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Oatmeal is quick, filling, and incredibly versatile. For many, it’s a comforting breakfast that warms the belly on chilly mornings. Beyond its cozy appeal, oatmeal is also a great source of complex carbs and fiber, helping to keep you full and satisfied.
But what about protein? While traditional oatmeal provides around 5 grams of protein per 1/2 cup (dry), that may not be enough if you’re aiming for a higher-protein diet to build muscle or support weight loss. With protein being a hot-ticket nutrient right now, many brands have introduced high-protein oatmeal options to help you meet your nutritional goals.
To make your search easier, we’ve rounded up the best high-protein oatmeals from the cereal aisle and online stores to upgrade your breakfast routine. Read on, and for more, don’t miss What Happens To Your Body When You Eat Oatmeal Every Day.
10 Best High-Protein Oatmeals
Kreatures of Habit Meal One Overnight Oats Strawberry Walnut Cream
Nutrition (Per 1 pouch):
Calories: 360
Fat: 8 g (Saturated Fat: 1 g)
Sodium: 675 mg
Carbs: 39 g (Fiber: 10 g, Sugar: 1 g)
Protein: 30 g
Kreatures of Habit calls their oatmeal protein a superfood meal. It contains oats, pea protein, pumpkin seeds, flaxseeds, and chia seeds and provides 30 grams of protein per serving. All seven flavors meet more than 30% of your daily fiber needs and have no added sugar, using monk fruit — a zero-calorie natural sweetener — instead of sugar.
The superfood oatmeal also has added vitamin D and meets more than 200% of the daily value. Vitamin D is good for the bones and immune system and many people have a hard time meeting their daily needs from food. Adding the nutrient of concern to the oatmeal can support needs.
Kreatures of Habit’s high-protein oatmeal is an excellent source of iron (23% DV), but has a very high sodium content, providing 30% of your daily needs.
Br’Oats Protein Instant Oatmeal Maple Brown Sugar
Nutrition (Per 1/2 cup):
Calories: 270
Fat: 3 g (Saturated Fat: 0.5 g)
Sodium: 380 mg
Carbs: 32 g (Fiber: 3 g, Sugar: 9 g)
Protein: 30 g
Br’Oats Protein Instant Oatmeal has a whopping 30 grams of protein per serving, which is about the same amount of protein you’d get eating five hard-boiled eggs. The instant oats use a mix of dairy and soy proteins to boost content.
While the amount of protein in Br’Oats instant oatmeal is impressive, the oatmeal is lower in fiber than other options on our list, meeting 11% of the daily value. It also provides 17% of the daily value for sodium and 16% of the daily value for added sugar.
The added sugar provides flavor and calories, but doesn’t offer any nutritional value. The Dietary Guidelines recommends limiting added sugar to no more than 10% of total calories, or 50 grams a day on a 2,000-calorie diet. It’s okay to eat foods with added sugar as long as you’re mindful of the amount in other foods and do your best to minimize intake.
Todd’s Power Oats
Nutrition (Per 1 container):
Calories: 390
Fat: 12 g (Saturated Fat: 1 g)
Sodium: 50 mg
Carbs: 42 g (Fiber: 12 g, Sugar: 16 g)
Protein: 31 g
Todd’s Power Oats uses a whey protein blend to make their high-protein oatmeal. The amount of protein varies depending on flavor, with chocolate at the lower end with 30 grams per container and peanut butter at the high end with 37 grams.
All flavors are low in sodium and provide more than 40% of your daily fiber needs. Though total sugar counts for the protein oatmeal are high, added sugar is minimal — ranging from 1 to 3 grams. Todd’s Power Oats uses all-natural stevia for sweetness without sugar or calories.
Oats Overnight Cinnamon Roll
Nutrition (Per 1 pouch):
Calories: 250
Fat: 5 g (Saturated Fat: 1 g)
Sodium: 270 mg
Carbs: 32 g (Fiber: 6 g, Sugar: 8 g)
Protein: 20 g
Oats Overnight offers more than 30 ready-made overnight oat flavors with an extra dose of protein to make breakfast better. Most of the ready-made oatmeals have about 20 grams of protein (Space Brownie has 10 grams of protein). The makers use pea protein isolate to increase protein content and have many vegan-friendly flavors.
Nutrition information varies, but the high-protein oatmeal brand is a good source of fiber and iron, providing more than 20% of the daily value. Oats Overnight sweetens their cereal with cane sugar and monk fruit, keeping added sugar content low (about 12% of DV).
Proper Good Apple Cinnamon Overnight Oats
Nutrition (Per 1 pouch):
Calories: 240
Fat: 3 g (Saturated Fat: 1 g)
Sodium: 45 mg
Carbs: 41 g (Fiber: 5 g, Sugar: 13 g)
Protein: 15 g
Overnight oats is a great morning time saver, allowing the oats to soften in liquid overnight in the fridge. Proper Good has a line of high-protein overnight oats in flavors like Peanut Butter, Chocolate, & Banana and Apple Cinnamon with 15 grams of protein per serving. The apple cinnamon whole-grain breakfast cereal is low in sodium (2% of DV) and high in fiber (17% of DV), but meets 20% of the daily limit for added sugar.
