In the hierarchy of fiber- and protein-packed breakfast recipes, oats tend to reign supreme. Whether they come in the form of overnight oats or a comforting bowl of cinnamon apple oatmeal, this healthy whole grain is a golden ticket to a healthy, well-balanced meal.

However, breakfast items can be pretty polarizing—most of us are either team sweet or team savory. And if you swing towards the savory side like me, something tells me you’d take a plate of scrambled eggs with sriracha in the morning over a big bowl of porridge drowned in brown sugar or maple syrup any day of the week.

This doesn’t mean you have to forgo oatmeal, though. If sweets aren’t your vibe, it just means you need to start making savory oats instead—and this registered dietitian-approved savory oats recipe is packed with plant-based protein and gut-friendly fiber. It offers the same nutritional value and convenience factor as most oatmeal recipes, minus a dreaded mid-morning sugar crash.

Savory oats are trending, but in reality, they’re far from new

ICYMI, TikTokers have been raving about savory oatmeal of late. Dishes consisting of a creamy oatmeal base made with veggie or chicken stock and toppings like a fried egg, spinach, and bell peppers have been flooding our FYPs (and for good reason: they’re delicious). However, the truth is this trend is far from new.

Savory porridge—like Chinese-style congee, Korean-style dakjuk, or Japanese-style okayu—has been part of Asian cuisine for centuries.

On the contrary, savory porridge—like Chinese-style congee, Korean-style dakjuk, or Japanese-style okayu—has been part of Asian cuisine for centuries. Similar to oatmeal in the United States, Asian-style porridge is typically consumed for breakfast (though it can also be consumed throughout the day or when feeling under the weather) and garnished with the toppings of your choice or eaten on its own, depending on your personal preferences.

How to make a registered dietitian-approved version of savory oats

In a recent TikTok video by @nutritionbykylie, Kylie, a registered dietitian, shares how to make an easy one-pot savory oats recipe packed with 21 grams of protein per serving. She starts by cooking chicken bone broth (that’s packed with longevity-boosting nutrients), a handful of fresh spinach (a vitamin-rich superstar), soy sauce, oyster sauce, and quick one-minute oats in a pot until rich and creamy. Then, she transfers it to a bowl and garnishes it with a fried egg and a splash of chili oil before digging in. The beauty of this simple dish is that, much like sweet oatmeal recipes, savory oats can be adapted to your liking and spruced up with the toppings of your choice.

This savory oats recipe is packed with much more than protein

Fact: This recipe packs a bevy of health benefits. “Oats don’t have to just be served as a sweet breakfast option. Savory oats can be a fantastic option for people who want to benefit from eating that whole-grain goodness without added sweetness,” says Lauren Manaker, MS, RDN, LD, CLEC, CPT, a registered dietitian based in Charleston. One of the main selling points of oats is their high fiber content. “Oats are rich in a soluble fiber called beta-glucan. This fiber has been shown to play a role in reducing LDL or ‘bad’ cholesterol. Oats also contain prebiotic fiber that may help support a healthy gut microbiome,” Manaker says.

One of our favorite go-to’s for making oats, whether it be savory or sweet, is using Bob’s Red Mill organic quick cooking rolled oats, which are packed with iron, potassium, and tons of that gut-loving fiber (about three grams per half cup, which is about 11 percent of your daily intake, to be exact). The brand also makes a gluten-free version.

But what makes this recipe such a standout—aside from its great taste and supreme fiber content—is that it’s loaded with protein to help power your day. We’ve learned that, according to nutrition experts, many of us aren’t getting enough protein at breakfast. Though protein intake should depend on personal factors like size, fitness level, age, and goals, folks should generally aim to consume roughly 25-40 grams for breakfast. Thankfully, this recipe, which boasts 21 grams of protein, can easily be doctored up to get you over that recommended threshold and up your protein intake first thing in the morning.

An RD shares the top vegan and vegetarian protein sources: