I snuck 1 cup of zucchini into my morning oats (think zucchini bread) along with a ripe banana to sweeten them naturally and loved how these Zoats or Zucchini Oats turned out for a high-fiber, healthy breakfast.

Zoats or Zucchini Oats

I’ve been making it a challenge to eat at least one cup of vegetables with every meal (my goal is 5 cups per day). It is usually pretty easy for lunch or dinner, but breakfast can be challenging. I was thinking about zucchini bread and was curious to see what would happen if I added zucchini to oatmeal. It was delicious – you can’t even taste the zucchini! I sweetened the zoats naturally with ripe banana and topped them with blueberries and almonds. You can make this zucchini oatmeal recipe with so many toppings, like this Cinnamon Apple-Spiced Oatmeal, Peanut Butter Oatmeal, and Pumpkin- Spiced Oatmeal.

Should you eat vegetables with every meal?

I’ve added non-statchy vegetables to every meal for the past few months and have enjoyed the challenge. Most vegetables are high in fiber and low in calories, so they help fill me up without eating a ton of carbs or fat. Below are some other benefits of eating a variety of vegetables each day:

• Reduce blood pressure
• Decrease the risk of heart disease and stroke
• Has a positive effect on blood sugar levels
• Helps with digestion
• Prevents some types of cancer

Zucchini Oatmeal Ingredients

• Zucchini: Peel seven ounces of zucchini and pulse it in a food processor. You can also shred the zucchini with a box grater.
• Banana: Mash half of a ripe banana.
• Egg Whites: You can buy liquid egg whites or separate the yolks from the whites until you fill a third cup.
• Oats: Use a third cup of quick oats.
• Milk: Make these zoats with whichever milk you prefer, like 2%, coconut, or almond milk.
• Cinnamon: Stir some cinnamon into the oats and sprinkle more on top.
• Toppings: Fresh blueberries, slivered almonds

How to Make Zucchini Oats

1. Combine zucchini, banana, egg whites, oats, milk, and cinnamon in a small pot and turn the heat on medium low.
2. Stir the oats for three to five minutes until they’re cooked through and creamy.
3. Serve: Pour the oats into a bowl and top them with blueberries, almonds, and cinnamon.

Variations:

• Fruit: Swap blueberries with raspberries, blackberries, strawberries, or a mix.
• Nuts: Top your zoats with walnuts or pecans or omit them if you’re allergic.
• Spices: Sub cinnamon with pumpkin pie spice.
• Seeds: Add chia seeds for extra protein and fiber.

More Zucchini Recipes You’ll Love:

Your comments are helpful! If you’ve tried this healthy Zucchini Oats recipe or any other on Skinnytaste, don’t forget to rate the recipe and leave me a comment below.  And if you took a photo of it, share it with me on Instagram so I can reshare it on my Stories!