Zoats: The Breakfast Trend You Don’t Want to Miss

Article posted in: Diet & Nutrition
banana and blueberry oatmeal

Move over smoothie bowls, there’s a new breakfast trend in town…

Zoats! Sure, it’s a funny name, but once you’ve tried this genius addition to your morning meal rotation, you’ll be happily requesting it by whatever funky name it goes by.

First things first: Zoats = zucchini + oats. That may seem like a strange combo at first, but let us be the first to tell you, it’s delicious. The zucchini actually doesn’t add a distinct flavor, so it’s a perfect vehicle for any toppings you typically add to your oats.

But let’s get on to the benefits and why you need to try this peculiar pair for breakfast, stat!

  1. Zucchini adds volume to your meal, which fills you up without racking up a ton of extra calories.
  2. As we mentioned above, zucchini is a neutral addition, so you’re not limited to certain toppings that fit the flavor profile.
  3. Zucchini packs in vitamins A and C, fiber, and has a high water content, which means extra hydration for you.
  4. Can you say sneaky veggie servings? For those who are looking to pack extra veggies into your day, this is a great option!

Ready to give it a try? It’s so simple. Using a box grater, grate a quarter to a half cup of zucchini (zucchini is an unlimited veggie on the Nutrisystem program, so it’s up to you how much you’d like to add, but if you’re skeptical, we suggest starting small). Add the zucchini to your 1/4 cup dry oats, then cook the oats like you usually do. Done and done! (Depending on how much zucchini you choose to use, this recipe can count as up to a half vegetable and one SmartCarb on Nutrisystem.)

Now that you have the basic recipe, let’s mix things up with some of our favorite flavor combinations!

Carrot Cake:
Cook with 1/2 cup grated carrot, and top with 2 Tbsp. chopped walnuts, 1 Tbsp. raisins, cinnamon and stevia to taste (= one Vegetable, one PowerFuel and one Extra on Nutrisystem.)

Pumpkin Spice:
Stir in 1/2 cup canned pumpkin, with cinnamon, nutmeg, allspice, vanilla extract and stevia to taste. Top with 1/2 sliced banana and 2 Tbsp. chopped pecans. (= Half a Vegetable, one SmartCarb and one PowerFuel on Nutrisystem.)

Apple Pie:
Cook with one cup low-fat milk in place of water. Stir in 1 Tbsp. sugar-free maple syrup, with vanilla extract and cinnamon to taste, and top with caramelized apples: 1/2 apple, chopped and caramelized in butter-flavor cooking spray and cinnamon. (= Half a Vegetable, one PowerFuel, half a SmartCarb and one Extra on Nutrisystem.)

Mexican Chocolate:
Stir in 1 Tbsp. cocoa powder, with vanilla extract, cinnamon and stevia to taste, and a small dash of cayenne pepper, if you’re feeling spicy. (= Half a Vegetable and one Extra on Nutrisystem.)

Coconut Cream:
Stir in 2 Tbsp. light coconut milk, 1 Tbsp. unsweetened coconut shreds, with vanilla extract and stevia to taste. (= Half a Vegetable and two Extras on Nutrisystem.)

PB&J:
Stir in 1 Tbsp. peanut or almond butter and top with 1/2 cup sliced strawberries. (= Half a Vegetable, one PowerFuel and half a SmartCarb on Nutrisystem.)

Caramelized Banana:
Stir in 1 Tbsp. cashew butter, with vanilla extract and stevia to taste and top with 1/2 sliced banana caramelized in butter-flavor cooking spray. (= Half a Vegetable, one PowerFuel and half a SmartCarb on Nutrisystem.)

Triple Berry:
While cooking, stir in 1/2 cup frozen berry mix, and stevia to taste. (= Half a Vegetable and half a SmartCarb on Nutrisystem.)