This apple cinnamon protein oatmeal takes only one minute of prep time and two minutes of cooking time. That makes it about as fast, easy and convenient as it gets. Old-fashioned rolled oats (the kind of oatmeal with no added sugar), is one of the best sources of natural starchy carbs for fitness and muscle enthusiasts. Packing 31 (1 scoop) or even up to 46 grams (1.5 scoops) of protein, there is a reason this meal is one that I’ve been eating every morning for years…
Old-fashioned rolled oats (oatmeal) is 100% natural, high in nutrients, and high in fiber. It’s also extremely filling and hunger-satisfying. An entire cup of old fashioned oats contains only three hundred calories and many people, especially women, tell me that they can’t even eat that much. That’s a great bang for your buck when you’re on a fat loss program.
A typical serving of oatmeal for a fat loss program is about 1/2 a cup to 3/4 a cup. This recipe calls for 2/3 of a cup, but you can adjust your serving size according to your calorie needs.
Make a note that if you scale up oatmeal portion to a cup, the oats to water ratio should be 1 cup oats to 1.75 cups water, according to Quaker Oats.
Microwave ovens can vary in their power on high, so you may need to experiment a little with both the water amount and the cooking duration. If you cook for 2 minutes and the oats are still watery, you could try cooking slightly longer or using slightly less water. If you cook 2 minutes, you could try reducing the cook time slightly, or using slightly more water.
One complaint many people have shared with me is that they don’t like the taste of oatmeal, or they don’t like the consistency. Part of getting the right consistency is figuring out the right oats to water ratio and the right cook time. In my microwave, 2/3 cup of oats with 1 1/3 cup water for 2 minutes produces a perfect result, but as mentioned above, you may need to adjust these variations.
Some people say that even perfectly cooked hot oatmeal is too thick and pasty especially after protein powder (a dry ingredient) is stirred in after cooking. I can understand why some people would say that, but there are other solutions than tweaking the cooking formula – you can also add ingredients that change the texture. Milk is one. Greek yogurt is another. Applesauce is a third one.
Applesauce not only changes the consistency, and cools the oats to a temperature you can eat immediately, it also adds great flavor and natural sweetness, making additional sweeteners optional. If you like crunchy, also consider chopped apple.
for even more flavor, sprinkle on some cinnamon. The apple and cinnamon complement each other beautifully. Also, cinnamon contains fiber and has been shown in clinical research to help stabilize blood sugar and even lower blood lipids. Not only that, cinnamon also contains biologically active compounds such as polyphenols, antioxidants and anthocyanins. Cinnamon is also good for digestion (it’s reputed as a gas reliever), and may help with pain and stiffness in joints.
In the Burn The Fat, Feed The Muscle system, a complete meal contains not only a starchy carb like oats, but also source of lean protein. Eggs or egg whites are a typical breakfast staple, so eggs and oatmeal (with a piece of fruit) are a great matchup. But of course that takes extra prep time, so a quick and easy complete meal when you’re in a hurry is to turn your regular oatmeal into “high protein oatmeal” by adding in protein powder.
By the way, when you add protein powder into oatmeal (oats), it’s often called “Proats” in the fitness community. You could call this apple cinnamon protein oats, or just call it apple cinnamon proats.
Some of our members have expressed concerns over denaturing the whey protein while cooking it in the microwave. While it’s not likely that cooking it for two minutes with your oatmeal would cause any damage to the amino acids or the valuable protein sub-fractions in whey, it’s better to add the powder after the oatmeal is cooked. Simply stir it in and serve.
I recommend a vanilla protein powder when you’re making apple cinnamon oats. The vanilla protein not only bumps the protein, it adds additional flavor as well. If you prefer, you can purchase unflavored protein powder, and you won’t taste anything but the apple cinnamon oatmeal. As an alternative, you can pass on the protein powder and cook up some eggs for your protein and just have the oatmeal as your carb source.
While this is ideally eaten cooked in the microwave, if you are ever in a pinch while traveling, you can eat this cold soaked. In fact, when I was doing long backpacking trips, I would pack a plastic sandwich bag with the protein and oats and then add water. Instant meal. Only seconds of prep time and no cook time.
I’ve done this in hotel rooms many times as well. Cold soaked oats with a piece of fruit I packed as well. Many hotel rooms have microwaves, but if they don’t, cold soaked is always an option. Also, go ahead and calculate the cost of cold soaked protein oats compared to the buffet. No, it’s not be gourmet or elegant like a nice warm omelet or frittata, but it sure saves you some money while also getting you out to wherever you need to go in a jiffy.
A lot of our readers are curious about what I eat every day for burning fat and/or building muscle. I can tell you that this recipe is one of the meals I have eaten on repeat day after day, week after week for many years. I do rotate the apple cinnamon with other flavors of protein oats (there are dozens of possibilities), but I must have eaten this meal hundreds of times, maybe thousands. You simply cannot beat a breakfast like this for speed and convenience.
-Tom Venuto, Author of, Burn The Fat Guide To Flexible Meal Planning For Fat Loss
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3-Minute Applesauce Cinnamon Protein Oatmeal
Ingredients
- 2/3 cup oatmeal (rolled oats) (53g)
- 1 1/3 cups water
- 1/3 cup applesauce, unsweetened
- 1/3 cup vanilla whey protein 31g / 1 scoop
- 1 tsp cinnamon
- 1 packet non-caloric sweetener
Instructions
- Scoop out your oatmeal with a measuring cup and place in a microwave safe bowl
- Add 2 parts water for each 1 part oatmeal (for example, 1 1/3 cup water for 2/3 cup oats).
- Microwave on high for 2 minutes or until water has been absorbed and oatmeal has expanded to thick porridge consistency
- After cooking, add applesauce, protein powder and cinnamon to taste. Stir and serve hot.
Nutrition
About Tom Venuto
Tom Venuto is a natural bodybuilding and fat loss expert. He is also a recipe creator specializing in fat-burning, muscle-building cooking. Tom is a former competitive bodybuilder and today works as a full-time fitness coach, writer, blogger, and author. In his spare time, he is an avid outdoor enthusiast and backpacker. His book, Burn The Fat, Feed The Muscle is an international bestseller, first as an ebook and now as a hardcover and audiobook. The Body Fat Solution, Tom’s book about emotional eating and long-term weight maintenance, was an Oprah Magazine and Men’s Fitness Magazine pick. Tom is also the founder of Burn The Fat Inner Circle – a fitness support community with over 52,000 members worldwide since 2006. Click here for membership details
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