Oats have always been the go-to choice for clean and healthy eating. You’ll almost always find oats in the meal plans of those pursuing fitness and bodybuilding. So, what makes oats such a popular choice? According to USADA, 100 gm of oats contain 13.5 gm of protein, 68.7 gm of carbohydrates, and 10 gm of fiber. They also contain many essential minerals and vitamins. However, there are ways to boost the protein content further, turning them into proats.

The versatility of oats is nearly unparalleled. You can boil them, soak them, combine them with other healthy foods, and even turn them into flour. You can substitute refined flour with oat flour for nearly any dish that requires flour. Thanks to their versatility, oats have become a favorite for the fitness-conscious Gen Z.

Gen Z’s love affair with proats

Various studies have found that consumers have become increasingly conscious about their wellness with the rise of the fitness industry. However, Gen Z is leading the charge when it comes to fitness. McKinzey’s latest Future of Wellness survey with 5,000 participants from the USA, UK, and China concluded that 56% of Gen Z consider fitness a “very high priority.”

Meanwhile, the number drops to 40% when the overall US consumers are taken into account. Gen Z is also more inclined to eat breakfast and catch an early morning workout than other age groups. The Mirror mentioned a poll among 2,000 participants where Gen Z described breakfast as their healthiest meal and oats as one of their favorite choices. This is where proats come in.

Proats have become extremely popular as a pre or post-workout morning meal. You make this oatmeal in several different ways. However, the main ingredients are oats, a liquid base, and whey protein. Since Whey protein comes in a plethora of flavors, you can make your oatmeal taste however you want. Proats also come with a convenience advantage.

Our modern lives are also about speed and productivity, hence, Gen Z also chooses foods that are tasty yet hassle-free to make. Proats fulfill this criteria as well. Many people boil their oats in milk, milk alternatives, or even water and then add whey protein and maybe some fruits. However, an even more convenient way to make the meal is to soak all the ingredients overnight.

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In fact, overnight protein oats are among the most popular way to have proats. Yet, if you are wondering if there’s something more to proats than just boosted protein content, there definitely is.

Proats and recovery

Oats already contain 13.5 gm of protein, so adding whey protein improves its protein content by at least another 20-25 gm. However, the other two macro ingredients, fiber and carbohydrates also make proats an effective pre or post-workout meal. Carbohydrates generate energy. So, they can power your training session or help you recover from one, depending on when you consume them.

Oats also contain essential muscle recovery-inducing minerals like calcium, magnesium, and zinc, with the high fiber content a cherry on top that helps with digestion and keeping cravings away. Adding some Greek yogurt makes it even better by further increasing protein content, calcium, and gut-friendly bacteria.

So it’s not too hard to see why proats have become such a popular meal option for busy youngsters. Not only do proats build muscle but aid in recovery. However, there’s another element that makes proats popular with Gen Z. While many in the generation are huge advocates for milk alternatives, these can be used as the liquid base for proats, including soy milk, pea milk, almond milk, oat milk, and more.

Most proats recipes that do not use yogurt as a base recommend using milk, and that’s why many like experimenting with different kinds of milk alternatives in their proats.

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So, in conclusion, it’s safe to say that proats have become one of the go-to pre or post-workout meals for Gen Z, and for a good reason. Besides helping complete the daily protein intake for an active individual, they provide essential macro and micronutrients that aid recovery and muscle building. Since the dish also uses ingredients that Gen Z prefers it seems like proats are here to stay.