Protein Pumpkin Oatmeal

Start your day off with big bowl of warm pumpkin oatmeal! Oatmeal is a great way to start the day, it’s full of fiber and can help you feel full and satiated. Unfortunately it’s often lacking protein and fat. I am a firm believer in a balanced diet and I really like to start my day with protein as well as some healthy fats if possible!  Pumpkin-y, maple-y and full of warming spices like ginger and nutmeg this oatmeal is far from boring! Oh and did I mention it’s packed with protein, vegan, has a gluten free option and oh so filling!

This protein pumpkin oatmeal is quite honestly the perfect breakfast for those chilly mornings. And it’s ready in just a few minutes, so no excuses! You can’t even get through the drive through this fast! This gives you time to slow down just a bit and really relax with a comforting breakfast! You can easily assemble this protein pumpkin oatmeal the night before in a glass pyrex and heat it up once you get to work. Just be sure to wait to add the protein powder after it’s done cooking. I totally understand if you don’t have time to sit down and eat breakfast before you leave for work. I am the snooze button master! You can’t get me out of bed one second earlier than necessary so breakfast is usually always on the go or I wait until I’m settled for the day.

I’ve been asked so many times from my personal training clients “what are the best ways to add protein to my breakfast without eating eggs and bacon at every day?” Well my go to is protein powder of course. Just a scoop of vanilla protein powder will sweeten up this oatmeal without the need for stevia or sugar. I added just a touch of maple syrup to make this oatmeal luxurious and drool-worthy!

Dave and I use a vegan protein powder, since we both have trouble digesting whey protein. Some of my favorite brands are Sunwarrior, VegaOne, RawFusion, MRM Veggie Elite, Sevenpoint2 and About Time (vegan). I have every one of these in my pantry right now and tend to cycle through them. These are all great for baking as well; I use them to make protein cookies, brownies, muffins, and pancakes of course!

This protein pumpkin oatmeal would be the perfect way to start your Thanksgiving or holiday breakfast. With the idea of balance in mind, you don’t want to starve all morning just to overeat on Thanksgiving or at that holiday party. If you try to skip meals before a big party or holiday meal, you are really doing yourself a disservice.  You will no doubt overeat because you are starving, but worst of all you will likely feel uncomfortable for hours! I’m all about #treatyoself but come on, you have to practice balance, even during the holidays! So start the day off with something healthy, take a walk, smile more, stress less. After all the holidays wouldn’t be special if it wasn’t for the time we spend with family and friends. And begin hangry makes you a bad friend!!

I added crystalized ginger and dried tart cherries to my protein pumpkin oats in addition to the maple syrup. Oh and don’t stir the maple syrup in, it’s so good to dip your spoon in bite by bite. Both ginger and tart cherries are known to have anti-inflammatory effects on the body. Which actually makes this the perfect post holiday breakfast as well. Ginger has also been used for thousands of years to help relive stomach issues. So if you find that you really did eat to much on Thanksgiving or at that holiday party, chew a few pieces of crystalized ginger, it always helps me feel better!

Have you tried Coach’s Oats yet? They are steel cut oats that cook in just a few minutes. I’ve found they have a similar cooking time to regular old fashion oats. They cook up quick and are crazy filling. If you don’t have Coach’s Oats, no worries, you can make this with regular old fashion oats as well, I would just add an additional tablespoon of oats to the recipe.

Don’t forget about that healthy fat either! Chopped pecans add healthy fat and so much flavor! Allergies? Try sunflower seeds. Healthy fats help keep you feeling full and satiated, and they are important for important functions in the body like hormone production. No more low fat diet food! Choose quality fats and you will never “get fat”!