Five Easy Ways to Meal Prep Oats

There are so many advantages to eating from home, and I bet none of them will surprise you. It's cheaper. You can make exactly what you want. Homemade meals generally have fewer preservatives and are less processed. We all know this. But—let's face it—things happen. Schedules get busy. The weather goes haywire! You may not want to cook each and every day. Or you may fall prey to decision paralysis: what should you even make? Can I make a suggestion? Meal prep. Let's start with our premium, whole grain oats!

Our oats, with quality you can see and taste, turn breakfast into a simple celebration—a time to connect, enjoy, and fuel up for the day ahead, surrounded by those you love, savoring the simple pleasures of a delicious and nourishing meal together. When you add Bob's Red Mill oats to your meal prep plan, you can start your day with a healthy, homemade breakfast that takes very little time, energy, or decision-making bandwidth!

Five Reasons to Meal Prep Oats

Meal prepping Bob's Red Mill oats can make your week easier in so many ways. You can:

1. Lighten Your Mental Load: End the "What's for breakfast?" daily panic by simply planning your week ahead of time and shopping/prepping accordingly.
2. Save Money on Groceries: According to Feeding America, people in the US waste 80 million tons of food each year, a total of $440 billion. Because without a solid plan, it's easy to let fresh produce and other perishables—well—perish! By making a plan for the week, you can help ensure everything you buy is used and enjoyed.
3. Start Your Day on Time: Having your ingredients (or even entire meals) prepped ahead of time means fewer minutes wasted hunting for that bag of Steel Cut Oats you thought was right there, or ransacking the freezer for frozen fruit.
4. Eat More Nutritiously: When you start with the best oats, everything else falls into place. That's because we take the time to source the best oats and then roll or cut them to create countless options for every palate. They're a good source of fiber, Non-GMO Project Verified, and we offer gluten free, organic and gluten free-organic options!
5. Enjoy Your Breakfasts More: When you elevate your meal prep with our premium oats, you're demonstrating that you and the people you love are worth the effort to plan a healthy, homemade meal each day. It’s quality everyone can see, and it makes the taste and texture of our oats so much better.

But what should you make, and how can you get started? We have ideas.

Create a Dry Mix

One of the easiest ways to meal prep oats is to create a dry mix and include written instructions, so everyone can cook themselves a quick and hearty bowl of oats on demand. What you'll need: A large airtight jar or plastic container, oats (I recommend Old Fashioned or Quick Cooking Rolled Oats, which are easily cooked on the stovetop or in the microwave), favorite add-ins like dried fruit, spices, nuts and seeds, a measuring cup or scoop, and a label with instructions.

One fantastic example of this is our recipe for DIY Oatmeal. Here, Organic Old Fashioned Rolled Oats, Organic Chia Seeds, toasted Coconut Flakes, dried Cranberries and Organic Pumpkin Seeds combine to offer the perfect mix of convenience, protein, fiber and texture! Simply shake up your ingredients in a large jar, scoop a serving into your bowl, add water, microwave, and dig in. This recipe makes 8 servings, and you can customize it to taste.

Stir up Some Overnight Oats

You may be thinking, cold oats?!? I know I certainly did when I first heard about overnight oats. But it might be the easiest (and tastiest) way to meal prep oats: simply mix oats, milk, sweetener and add-ins, stir, and refrigerate overnight. In the morning, you can simply grab a spoon and dig in, or add additional toppings! You can also heat them up in the microwave, if you're not quite ready for cold oats.

These luscious Apple Pie Overnight Oats contain a secret ingredient: Protein Oats! With up to 60% more protein* than regular oats, they're a simple swap for added nutrition (and absolutely delicious). Simply stir together your milk of choice, crisp diced apples, yogurt, spices and chia seeds, refrigerate overnight, and top with pecans and maple syrup!

*Protein per 48 grams, regular rolled oats 6 grams per serving vs protein oats, 9-10 grams.

What's even easier than mixing overnight oats in a jar? Starting with one of our delicious Oatmeal Cups! We expertly blend our best ingredients, including gluten free whole grain oats, flaxseed, chia seeds and real dried fruit, for a hearty breakfast you can enjoy on the go. So pick your favorite and make an Overnight Oatmeal Cup—just add Almond Protein Powder and milk, plus sweetener and a little vanilla. Don't forget to check out the Zucchini Bread and Carrot Cake variations!

Steel cut oats are notorious for taking a little extra time on the stove, but did you know you can prepare them as overnight oats? We start with the finest whole grain oats, then cut them 2-3 times on a steel burr mill to create a hearty texture people love. To make Overnight Steel Cut Oats, mix Steel Cut Oats with milk, yogurt, almond butter and seeds, and wake up to a chewy, satisfying breakfast!

Note: Eating raw oats is generally safe, but may cause digestive issues or increase the risk of foodborne illness.

Freeze Smoothie Packs

Smoothies are already a quick and convenient breakfast, but meal prepping smoothies can make your mornings run even—well—smoother (sorry)! Plus you can include high quality, whole grain oats to add a boost of protein, fiber and complex carbohydrates to fuel your day.

To make a smoothie pack, gather small plastic or silicone bags (or other small freezer-safe containers) and fill them with the frozen fruit, oats and other dry ingredients from your favorite smoothie recipes (we have a few suggestions below). Then in the morning, empty a pack into your blender, add the liquid ingredients, and blend! Just remember to do the math depending on how many smoothies you need to make at once.

Let's start with this delicious Berries and Oats Smoothie: add Gluten Free Organic Old Fashioned Rolled Oats, Almond Protein Powder, Organic Golden Flaxseed Meal, and frozen mixed berries to your container and toss in the freezer. In the morning, add to your blender with maple syrup and oat milk for a simple, flavorful smoothie!