Proper Good’s Peanut Butter, Chocolate, and Banana overnight oats is also high in saturated fat, with 4.5 grams per pouch and meeting 22% of the daily value. The saturated fat comes from coconut oil. While saturated fat in coconut oil may not have the same effect on human health as saturated fat in butter, you still want to limit overall intake. Too much saturated fat, no matter the source, may raise blood cholesterol and risk of heart disease.
Kodiak Protein Oats
Nutrition (Per 1/2 cup):
Calories: 190
Fat: 4 g (Saturated Fat: 1 g)
Sodium: 50 mg
Carbs: 28 g (Fiber: 5 g, Sugar: 1 g)
Protein: 10 g
Kodiak is known for its high-protein breakfast items. Though not the highest protein oatmeal on our list, like Kodiak Protein Oats because of its short list of familiar ingredients: whole-grain rolled oats, pea protein, and whey protein crisps. It’s a protein-powered version of the classic hot cereal, providing 10 grams of protein per serving.
We also like that it meets 18% of your daily fiber needs and is very low in sodium, meeting 2% of the daily limit. It’s also an excellent source of iron with 15% of the daily value.
Kodiak Protein Oats are unflavored so you can make it your own, adding your favorite ingredients for flavor and texture.
Bob’s Red Mill Protein Oats
Nutrition (Per 1/3 cup):
Calories: 190
Fat: 4 g (Saturated Fat: 1 g)
Sodium: 0 mg
Carbs: 32 g (Fiber: 5 g, Sugar: 1 g)
Protein: 10 g
Bob’s Red Mill Protein Oats is a single ingredient cereal with 10 grams of protein per serving. The whole-grain food company uses hulless oats, which have a higher concentration of protein than hulled oats. You get the same amount of protein as Kodiak Protein Oats, but without added protein powder. It’s also an excellent source of fiber (18% of the DV) and iron (15% of DV) and has no sodium.
However, hulless oats aren’t a complete protein and don’t have adequate amounts of all of the essential amino acids. But making your oatmeal with milk or adding nuts and seeds to the cereal can improve the amino acid profile, making it more complete.
Quaker Oats Instant Oatmeal Protein
Nutrition (Per 1 packet):
Calories: 230
Fat: 5 g (Saturated Fat: 1 g)
Sodium: 190 mg
Carbs: 41 g (Fiber: 4 g, Sugar: 12 g)
Protein: 12 g
Quaker is the go-to brand for many oatmeal eaters. They offer many options, including high-protein instant oatmeal in familiar flavors like maple brown sugar and apples and cinnamon, providing 12 grams of protein per packet. Quaker uses whey protein to boost nutrition content.
However, the high-protein instant oatmeal is high in sugar with 12 grams of total sugar and 10 grams of added sugar, meeting more than 20% of the daily value.
Seven Sundays Protein Oats Apple Cinnamon
Nutrition (Per 1/2 cup):
Calories: 230
Fat: 4.5 g (Saturated Fat: 1 g)
Sodium: 150 mg
Carbs: 38 g (Fiber: 7 g, Sugar: 10 g)
Protein: 10 g
Seven Sundays Protein Oats isn’t the highest protein oatmeal on our list — with 10 grams per serving, but the oatmeal uses upcycled oat protein to boost nutrition. Upcycled oat protein is the pulp that remains after making oat milk, turning what was once food waste into a food ingredient. According to Seven Sundays website, the upcycled oat protein has three times more protein and twice as much fiber as regular oats. The protein oatmeal is an excellent source of fiber, meeting 24% of your daily needs.
Though not as high in protein as other oatmeals on our list, we like that the Seven Sundays product has a short list of ingredients and uses upcycling to improve nutrition. The flavored oatmeal contains added sugar, meeting 16% of the daily value.
Purely Elizabeth Blueberry Walnut Superfood Oatmeal with Collagen
Nutrition (Per 1 container):
Calories: 230
Fat: 5 g (Saturated Fat: 0.5 g)
Sodium: 135 mg
Carbs: 37 g (Fiber: 5 g, Sugar: 9 g)
Protein: 9 g
Purely Elizabeth uses a mix of oats and seeds to elevate their oatmeal. Not all Purely Elizabeth’s oatmeal are high in protein, but they offer a line with added collagen, providing 9 grams of protein in the single-serving container. Nutrition information for the bulk bag of oatmeal provides 6 grams of protein per 1/3-cup. Collagen isn’t a complete protein and has insufficient amounts of essential amino acids. But some research shows that supplementing with collagen may benefit the skin and delay age-related changes.
The collagen oatmeal from Purely Elizabeth is low in sodium (6% of DV) and a good source of fiber (18% of DV). Coconut sugar adds sweetness to the oatmeal, providing 6 grams of added sugar, meeting 12% of the daily value.
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