a few days off from work to heal. My eyes were sensitive to light and easily strained during the first week – audio books were my best friend! Onto week two post surgery and my eyes are now doing amazing. Doctor says they have healed well! Most importantly I CAN SEE!!!! It’s really wonderful and I am so thankful I was able to get the surgery done, so life changing!
I still reach for my glasses first thing when I wake up in the morning LOL! I wonder how long it will take me to get past that reflex.
Question: Would you be interested in reading a blog post about my Lasik eye surgery experience????? I am not trying to convince anyone to get it done but it might be helpful for those who are considering getting it done to hear about my personal experience. OR it may just be an interesting and inspiring read. Leave a comment below and let me know if you want to see a blog post about my lasik surgery. Thanks! š
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Protein Packed Banana Nut Oatmeal
- Prep Time: 10 mins
- Cook Time: 2 mins
- Total Time: 12 mins
- Yield: 1 1x
- Category: Breakfast
- Cuisine: Gluten Free, Vegetarian, Dairy Free, Refined Sugar free
Description
Banana nut oatmeal packed with protein and healthy fats to get your day going! Egg whites are cooked right into the oatmeal. The result is an extra fluffy oatmeal with tons of nutrition. Perfect quick and easy weekday breakfast!!!
Ingredients
- 1 ripe banana, cut in half and divided
- 1/3 cup gluten free, rolled oats
- 2/3 cup filtered water
- pinch of salt
- 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1/4 cup egg whites*
- Optional Toppings:
- Other half of banana, cut into slices
- a drizzle of pure maple syurp
- sprinkle of cinnamon
- chopped walnut or pecans
- dollop of peanut butter or almond butter
Instructions
- Mash Banana: In a microwave safe bowl mash half of the banana and stir in the oats, water, salt, and cinnamon.
- Microwave oatmeal: Microwave your oatmeal for 1 minute on high.
- Stir in the egg whites: Once the oatmeal is heated the first time, it should be warm but not super hot, slowly stir in your egg whites.
- Microwave again: Microwave your oatmeal for 1 more minute on high to cook the egg whites. Give the oatmeal a stir and transfer to a serving bowl (or eat right out of the same bowl if in a hurry).
- Finish: Cut the second half of the banana into slices. Top your oatmeal with the banana slices, a drizzle of maple syrup (about 1 teaspoon), a sprinkle of cinnamon, some chopped walnuts (my fave) or pecans, and a dollop of peanut butter (my fave) of almond butter. You can choose any or all of the toppings but to make it really taste like banana nut I think the sliced bananas, drizzle of maple syrup, and chopped nuts are key. Cozy up and enjoy immediately.
Notes
*I buy my egg whites in those little cartons. Just make sure the ingredients are 100% egg whites and nothing else :).
In a pinch I have used 1 whole egg, lightly beaten, in place of the 1/4 cup of egg whites. It works but I prefer the egg whites for a lighter texture and less “eggy” taste. Plus without the yolk I can add in more yummy healthy fats in the form of peanut butter or nuts. Healthy fats = fuel!
For even more extra fats I will sometimes stir in 2 teaspoons of flax seed meal before I cook the oatmeal. Totally optional though.
Egg whites in oatmeal method adapted from Clean and Delicious.
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