Oatmeal will get an entire lot of affection come breakfast time—it’s fast to organize, filled with vitamins, and there are a bunch of the way to make it extra attention-grabbing. However the fact is, it typically falls brief in a single crucial class: protein.

Protein does a lot to your physique, from repairing muscle tissue after train to holding you full and glad. And it’s particularly necessary to refill on it within the morning to set you up for a stable and productive day forward, Rhyan Geiger, RDN, a Phoenix-based registered dietitian and founding father of Phoenix Vegan Dietitian, tells SELF. Precisely how a lot of it you must eat for breakfast varies (it will depend on issues like your genetic make-up, exercise degree, and measurement), however usually, you must intention to get round 15 to twenty grams of the stuff in every meal, she says.

Whereas oats undoubtedly have extra of the stuff than another grains—sorry, rice—people might discover that its 5 grams per one half cup serving isn’t sufficient by itself to fulfill that purpose and chase away starvation pangs. The excellent news? Due to how simply oatmeal adapts to totally different taste profiles and textures, it’s really not that tough to bump up that protein rely: You simply want some methods in your again pocket. Give a few of these high-protein oatmeal concepts attempt to we assure your subsequent bowl will go away you glad.

1. Cook dinner it with different grains and seeds.

Combining oats with one other, hardy grain is a simple method so as to add extra protein—plus different vitamins like fiber—and make your meal extra texturally attention-grabbing, Maxine Yeung, MS, RD, founding father of The Wellness Whisk, tells SELF. Together with only one fourth cup of farro can achieve you at the very least three or 4 extra grams, and different grains like barley and quinoa can convey an identical bump. Doing so can even make your breakfast nuttier, earthier, and chewier, however it received’t change the impact your common add-ins create, whether or not that’s maple syrup, dried fruit, nut butter, or the entire above. The one draw back is that you simply’ll want to permit for a lengthier cooking course of if you happen to’re cooking it on the stovetop, however you may keep away from that by letting your breakfast stew in a single day in a slow-cooker or utilizing the strain prepare dinner setting on an Prompt Pot.

2. Or combine in some seeds as a substitute.

When you’re pressed for time and don’t need to go the slow-cooker route, you may need to attempt protein-rich seeds as a substitute. This doesn’t change how lengthy oats take to prepare dinner, and provides you with comparable advantages from much less work, Cara Harbstreet, MS, RD, of Road Sensible Diet, tells SELF. As an example, hemp hearts include about three grams of protein per tablespoon, they usually don’t even must be cooked to be eaten. “No particular prep is required, as these small seeds may be combined in or sprinkled on prime,” she says. Added bonus: “They’ve a impartial, nearly nutty taste that can complement oats, fruit, nuts, or baking spices you may use to taste your bowl,” she explains.

3. Make it savory.

Oats don’t must be candy; Savory bowls are lastly getting extra consideration, which is nice as a result of they supply a superb alternative to create a high-protein oatmeal. Protein-dense components are likely to lean extra towards the salty aspect than candy meals, which makes them a pure match for a bowl of oats that’s extra on the savory aspect, Yeung explains.

Take inspiration from one other breakfast favourite and prime your oats with bacon or breakfast sausage with maple syrup for a sweet-savory combo, says Yeung. Alternatively, hold it plant-based and protein-packed by topping your bowl with a crispy, spiced tofu scramble, says Geiger. Even a tacky, risotto-inspired oatmeal or an umami-packed congee-like dish is feasible with the suitable approach.

4. Add a traditional and creamy snack.

Each cottage cheese and yogurt are nice on their very own, however these two components additionally deserve a spot in your subsequent bowl of oats. Harbstreet recommends including cottage cheese as a result of only one half cup provides a whopping 12 further grams of protein. “It’s gentle however barely tart as soon as combined in, and the saltiness of cottage cheese may help stability overly candy flavors from fruit, brown sugar, honey, maple syrup, or different sweeteners,” she explains.