“Eggy Oats” Are the High-Protein Breakfast That You’ll Crave All Winter Long

Ah, winter: 'Tis the season for thick turtlenecks, Hallmark holiday movie marathons, and most importantly, warm and hearty meals. Sorry, smoothies, but when it's 20 degrees outside, I don't want you for breakfast. I want oatmeal.

However, despite its impressive nutritional profile (protein! fiber! whole grains!), oatmeal has a rep for being, well, a bit boring. And sure, you might have tried all sorts of ways to liven up your bowl, from the obvious (fruit and honey) to the more underrated (miso!). But there's one game-changing ingredient you may have overlooked for your morning oats: eggs.

At its most basic form, eggy oats (which is legitimately a hashtag on Instagram) involves taking a fried, poached, or hard-boiled egg and plopping it on top of a bowl of cooked oats.

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People also seem to love adding whisked eggs or egg whites directly to their oatmeal...

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...and some people ditch the bowl and bake their oatmeal and eggs together for a different spin on breakfast.

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This all might seem strange (why mess with an already pretty good thing?) but hear me out. Not only will adding an egg make your breakfast taste more rich and indulgent, but just one egg adds six grams of protein, doubling the amount you would normally get your regular oatmeal. And you probably already know that getting enough protein is the key to being satiated until lunch. What's not to love?

Want to try oatmeal and eggs, but aren't exactly sure how to do it? Keep reading for 4 delicious ideas.

savory oatmeal
Photo: Sarah Bond

1. Savory oatmeal with avocado and poached egg

Can't decide between oatmeal, eggs, and avocado toast for breakfast? Combine all three with this recipe from Live Eat Learn blogger Sarah Bond, which only takes 15 minutes to make. The avocado and egg combo make it extra creamy.  Top your bowl off with a sprinkle of Parmesan cheese.

 

zucchini bread bars
Photo: Davida Kugelmass

2. Chocolate chip zucchini bread oatmeal bars

Your eggy oatmeal doesn't always have to be served in a bowl—you can get the same benefits in bar form. With this recipe from Davida Kugelmass, aka The Healthy Maven, you get a whole serving of veggies, thanks to the zucchini. It's also made with banana, so you're getting a serving of potassium right along with all that fiber from your oats.

baked oatmeal bars
Photo: Kate Taylor

3. Blueberry baked oatmeal

If the idea of eggs on top of your oatmeal skeeves you out, try this baked oatmeal loaded with blueberries from Cookies+Kate blogger Kate Taylor. It takes 10 minutes to prep, 40 to bake—and then you have breakfast for the entire week! (And the eggs are baked into the oatmeal itself, so you won't taste them—just reap all their protein-laden benefits.)

oatmeal and eggs
Photo: Lily Kunin

4. Healing Chinese-style congee porridge

Congee—rice porridge—is a super popular breakfast dish in China, but here in the States it can be harder to find. Well+Good Wellness Council member Lily Kunin shares a way to make it at home with this recipe. Besides the oatmeal and egg, she mixes in bone broth and ginger, which both give the immune system a boost.

So there you have it. All you need for a crazy high-protein breakfast are some oats, an egg or two, and a dream.

For more healthy breakfast inspo, check out these 35 high protein ideas and these Whole30-approved recipes.

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