Start your day with this delicious, nutrient-packed and energising oat bowl that’s quick to prepare and budget-friendly too, costing just 72p per serving!
Oats are a fantastic breakfast choice, rich in protein, fibre, and complex carbs that provide long-lasting energy. Not only are oats budget-friendly, but they’re also wonderfully versatile – perfect for a super speedy oat bowl like this one, or prepped the night before for a convenient grab-and-go breakfast. And as the weather cools, a warm bowl of porridge becomes pure comfort food!
This recipe is part of my 3 Healthy Meals for £3 a Day series, perfect for anyone seeking easy, nutritious, and budget-friendly plant-based meals.
Ingredient Cost Breakdown
Oat Bowl
- 50g / ½ cup quick-cooking rolled porridge oats (Quaker) – 12p
- 2 tsp cocoa powder (Tesco) – 4p
- 180 ml / ¾ cup fortified soya milk (Tesco Longlife Sweetened) – 22p
‘Pick n Mix’ Topping:
- 6 walnut halves (Tesco) – 18p
- 6 whole almonds (Tesco Aasani) – 7p
- ½ TBSP sunflower seeds (Tesco) – 3p
- ½ TBSP pumpkin seeds (Tesco) – 3p
- 1 TBSP mixed dried fruit (Tesco) – 3p
Cost per serving: 72p
Prices listed are for November 2024, sourced from Tesco where I do my main grocery shop at the moment.
Topping your oats with a mix of nuts and seeds is a fantastic way to add extra protein and healthy fats, which will help keep you feeling fuller for longer. I also love to add some dried fruit for sweetness and an extra boost of vitamins and antioxidants.
Inspired by hotel breakfast buffets, I keep my nuts, seeds and dried fruits in glass jars, creating a ‘Pick n Mix’ breakfast bar setup that makes mornings fun and convenient – and it’s great for putting together your own Trail Mix for snacking on the go!
The Good Stuff
This breakfast bowl packs in plenty of nutritious ingredients:
✨ Oats are rich in protein, fibre, complex carbs, and B vitamins, promoting sustained energy, heart health, and overall wellness.
✨ Cocoa is rich in antioxidants like flavonoids, along with magnesium and iron, helping improve heart health, mood, and brain function.
✨ Soya milk is a protein-rich plant milk, with 3.4g of protein per 100g (the same as dairy milk), while low in saturated fat. When fortified, soya milk provides essential nutrients like calcium, vitamin D and vitamin B12, supporting heart health and bone strength.
✨ Walnuts are nutrient-dense, providing healthy omega-3 fatty acids, protein, fibre, and essential minerals like magnesium, copper, and manganese, all of which support heart health and brain function.
✨ Almonds are another nutrient-dense nut, rich in protein, healthy fats, fibre, vitamin E, magnesium, calcium, and antioxidants, supporting heart, bone and skin health.
✨ Sunflower seeds are rich in healthy fats, protein, fibre, and essential nutrients like vitamin E, magnesium, and selenium, supporting heart health, skin health, and immune function.
✨ Pumpkin seeds are rich in healthy fats, protein, fibre, antioxidants, and essential minerals like magnesium, zinc and iron, promoting heart, immune, and bone health.
✨ Dried fruit is a concentrated source of fibre, vitamins, minerals, antioxidants and natural sugars, supporting digestive health and energy levels. They should be consumed in moderation though, due to their high sugar content.
Top Tips & FAQS
What kind of oats work best?
Quick-cooking rolled oats are ideal, as they’re softer and faster to prepare. My family loves Quaker Rolled Oats for their fine consistency, making them perfect for instant oat bowls. I would recommend avoiding the cheapest brands as the oats can be a bit tough and ‘husky’.
How do I soften my oats if they are too chewy?
Leave them to soak in milk for 10-12 minutes and this will help soften them up to a creamy consistency.
What kind of plant milk works best?
Any plant milk works well! My family prefers Waitrose or Tesco long-life sweetened soya milk, which is naturally sweetened with apple extract and offers protein levels similar to dairy milk. Plus, its subtle sweetness means we don’t need to add extra syrup or sugar. We avoid milks with maltodextrin or artificial sweeteners, as they can impact gut health.
Boosting iron absorption
Pairing your oat bowl with a piece of vitamin C-rich fruit or a small glass of orange juice will help increase iron absorption from the oats and nuts.
Gluten-free options
Certified gluten-free porridge oats can be found on the ‘Free From’ aisles in UK supermarkets. They tend to be more like jumbo oats so may need soaking in milk for a while to soften them up.
Recipe Card
Vegan Chocolate Instant Oat Bowl with ‘Pick n Mix’ Topper
Ingredients
Instant oat bowl:
- 50 g / ½ cup quick-cooking rolled porridge oats*
- 2 tsp cocoa powder
- 180 ml / ¾ cup fortified soya milk or other plant milk
- drizzle of syrup or sprinkle of unrefined sugar optional, to taste
‘Pick n Mix’ topping:
- 6 walnut halves
- 6 whole almonds
- ½ TBSP sunflower seeds
- ½ TBSP pumpkin seeds
- 1 TBSP mixed dried fruit
Instructions
- Add the oats and cocoa powder to a bowl and stir through to combine.
- Stir in the milk. Taste test and adjust the sweetness levels by adding a drizzle of syrup or sprinkle of sugar, if desired.
- Add your ‘Pick n Mix’ toppings and tuck in!
Notes
Nutrition breakdown
N.B. The above values are estimates and for illustration purposes only. The actual nutritional values will vary depending on the specific ingredients used. The % Reference Intake (RI) will also vary depending on your age, gender, height, BMI, level of activity and other personal variables.
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If you make this Vegan Instant Oat Bowl, I’d love to hear your feedback and any suggestions for adaptations. Tag your photos with #bitofthegoodstuff on social media – I’d love to see them! You can also connect with me on my social media channels here: Instagram, Facebook, Pinterest.
With love,
