It’s beginning to look a lot like Christmas! With Christmas lights glowing in the nighttime streets and ornamented trees in windows, it would seem that gifting season is upon us! As much as I love the joyful decorations and thoughtful gifts received at Christmas, the food as has always been my favourite part of this time of year. Therefore this bowl of Orange & Cranberry Protein Oats is inspired by some of my favourite Christmas flavours.
Zesty sweet oranges and tart juicy dried cranberries are a classic winter flavour combination. They work beautifully together in this creamy bowl of Orange & Cranberry Protein Oats. I also topped this bowl of oatmeal with a household Christmas favourite; Terry’s Chocolate Orange. However you can use any chocolate you like or skip it completely. The chocolate make this breakfast bowl a touch more indulgent. It melts on top of the warm oats and in the most deliciously delightful way.
Oranges are well-known for being a great source of vitamin C. However they are also a good source thiamine, folate, potassium and antioxidants. The juice, flesh and zest of the orange is used to create this bowl. I love how each element of the orange contribute a different taste and texture to this Orange & Cranberry Protein Oats recipe. Dried cranberries are used in both the base of the porridge and as a topping. Dried fruit tend to be more calorie dense there fresh counterparts due to the higher amount of sugar. Therefore I was mindful not use to much in this recipe and I still wanted this breakfast to be a balanced healthy meal. Despite their calorie content dried cranberries do contain some healthful antioxidants and fibre which makes an adequate addition to this oat recipe.
Orange & Cranberry Protein Oats
Ingredients
Protein Oats
- 45g oats
- 1 scoop protein powder
- 200ml milk of choice
- juice of an orange
- 1 tsp orange zest
- 1 tbsp dried cranberries
Toppings
- a few slices of orange
- 1 tbsp dried cranberries
- optional: red currants, chocolate, cranberry sauce
Instructions
Overnight Method
- This is my favourite method of making protein oats as the oats cook really quickly in the microwave in the morning. I also find that whey protein really combine well this way.
- Combine oats with protein powder in a bowl. Then mix well with almond milk, orange zest and juice. Cover and place in the fridge overnight.
- Heat in microwave for 1-2 mins or until heated through. Add more almond milk or water if the consistency gets to thick.
- Served the porridge topped with fruit, chocolate, dried cranberries, and/or cranberry sauce.
Notes
*I love jumbo oats because I love they have texture they create in porridge. But normal steel cut or quick oats will probably work just as well.
**I used one scoop (25g) MyProtein Stroopwafel Impact Whey. I just love the taste of this protein but you can use the protein powder of your choice - whey or plant-based alternative.
Nutrition Information:
Yield:
1 bowlServing Size:
1 bowlAmount Per Serving: Calories: 460Total Fat: 8gCarbohydrates: 67gProtein: 33g
Nutrition information is based on the exact ingredients and quantities used to create the recipe which can be used to estimate calorie and macronutrient content of similar recreations. *Macros do not include chocolate orange topping included in some photos