Enjoy the simplicity of a classic oatmeal cookie in smoothie form with this Oatmeal Cookie Smoothie recipe! This uses our Gluten Free Organic Old Fashioned Rolled Oats , Almond Protein Powder and Homemade Oat Milk for a nutritious, satisfying breakfast that tastes like dessert.

Need a little extra sunshine? Pep up your morning with the invigorating flavors of golden milk: turmeric, cinnamon and a pinch of black pepper. Our Golden Oat Milk Smoothie also features sweet golden mango for a burst of color and flavor and our hearty, classic Gluten Free Organic Old Fashioned Rolled Oats.

#ProTip: Make sure you have an insulated cup ready and clean if you're sipping on the go!

Make Muffins and More

Muffins are one of my favorite ways to meal prep oats for super-easy breakfasts to share with my family. Just bake up a batch of your favorites and add to your weekly rotation!

5 Steps to Meal Prep Oat Muffins

1. Skip the paper liners and spray your muffin tins with pan spray to avoid sticky, soggy paper
2. Remove hot muffins from tins and cool completely on a wire rack
3. Place muffins on a parchment-lined baking sheet and freeze until solid
4. Wrap individually in plastic wrap or add to a large zippered plastic or silicone bag
5. The night before, take out however many muffins you need and let thaw, covered, at room temperature (or, in a pinch, microwave frozen muffins for 20-30 seconds)

One of our favorites is this recipe for Healthy Customizable Oatmeal Muffins, by Kim Lee from Kim's Cravings. These hearty, oat-packed muffins feature our Gluten Free Old Fashioned Rolled Oats, as well as wholesome ingredients like mashed bananas, maple syrup, almond milk and spices. But the fun doesn't stop there! Add your favorite stir-ins like chocolate chips, berries, dried fruit or nut butter, or swap out the bananas for applesauce or pumpkin puree.

Much like muffins, these Strawberry Oat Snack Bars are a sweet treat you can make ahead and then serve on the go! A combination of Old Fashioned Rolled Oats and Steel Cut Oats creates a chewy, irresistible texture when combined with peanut butter, coconut oil and maple syrup. Quick homemade strawberry jam adds the perfect finishing touch.

Baked oats are another great way to meal prep oats. You can bake them ahead of time and reheat individual portions when you need, or refrigerate the unbaked oats mixture overnight and toss in the oven for fresh-baked goodness. With our Baked Pear Oatmeal recipe, Old Fashioned Rolled Oats are mixed with the warm, comforting flavors of cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger and brown sugar, and topped with sweet ripe pears. It's an incredible way to wake up the ones you love and nourish them for the day ahead.

Prep Oatmeal Cookies

Meal prepping cookies? Listen, dessert can be nourishing as well. While we wouldn't advise eating cookies as an entire meal (except for one recipe, below), including oats is a wonderful way to add protein and fiber to the sweet treats your loved ones crave! My only problem? I feel like homemade cookies should be eaten immediately, which can get . . . er . . . tricky when most recipes make a few dozen. But I have a solution!

How to Meal Prep Cookies

1. Use a 1 tablespoon scoop to make 1-inch balls of cookie dough
2. Place balls on a parchment-lined baking sheet
3. Freeze until firm
4. Add to an airtight bag or container and return to the freezer

Now you can bake cookies on demand! Simply take out as many cookie balls as you need at one time, then bake according to recipe directions (Note: You can bake them right from frozen, but you may need to add a minute or two of baking time).

These Healthy Breakfast Cookies are delightfully nutty, with a touch of chocolate! Organic Golden Flaxseeds, Organic Chia Seed, mashed sweet potato and creamy peanut butter create a hearty-yet-delicious on-the-go breakfast when combined with our premium quality Quick Cooking Gluten Free Rolled Oats. Vegan chocolate chips add just the right amount of sweetness.

Is anything cozier or more delicious than classic Oatmeal Cookies? The superior taste and texture of our Old Fashioned Rolled Oats makes these the perfect cookie to share warm from the oven as a wholesome after-school snack. One #ProTip: Pulsing or chopping the oats will produce a cookie that stays fresh-tasting longer!

No-bake cookies are a convenient way to meal prep oats. Just mix, scoop, and refrigerate or freeze until you're ready to eat. Our recipe for Apple Spice No-Bake Cookies is the perfect balance of nutrition and flavor thanks to our Old Fashioned Rolled Oats, a good source of fiber and iron. Mixed with apples, almond butter and pumpkin pie spice, they're the perfect on-the-go snack to toss in a lunch box or bring out on the trail!

Spend More Quality Time Together

Meal prepping oats means more time together in the morning—how will you spend yours? Here are a few ideas to create some fun quality time with those you love!

1. Let everyone take part: Food has the incredible power to bring everyone together and connect. Why not let everyone help prep? Even the smallest kids can measure oats or stir, fostering a sense of pride in helping to feed the family.
2. Take a vote: Running out of breakfast ideas? Ask everyone to contribute their ideas—no combination is out of bounds! You could find new family favorites to pass down (be sure to name them after the people who suggested them).
3. Make it a game: Did you know you can create your own Wheel of Breakfast? Visit Wheelofnames.com and add everyone's picks to a virtual wheel. Then, let each person take a spin to create next week's breakfast menu!
4. Create a theme or challenge: Who can create the most unusual (and delicious) combination of oatmeal toppings? Can you really eat a different type of muffin every day for a week? When you start with good ingredients, you can discover the joy of finding out together.

What are your meal prep tips? Do you have a favorite oats recipe to share? Post below!