Nutty Blueberry Quinoa Oatmeal

For the record, a triple shot latte + this protein-packed Nutty Blueberry Quinoa Oatmeal is pretty much how I want every day to begin for the next month or so-especially now that the holidays are over and I’m officially out of eggnog.

I’ve been seeing a lot of quinoa-y breakfasts as of late. Especially on Pinterest, which is where I got the brilliant idea for this delicious protein-packed breakfast in the first place.

Why had it never occurred to me quinoa could be eaten at 8AM before? My mind is blown.

With or without quinoa, when it comes to my morning bowl of oats, I’m a huge fan of making them with milk instead of water, for a few reasons:

1. It’s makes oatmeal exponentially more creamy. Suddenly breakfast feels more like a treat than a nutritious meal.

2. Milk is packed with high-quality protein–8 grams per cup! We all know that protein at breakfast adds serious staying power to your morning meal.

3. The milk delivers protein to our cells first thing in the morning, which is important because our bodies don’t store protein like we do carbs and fat. This is especially great for us morning exercisers since protein plays a huge role in muscle repair and recovery.

All that just from swapping milk for water in your morning oats.

What I love most about this breakfast is that there’s almost a limitless number of delicious fruit + nut (or seed) combinations to mix into the quinoa and oats. Some delicious ones off the top of my head:

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Nuts & Seeds
Almonds
Pecans
Hazlenuts
Walnuts
Peanuts
Peanut butter
Pistachios
Chia seeds
Ground flaxseed
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Fruit
Strawberries
Blackberries
Banana
Raspberries
Peach
Baked apple
Pear
Blueberries
Pomegranate
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Part of me feels silly even writing out the recipe because this breakfast is so ridiculously simple, but I just wouldn’t feel right about that, so here she is! Enjoy!

SERVES: 1 

PREP TIP: Pre-cook the quinoa and store in the fridge to save yourself some time in the morning.

INGREDIENTS

2/3 cup 2% milk
1/3 cup old-fashioned oats
1/4 cup cooked quinoa
1/4 cup blueberries
1 teaspoon maple syrup or sweetener of choice
2 tablespoons pecan pieces
2-3 dashes cinnamon

DIRECTIONS

Combine milk and oats and cook according to package instructions to desired creaminess. (I normally microwave mine for 4 minutes at 70% power–which keeps them from bubbling up and over the sides of the bowl. Let them sit for a few and/or cook for a little bit longer for creamier oats.) Stir in quinoa, blueberries, maple syrup, pecans and cinnamon and serve hot. Enjoy with an 8-ounce glass of milk.

A special thanks to MilkPEP for sponsoring this delicious recipe!

What’s your favorite way to jazz up a plain bowl of morning oats?