Pumpkin TVP Oats

Yesterday was National Oatmeal Day!  OMG I love oats!  I love how once you cook your oats you have a wide variety of flavor options by adding different fruits and toppings each time.  I could never get bored of having oatmeal every day for breakfast just because of this reason.

In the summer I really started to eat them after hearing about Overnight Oats.  I loved that I could prepare them the night before and in the morning breakfast was already waiting for me.  Also, by sitting overnight, the oats really soaked in the almond milk so that the oatmeal was quite voluminous.

Now that the weather is cooler, I have been enjoying a warm bowl of oats in the morning.  I still prepare the oats the night before to save time (especially on work days) and to continue to allow the oats to soak in the almond milk for extra volume.  In the mornings, I quickly reheat it in the microwave while preparing a hot cup of coffee.

Even though this oatmeal post is a day late for National Oatmeal Day, I still ate oatmeal for breakfast yesterday morning.  Though the recipe I'm sharing is not the bowl of oatmeal I ate yesterday.  Yesterday's bowl was just oatmeal with dark cocoa powder and a banana.  This recipe is a new idea on how to add more volume and protein to your breakfast and kept me fuller longer.  It's a genius idea.

This recipe was adapted from here:

Ingredients:

• 1/4 cup TVP
• 3/4 cup almond milk
• 2 tbsp gf rolled oats
• 1 tsp flax seeds
• 2 tbsp pumpkin puree
• 1/2 tsp cinnamon
• 1/4 tsp ginger
• pinch of cloves
• 1 tbsp walnuts (optional for topping)
• 1 tbsp raisins (optional for topping)

Directions:

1. In a microwave safe bowl, combine all ingredients except walnuts and raisins.  
2. Microwave for 2 minutes.  Stir.  Microwave for another minute or until all the liquid is absorbed.  Make sure to watch closely so it does not overflow.
3. If desired, top with walnuts and raisins.

If you like sweeter oats, you can also add a sweetener to taste.  Maple syrup would probably be a great sweetener for this oatmeal bowl.

I actually didn't prep this meal the night before and made it in the morning.  I'm definitely making this the night before next time because the longer the TVP sits in the liquid the more it absorbs and the more volume.  To prepare this overnight just combine everything together, refrigerate (or heat first if desired for extra chewiness, then refrigerate), reheat in the morning, and add the optional toppings.

I can't wait to try other flavor varieties using TVP as "oatmeal".  

It's a great way to get a great amount of protein first thing in the morning!

Based on using original Silk PureAlmond Milk, walnuts, and raisins:
This recipe yields approximately 325 calories and 17g protein.