7 healthy and delicious oat-based breakfast recipes that have helped me lose weight and get strong

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While there's nothing wrong with regular flour, if you like the flavor of oats, grinding your oats into a flour using a food processor or blender can be a game-changer. I love using oat flour in my pancakes, and sometimes I do half oat, half regular flour. 

Ingredients:

• 1 large banana, mashed
• 30g oat flour
• 150g liquid egg whites
• 15g vanilla protein powder
• 1/2 tsp baking powder
• Sprinkle of cinnamon
• Dash of vanilla extract
• Handful (about 50g) blueberries
• Maple syrup, fruit, or toppings of your choice

Method:

1. Put a non-stick frying pan on the stove on a medium heat with a little oil, butter, or cooking spray to heat up.

2. Whisk the mashed banana with the egg whites, then stir in the rest of the ingredients except the blueberries.

3. Drop large spoonfuls of batter into your pan and place a few blueberries on each. Once firming up at the edges and bubbles are appearing, flip and cook on the other side for around a minute.

4. Stack them up, add your toppings, and enjoy.

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Baked oats have soared in popularity recently, and for good reason: It's basically cake for breakfast, but super good for you. I like making all sorts of flavor combos, from carrot cake to chocolate brownie batter, but you can't go wrong with simple banana bread (which leaves your kitchen smelling amazing too). I use a single-serve 15cm x 10cm ovenproof dish, but any small dish will do — just keep an eye on it in the oven and adjust your cooking time accordingly.

Ingredients:

• 1 banana, mashed
• 40 grams dry oats (about a 1/2 cup)
• 1 scoop vanilla protein
• 1 tsp baking powder
• Sprinkle cinnamon
• Dash vanilla extract
• Pinch of salt
• 1/2 cup almond milk
• Handful chocolate chunks or pecan nuts (optional)
• Chocolate spread or peanut butter for drizzling

Method:

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit and grease an ovenproof dish.

2. Mix all the ingredients except the topping together in a bowl, saving a few slices of banana for the top.

3. Bake in the oven for about 20-25 minutes until golden on top (bear in mind it will firm up more once you remove it).

4. Drizzle with whatever you fancy and dig in!

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Chocolate chip cookies for breakfast? Don't mind if I do. No, these aren't going to hit the same as classic buttery, sugary cookies (which still have a place in a balanced diet if you enjoy them), but they're great for breakfast — I like to have a couple alongside some yogurt and fruit. This recipe makes eight.

Ingredients:

• 1 ripe banana, mashed
• 80g oats
• 50g chocolate protein 
• 25g (1 tbsp) peanut butter
• 5g cocoa powder
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1/2 tsp baking powder
• Pinch salt
• About 100ml almond milk
• 25g dark chocolate chunks

Method:

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Mix everything except the chocolate chunks together until thick, sticky, and well combined.

2. Dollop the mixture into eight blobs on a baking tray lined with baking parchment. Stud with the chocolate chunks.

3. Bake in the oven for about eight minutes — don't overbake or they'll be dry. Sprinkle a little sea salt on top. Leave to cool slightly and tuck in!

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The great thing about overnight oats is that it's so convenient — whip it all up the night before and you're ready to go in the morning. You can even make it in bulk and have your breakfast sorted for a few days. 

You can adjust the flavors and combinations to whatever you enjoy too: My base is always oats, Greek yogurt, protein powder, and almond milk, and then I mix up the add-ins and toppings. Try mixing in grated apple, mashed banana, sultanas, poached plums, peaches, chia seeds, or cinnamon. For toppings, try nut butter, banana, berries, or nuts.

Ingredients:

• 40g oats
• 100g Greek yogurt
• 1 scoop protein powder
• Almond milk 
• Grated apple, mashed banana, or fruit of choice
• Nut butter, nuts, or toppings of choice

Method:

1. Mix everything together apart from your toppings, adding enough almond milk for it to thicken overnight (especially if you've added chia seeds).

2. Cover and chill overnight.

3. In the morning, remove from the fridge, add your toppings, and dig in.

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Much like overnight oats, you can make oatmeal in whatever flavor you prefer — one of my favorites is chocolate banana. I add protein to my oats to make it more satiating and delicious, but the trick is to make the protein powder into a paste by mixing with a little water, then stirring in at the end — this prevents it from going powdery and lumpy.

Ingredients:

• 40-50g oats
• Milk or water
• 1 scoop chocolate protein powder, made into a paste
• 1/2 banana, mashed
• 1 tbsp cocoa powder
• Fruit, dark chocolate, and chocolate sauce or nut butter to top

Method:

1. Cook your oats with the almond milk, banana, and cocoa powder in the microwave or on the stove, stirring occasionally, for a few minutes until thickened.

2. Stir in your protein paste, add your toppings, and enjoy. 

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Granola, yogurt, and fruit is a classic combo that never fails to please. Opt for Greek yogurt or skyr to give yourself a protein boost, or try whipping some protein powder into plain yogurt. Granola on its own with milk doesn't provide the most balanced of meals, but there's nothing wrong with including granola in your diet. If you have time, you could even make your own, which lets you keep an eye on the sugar content, such as Minimalist Baker's banana bread granola. 

Ingredients:

• 200g Greek yogurt
• 30-50g granola
• Fruit, nuts, and/or nut butter of choice

Method:

1. Put it all in a bowl. Eat.