I don’t know what rock I’ve been living under these past few months but apparently I’ve been missing out on one of the most popular, ridiculously healthy and ingenious competition diet meal ideas of ALL TIME! Sounds intriguing, doesn’t it? Well it is. And today I’m going to share a recipe with you that will allow you to eat a crap load of carbs that you can feel totally and completely guilt-free about.

BEHOLD, my beloved vegan bodybuilder brethren: ZOATS!

Cool. But WTF are “zoats” you ask? Yeah they’re pretty much exactly what the name entails: zucchini-fillled oatmeal. And why is this a huge trend in the competitive bodybuilding and weight-obsessed, carb-fearing health world? Because zucchini added to oatmeal adds very little calories and yet, major volume to an otherwise puny carb serving.

We all love carbs. And who wouldn’t rather eat a GIANT two cup-sized bowl of oatmeal vs. a measly half cup-sized bowl? With ZOATS, it’s oh-so-simple to do just that and there really is no downside.

Zucchini is nutritious, full of fiber, a natural de-bloating veggie plus its’ taste is completely undetectable when mixed into oats. In fact, adding half a zucchini gives oatmeal a rich, creamy texture and sneaks a serving of vitamin-rich veggies into your breakfast.

There are many zoat recipes posted all over the internet but I wanted to be the first to share “ZOATS for Vegan Bodybuilders” or more specifically, vegan bikini competitor zoats based on the portion serving for this particular recipe.

Perhaps not the most decadent ZOATS recipe out there, but let’s be honest– nobody’s coming to my blog for decadent vegan recipes. Did you see my ZOATS picture? 🙂 Rather, you’re here because you want healthy, low-cal, guilt-free and high protein recipe ideas that are gonna fuel your training and get you JACKED ON THE BEANSTALK!

So without further ado, I bring you…

Vegan Bodybuilding Protein ZOATS (Zucchini Oatmeal)

Makes enough for one breakfast or meal.

Ingredients:

1 cup water (add more or less depending how creamy you like your oats)
1/2 cup quick or rolled oats
Half a zucchini, grated with skin
1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp. apple cider vinegar (optional but good for digestion AND fat burning)
1 scoop Jacked on the Beanstalk Vegan Protein Powder (vanilla or chocolate)
Optional extras: fresh fruit, pure vanilla extract, chopped nuts, cocoa nibbs, powdered peanut butter, stevia for added sweetness

Method:

Combine oats and water in a pot. Boil for a few minutes until oats have absorbed most of the water. Stir in shredded zucchini. Once combined and desired oatmeal thickness has been achieved, remove from heat. Stir in cinnamon, apple cider vinegar and protein powder. Add more water or unsweetened almond milk if oatmeal is too dry or more protein powder if too wet. Add any optional extras you like.

Now go to town on that giant bowl of oatmeal and enjoy every carbilicious bite of it guilt-free, baby! 🙂

– Sam Shorkey, Jacked on the Beanstalk