“Is this gross?” — the most vegan breakfast I eat

The most stereotypical breakfast for vegans is oatmeal.

The most stereotypical vegetable for vegans is kale.

So why not combine the two in a single breakfast bowl?

Yes, I am talking about a kale and oatmeal breakfast.

Why kale and oatmeal?

I didn’t always eat kale and oatmeal for breakfast. For the longest time, I ate a protein oatmeal bowl with an orange.

Learn why it is important to pair vitamin c with your protein-rich meals.

But I realized that I was lacking in vitamin K, so I wanted to add something to my diet that was rich in vitamin K.

In doing research on foods rich in vitamin K, one vegetable continuously popped up: Kale

And since kale is high in both vitamin C and vitamin K, I decided to swap out my orange completely for some kale.

Kale - the ultimate super food

Kale is a crazy ass vegetable. It is insanely high in minerals like calcium and potassium, and exceptionally high in vitamins A, C, and K.

No wonder for a while back in the 2000s there was a food trend elevating kale as a “super food”.

But the problem with Kale is that it’s got kind of a bitter taste. Not everybody can stand kale… not even me!

However when you add kale to a protein oatmeal bowl, the taste magically goes away (while the nutrients stay in place).

What makes an oatmeal bowl a "protein oatmeal bowl"?

A “protein oatmeal bowl” is oatmeal with protein powder added to it. Protein powder is a super easy way to get a boost of protein on a vegan diet, and I am not afraid to use it daily in my oatmeals.

Doesn't oatmeal have enough protein?

Honestly, not really. I’ve read so many articles saying that oatmeal is a great source of protein. It definitely does have protein (about 5 grams per 1/2 cup service), but that’s not a significant amount if you are an adult needing 40-60 grams of protein a day.

So what is in your kale and oatmeal breakfast?

Glad you asked!

1/2 cup of oatmeal
30 grams of protein powder (I always reach for Mocu’s hemp hearts protein powder)
2 cups of water
45 grams of raw (or cooked) kale
10 grams of hemp seeds

and I always pair my breakfasts with a glass of enriched soy milk for that extra boost of protein, calcium, vitamin B12, and vitamin D.

And... is it gross?

You know, as gross as “kale in oatmeal” may sound, it really isn’t that bad.

The protein powder masks that taste of the kale, so you don’t taste any of the bitter kale-ness.

Even my mother, who doesn’t like kale, took a bite of my kale and oatmeal bowl and acknowledged that she couldn’t taste the kale.

What you do get out of the kale though is that crunch factor that most people get in their oatmeals by adding nuts and seeds.

While there is nothing wrong with adding nuts and seeds to your oatmeal (I add hemp seeds to mine, but they’re not big enough to “crunch” on), I have a higher preference for using kale to add that crunch as it is lower in calories and fat (for those of you watching your macronutrients).

How do you make this thing?

Measure out 45 grams, or 2 cups, of raw kale.

In a sauce pan on medium to high heat, add 30 grams (1/2 cup) of oats with 2 cups of water, and add the kale on top.

Meanwhile, measure out 30 grams (or 1 full serving) of protein powder and 10 grams of hemp seeds.

For protein powder, I typically use (and highly recommend) Mocu’s hemp heart protein powder.

In this case, I ran out, so I am using a combination or raw pumpkin seed protein powder and a pea & quinoa protein powder.

At this point, the kale in the sauce pan should start to cook down. Use a spoon to push down the kale in to the water so that it cooks and softens a bit.

Continue to cook and let the oats and kale simmer to a boil. Then add everything on top of your bowl with the protein powder and hemp seeds.

Note Note that this oatmeal is intended to be more on the watery side so that there is enough water to soak up the protein powder. I also just prefer more watery oatmeal than thick oatmeal. If you prefer your oatmeal to be more on the thick, dense side, then reduce the water from 2 cups to 1.5 cups.

Stir in the protein powder and hemp seeds into the oats and kale until the powder has fully absorbed, and enjoy!

The takeaway

In reality, this kale and protein oatmeal bowl isn’t as bad as it sounds. The taste of the kale is sufficiently masked by the protein powder and the crunchiness of the leaves adds some much needed texture to an otherwise mushy bowl of plain old oatmeal.

Full recipe: Kale and Oatmeal Protein Bowl

Ingredients

30 grams of 1/2 cup of oatmeal (instant or rolled works)
30 grams of protein powder (I always reach for Mocu’s hemp hearts protein powder)
2 cups of water
45 grams of raw kale
10 grams of hemp seeds

Instructions

Put the water, oats, and kale in a saucepan over medium to high heat
Meanwhile put the protein powder and hemp seeds into a bowl
As the water heats up, use a spoon to push down the kale so that it cooks in the water
Once the oat and kale concoction comes to a boil, pour it into your bowl of protein powder and hemp seeds and stir everything together until the powder absorbs.