Top 9 High Protein Oatmeal Brands

As much as we might love a hearty omelet or our favorite chocolate protein shake, we usually don’t have time to whip up our dream high protein breakfast every morning. But common convenient options like frozen waffles or a bacon cheddar breakfast burrito don’t tend to offer the nutritional boost we need to kick off a productive day. That’s where instant high protein oatmeal comes in.

With its high fiber content and its quick prep time, instant oatmeal is hard to beat as far as microwavable breakfasts are concerned.

Whether you need something to fuel you for hours during your workday or give you a boost before your morning workout, choosing a meal that’s higher in protein can help you feel satiated more quickly and keep you fuller for longer (1). Protein also plays a vital role in muscle recovery, growth, and maintenance during and after exercise (2).

Here is a breakdown of the 9 best high protein oatmeal brands on the market, tips for making high protein oatmeal at home, and how to choose a healthy high protein oatmeal.

How to choose a healthy high protein oatmeal

When choosing a healthy high protein oatmeal, here are some things to look for: 

• Protein. While oatmeal tends to provide some protein on its own — on average, about 3-4 grams in one packet (3) — some brands have added sources of protein including soy protein isolate, flax seeds, and nuts. Other brands use whole grain steel cut oats or add other high protein grains like quinoa to increase protein content.
  
• Fiber. Fiber plays a key role in helping you absorb nutrients, regulating blood sugar, and keeping your gut healthy (4). All of the oatmeal brands listed below are considered a good or excellent source of fiber — more than 10% of the daily value.
  
• Added sugar. In many flavored instant oatmeal products, added sugars like cane sugar, brown sugar, maple syrup, and honey are often added to provide a touch of sweetness and bring out other flavors (5). If you’re interested in reducing your added sugar intake, try fresh or dried fruit instead to upgrade your plain old oats. For an oatmeal that’s low in added sugar, look for products that contain less than 5% of the daily value (6).
  
• USDA Organic Label. Compared with organic, conventionally grown oats are known to have higher levels of glyphosate, a weed killer that may be harmful in high amounts. For those who eat oats regularly, buying organic can prevent unsafe levels of exposure to the pesticide (7). To learn more about potentially unsafe levels of pesticides in oat-based items & other products, you can explore the Food Safety GreenScores of thousands of products on GreenChoice.
  
  To simplify your search for a convenient, healthy, high protein breakfast, here are our top 9 picks for high protein oatmeal. Based on GreenChoice data from over 200 types of oatmeal, we’ve selected products with 10 grams of protein or more and with GreenScore ratings of 65 or greater.

1. Powerful Oatmeal High Protein Oatmeal Cup

Packing the biggest protein punch on this list, this oatmeal contains 20g of protein — 40% of the recommended daily value. That is a pretty powerful oatmeal!

2. Kodiak Oatmeal Cup Choc Chip

Coming in a close second, this high protein oatmeal offers 14g of protein — 28% of the recommended daily value.

3. Purely Elizabeth Vanilla Pecan Collagen Protein Oats

This oatmeal, which gets its high protein content from collagen and nut butter, contains 11g of protein — 22% of the recommended daily value.

4. Umpqua Oats Oatmeal Kick Start

Featuring a variety of nuts, seeds, & dried fruit, this high protein oatmeal contains 10g of protein — 20% of the recommended daily value.

5. Picky Oats Can’t Beet Chocolate Beet Cacao

With almonds and chia as its protein source, this bright beet-red high protein oatmeal offers 10g of protein — 20% of the recommended daily value.

6. Think Thin Maple Pecan Protein & Probiotics Hot Oatmeal

Red quinoa and chia seeds give this oatmeal its protein punch. It contains 10g of protein — 20% of the recommended daily value.

7. Straw Propeller Blueberry Blitz Oatmeal

The yogurt powder in this high protein oatmeal brings it to a total of 10g of protein — 20% of the recommended daily value.

8. Better Oats Maple & Brown Sugar Instant Oatmeal With Protein Flax Seeds

Made with flax seeds, this high protein oatmeal offers 10g of protein — 20% of the recommended daily value.

9. Mush Dark Chocolate Overnight Oats

Made with only 6 ingredients, including almonds for a boost of protein, these overnight oats contain 10g of protein — 20% of the recommended daily value.

10-13. Make your own high protein oatmeal

Making your own high protein oatmeal can be a more affordable alternative to buying pre-made products.

Plus, adding your own whole food high protein ingredients and other toppings, you can achieve your desired flavor profile and sweetness while limiting the number of processed additives and preservatives in your morning bowl.

10. Nuts & Nut Butters
Nuts and nut butters can be an excellent source of protein (8). Peanuts, for example, contain 7g of protein per ounce (9). Try combining with banana, strawberries, apples, and/or chocolate for a decadent flavor combo. You can browse a wide variety of the healthiest nut and seed butters here.

11. Yogurt
Yogurt is a great high protein addition to any oatmeal bowl. It adds creaminess, tartness, and can contain as much as 15g of protein per container (about 150g) (10).

12. Seeds
Not only do seeds add the crunchiness and nutty flavor every oatmeal needs, they also pack a big nutritional punch. A few types of seeds to add to your next batch of oats include chia seeds, flaxseeds, hemp seeds, pumpkin seeds, sesame seeds, and sunflower seeds. Hemp seeds offer 10 grams of protein in just one tablespoon!

13. Protein Powder
Did you ever think of throwing your protein powder into your oatmeal? Turns out, it’s a pretty common practice these days, and for good reason. You can often find protein powder with fun flavors like vanilla cupcake or dark chocolate, and they’re a convenient way to get that nutritional boost. Find the best protein powder with ingredients that suit your needs & dietary preferences here.

Our top-rated high protein oatmeal add-ons & other toppings

Key takeaways for choosing a high protein oatmeal

There’s a reason they say breakfast is the most important meal of the day. Now more than ever, we need that extra boost of energy to keep us productive and ready to take on the day. We hope we’ve given you the knowledge you need to pick out your perfect high protein oatmeal.

To recap, for a good source of protein, look for oatmeals that contain more than 10% of the daily value. Also, if you’re looking to reduce added sugars, opt for an oatmeal that contains less than 5% of the daily value, or 2.5g per serving.

If staying full after breakfast is especially important to you, or you’re just looking for added health benefits, choose an oatmeal that’s high in fiber, or more than 10% of the daily value.

Lastly, if the oatmeal products on this list didn’t make the cut, you always have the option of adding nuts, nut butter, yogurt, seeds, or protein powders to create your perfect bowl of high protein oatmeal.

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GreenChoice, PBC has evaluated and rated more than 340,000 food & beverage products across hundreds of attributes related to diet, health, and sustainability. Easily find the best products for you, the planet, & your budget. Download the free GreenChoice app for Apple iOS or Android!

Sydney W

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