Quick, Easy, and Solid Meals: Oatmeal with a Scoop of Whey Protein

My Dad used to do this ever since I could remember, so years later when I got into the gym I followed his footsteps. I’m surprised to find though that many people have never heard of this idea; many times when I eat this I get so many responses from people along the lines of, yuck, gross, ew, that’s disgusting, why would you do that, and so on, but the real question is why wouldn't you?

Oatmeal is a great meal for anyone whether you’re dieting, trying to lose weight, trying to put on lean mass, or if you just need an overall quick healthy meal; it’s loaded with slow digesting carbs and fiber to keep you full and fueled longer. The only problem with oatmeal is that it is pretty bland, but no matter what your fitness goals are one thing you’ll learn sooner or later is that you have to make some sacrifices when it comes to food in terms of flavor. You won’t always feel miserable about it, sooner or later you’ll enjoy eating healthy, it’ll taste good to you, and you’ll look forward to eating oatmeal believe it or not! One thing you can do though if you can’t stand plain oatmeal is to throw a scoop of whey protein in it. Whey protein will dissolve well in the oatmeal and add it will also add a good amount of some quality protein to the primarily carb dense food to help balance out the macros. I use 100% Gold Standard Whey from Optimum Nutrition, they’re great company, and the product has won many awards for the best whey. I've tried chocolate, vanilla, and strawberry-which is the best tasting one by far in oatmeal.

I put about 1.5-2 cups of Quaker Oats in a bowl and put a lot of water in it, about half an inch above the oatmeal and throw it in the microwave for around 55-65 seconds. The oats will still be pretty raw at this time, so if that’s not too your liking you can microwave them a little longer, just make sure there’s enough water for the protein powder to dissolve in. After the microwave throw in a scoop of whey or your favorite protein powder, stir it in, and enjoy!

Also Quaker now makes “Quick 1-minute” oats, which are the same thing as regular old oats they’re just cut up a little more making it easier to eat, which I like a lot. Just be sure though in either one you choose that you take the time to chew each spoonful really well to get those digestive enzymes going; it gets very easy just to chew each bite a few times and gulp it down especially when you want to hurry up and get the bowl down.