Breakfast is described as the most important meal of the day. It gives you energy first thing, and it sets the tone for your whole day. One of the most famous nutritionists of the 20th Century, Adelle Davis famously put it back in the 1960’s “Eat breakfast like a king, lunch like a prince and dinner like a pauper.”

Research shows that one way to make the most important meal of the day even better is to opt for a protein rich plant based breakfast. By doing so you can curb cravings and overeating and support energy and metabolism.

Having oats for breakfast is one of the best ways to include plant based proteins into your diet. But did you know there are so many ways to cook oats? Here are some ideas:

Overnight oats

What are overnight oats

Overnight oats are oats that have been soaked (you guessed it- overnight) in liquid such as water, milk or dairy free milk alternative. You can add all sorts of fun add-ins like fruits, jams, seeds and nut butters.

How to make overnight oats

1. Choose 40-50g of oats depending on your personal preference. For a creamy texture we recommend using rolled oats like our Jumbo Organic Oats. If you enjoy a softer texture then quick oats like our Speedicook Porridge Oats are ideal.
2. Choose a protein like chia seeds, nuts or scoop of protein powder.
3. If you’re feeling spicy why not add some spice like cinnamon, nutmeg or ground ginger.
4. Choose your milk/ liquid of choice like water, almond milk, oat milk or coconut milk are great plant based options.
5. Choose one of your 5 a day, berries, banana, peaches are great options.
6. Combine your dry ingredients (you can also add your fruits and protein at this stage to combine the flavours) together and top with your favourite milk. Make sure you have at least double the liquid per each serving of oats (so, 1 cup of milk to ½-cup of oats), increasing the amount if you want a soupier texture.
7. Pop in the fridge overnight.
8. Top with your remaining ingredients and enjoy!

How to customise overnight oats

Protein

• Chia seeds
• Chopped hazelnuts
• Nut butter
• Sunflower seeds
• Flaked almonds
• Coconut chips
• Pumpkin seeds
• Pecans
• Plant based protein powder

Fruits

• Blueberries
• Raspberries
• Strawberries
• Peaches
• Nectarines
• Cherries
• Kiwi
• Banana

Spices

• Cinnamon
• Ground ginger
• Nutmeg
• Mixed spice

Check out some of our favourite overnight oats recipes:

Cooked Oats

Cooked porridge oats can be done in a number of ways depending on what type of oats you use and how much time you have to prepare your breakfast.

Rolled Oats

Rolled Oats like our famous Jumbo Organic Oats, have a milder flavour and softer texture than other varieties of oats. To make rolled oats the grains are steamed and then pressed flat with steel rollers. As this partially cooks the oat this shortens cooking time later.

How to cook rolled oats

Microwave

1. Place 40g of oats into a large microwaveable bowl, allowing over an inch at the top of the bowl for the oats to expand.

2. Add 220ml of milk or water and stir.

3. Place bowl in the microwave and cook on full power

4. Stir midway through cooking time.4. Allow porridge to stand for 1 minute and serve.

Cooking Times

750w 3 minutes

900w 2 minutes

Stovetop

1. Place 40g of oats into a saucepan and add 220ml of milk or water.

2. Bring to the boil, reduce the heat and simmer for approximately 5 minutes until all the liquid is absorbed, stirring occasionally.

3. Remove from heat and allow to stand for 1 minute

Quick Oats

Quick oats, like our Speedicook Porridge Oats, are rolled oats that are already cooked to decrease the cooking time. Like rolled oats they’re partially cooked by steaming, rolled even thinner than regular rolled oats and then cut using steel cutters.

These oats cook within a few minutes and have a mild flavour. Like instant oats these oats have a softer, mushy texture in comparison to the other oat varieties.

Unlike some instant oat varieties, quick oats don’t contain other ingredients like skim milk powder, sugar and other flavourings.

How to cook quick oats

Microwave

1. Add 40g of oats to 225mls of milk or water into a large microwavable bowl and stir.

2. Place bowl in the microwave and cook on full power for the full time shown below. Do not cover.

3. Stir midway through cooking time.

4. Allow porridge to stand for 2 minutes before serving.

5. Serve with honey.

Cooking Times

750w 3 minutes

900w 2 minutes

Stovetop

1. Add 40g of oats to 225mls of milk or water in a saucepan.

2. Bring to the boil, reduce heat and simmer for approximately 3 minutes, stirring occasionally.

3. Remove from heat and serve with honey.

Now you know how to perfectly cook oats, check out some delicious recipes to get your taste buds firing.

Oats in a smoothie

A bowl of oats topped with your favourite fruit or nuts makes a seriously satisfying and nourishing start to the day. Well, oats can do the same thing for your smoothie. They make for a drink that’s thicker, heartier, and all around more filling and nourishing. They even impart a subtle nutty flavour.

How to add oats to your smoothie

Option 1: Pour the oats straight into the blender with the other smoothie ingredients and blend away until everything is smooth. This will give you a smoothie with a thicker yet very drinkable consistency.

Option 2: As a make ahead option you can also consider soaking the oats overnight, or at least for a few hours, before adding them to your smoothie. Pour oats and enough milk of choice to cover in a small dish and refrigerate an hour or up to overnight.

Check out some of our favourite oat smoothie recipe: