Healthy Oatmeal with Chia Seeds

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Start your day with Oatmeal with Chia Seeds, a nutrient-rich breakfast designed to fuel your body and support long-term health. This healthy oatmeal recipe may help lower blood sugar in people with type 2 diabetes and improve cholesterol when eaten regularly. This longevity oats bowl features ground chia seeds for better nutrient absorption, flaxseed meal for heart-healthy omega-3s, and cooked apples packed with gut-friendly pectin. Natural sweetness comes from dates, which don’t spike blood sugar like refined sugars, making this oatmeal a low-glycemic option.

Oatmeal with chia seeds in a white bowl topped with chopped nuts.

👩🏽‍⚕️ Why These Oats Are Extra Nutritious

Learn how to make the creamiest oatmeal using a saucepan or Instant Pot—perfect for meal prep. This Longevity Oatmeal is loaded with fiber, protein, and polyphenols for added health benefits. Optional ground cardamom boosts sirtuins for healthy aging, while antioxidant-rich cloves enhance its protective effects. Protein-packed hemp hearts and fortified non-dairy milk complete this wholesome, energizing meal to power your day.

Oatmeal with chia seeds was inspired by these Baked Protein Oats on my site, my Baked Berry Oatmeal, and Anti-inflammatory High-Protein Savory Oatmeal.

Jump to:

👩🏽‍⚕️ Why These Oats Are Extra Nutritious
🌾 Oat Groats vs. Steel-Cut Oats: What’s the Difference?
🍎 Cooked Apples: A Natural Source of Pectin and Its Health Benefits
👩🏼‍🌾 Ingredients & Health Benefits
🥣 Substitutions
📖 How to Make Oatmeal with Chia Seeds
✔️ Expert Tips
🛒 Shop Recipe Cookware and Ingredients
🙋🏽‍♀️ Recipe FAQs
🥣 Related Recipes
🥄 Pairing
👩🏽‍🍳 Made this recipe?
📖 Recipe
💬 Comments

🌾 Oat Groats vs. Steel-Cut Oats: What’s the Difference?

What is the hierarchy of oats? From the least to the most whole, it goes oat flour, oat bran, instant oats, quick oats, rolled oats, Scottish oats, steel-cut oats, and the most whole are whole oat groats.

Oat groats and steel-cut oats are a rich source of protein, fiber, and antioxidants. This is the oat grain in its most whole, intact form. The hull has been removed, but the bran, endosperm, and germ are intact. They’re the least processed and contain the most nutrition. Oat groats are the whole, minimally processed form of oats, while steel-cut oats are groats chopped into smaller pieces for a heartier, chewier texture.

Why do we care? Because depending on its form—this single ingredient, oats—can have a different impact on blood sugars and calories consumed throughout the day. For example, this study found that those who ate instant oatmeal continued to eat 53 percent more than the boys who ate the same number of calories of steel-cut oatmeal. Whole oat groats and steel-cut oats are the best of all and are uniquely nutritious.

🍎 Cooked Apples: A Natural Source of Pectin and Its Health Benefits

Cooked apples have an extra benefit–gut-healing pectin–a natural soluble fiber in fruit. Pectin becomes more bioavailable when apples are cooked, making them an excellent addition to a healthy diet.

What Is Pectin?

Pectin is a soluble fiber that acts as a natural thickening agent. It forms a gel-like substance when mixed with water, which makes it beneficial for digestion and gut health. Apples, especially when cooked, are one of the richest fruit sources of pectin.

Health Benefits of Pectin in Cooked Apples

Improves Digestive Health
Pectin supports gut health by promoting the growth of beneficial bacteria in the gut microbiome. It can help relieve constipation and improve overall digestion by adding bulk to stools.
Supports Heart Health
Studies suggest that eating apples may lower the risk of chronic diseases like heart disease and strokes. Pectin may lower LDL cholesterol levels by binding to cholesterol in the digestive tract and helping to eliminate it from the body. This contributes to better heart health.
Stabilizes Blood Sugar
The soluble fiber in pectin slows down digestion and the absorption of sugars, helping to regulate blood sugar levels and reduce spikes after meals.
Aids in Weight Management
Pectin can increase feelings of fullness, helping to reduce overall calorie intake and support weight management goals.
Boosts Immune Function
A healthy gut contributes to a stronger immune system. By supporting the gut microbiome, pectin indirectly helps maintain a well-functioning immune response.

👩🏼‍🌾 Ingredients & Health Benefits

Chia seeds, nondairy milk, Medjool dates, oat groats, and a red apple.

Chia seeds may help with weight loss, as they are rich in fiber, which adds bulk to your meals and hence prolongs their satiety value. Plus, they slow down digestion and delay the release of glucose in the blood. This is for ground chia seeds.
Oat groats and steel-cut oats are the best choices for oatmeal because they are the least processed and retain the most nutrients in their whole form.
Apples are one of the best natural sources of polyphenols, which are plant compounds known for their antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties. These polyphenols are concentrated in the apple’s skin, making whole apples more beneficial than peeled ones.
Dates are nutrient-rich, providing fiber for digestion, potassium, magnesium, and vitamin B6. Some research indicates that dates can help lower blood glucose levels, reduce cholesterol and triglycerides, and increase beneficial HDL cholesterol. They also appear supportive of a healthy gut microbiome.
Nondairy milk: Use soy, almond, oat, hemp, or cashew milk. Plant-based milk offers several health benefits over cow's milk, including lower saturated fat and zero cholesterol. Soymilk is particularly notable for its protein content, which is comparable to cow's milk, and it contains spermidine, a compound that promotes autophagy and supports cellular health and longevity.

More Optional Longevity Ingredients:

Ground cloves, cinnamon, hemp hearts, cardamom, and flaxseed meal.

Cloves (optional) are high in antioxidants
Cinnamon is one of the cheapest common food sources of antioxidants.
Hemp hearts are protein powerhouses, offering 31.6g of protein per 100 grams—151% more than eggs, which contain 12.6g protein per 100 grams.
Flaxseed meal can reduce inflammation by lowering C-reactive protein and is rich in lignans which may help fight cancer.
Green cardamom may support healthy aging by boosting sirtuin-1 levels, a protein linked to longevity. Sirtuin-1 levels naturally decrease with age, and this decline is often connected to age-related issues like frailty. By potentially enhancing sirtuin-1 levels, green cardamom could help mitigate these effects and promote healthier aging.

See the printable recipe card below for quantities.

🥣 Substitutions

Oat groats - substitute with the same amount of steel-cut oats
Tahini - add a drizzle for more creaminess
Apples - use pears instead or omit them as desired
Dates, apples, and additional longevity ingredients are optional.

For more healthy vegan breakfasts, visit my Vegan Breakfast Recipes page.

📖 How to Make Oatmeal with Chia Seeds

This is an overview. The full recipe is at the bottom of the post.

Instant Pot Method: Groats: Combine milk, water, and oat groats in the Instant Pot. Cook on High Pressure for 18 minutes, then natural release for 8-10 minutes. Steel-Cut Oats: Combine steel-cut oats, water, and milk. Cook on High Pressure for 4 minutes, then natural release for 10-15 minutes. Transfer to a large saucepan for the next steps.

Stovetop Method: Groats: Combine 2 cups milk, 2 ½ cups water, and 2 cups oat groats in a large saucepan. Stir, bring to a simmer over medium-high heat, reduce to low, and cook for about 30 minutes, stirring occasionally. Steel-Cut Oats: Combine 2 cups steel-cut oats, 4 cups water, and 2 cups non-dairy milk in a large saucepan. Bring to a boil, reduce to low, and simmer uncovered for 25-30 minutes, stirring occasionally. Oats should be creamy yet slightly chewy.

Cooked oat groats, chopped dates, chopped apples, and nondairy milk in white saucepan.

Add Apples and Dates (optional): Add chopped apples, dates, and more milk or water to the cooked oats. Stir well.

Nondairy milk, apples, cinnamon, and ground cloves cooking in a white saucepan.

Add cinnamon and cloves. Cover and cook for about 10 minutes, stirring frequently, until the apples soften. Add more liquid if needed.

Chia seeds, cardamom pods, hemp hearts, and cinnamon.

Grind chia seeds and cardamom pods (if using) in a coffee or spice grinder.

Cooked oats with apples, ground chia seeds and flaxseed meal in a white saucepan.

Stir ground chia seeds, cardamom, flaxseed meal, and hemp hearts, if using, into the oatmeal. Cook for 1-2 more minutes until fully combined and creamy.

Oatmeal with chia seeds, flaxseed meal, cooked apples, and yogurt in white bowl.

Add your favorite toppings like homemade protein powder, chia jam, longevity powder, or a dollop of soy or cashew yogurt, which is a fermented food that supports gut health.

Cooked oat groats with chia seeds in a silicone storage container.

Cooked oats can be frozen in airtight containers or portioned into freezer-safe bags for up to 3 months. Enjoy them cold or reheat them for a quick, nutritious breakfast.

✔️ Expert Tips

This oatmeal freezes well with or without the apples, dates, flax, and chia. Feel free to make just the oats and freeze them. Add the toppings when heating for serving, or before freezing. Do the work once and enjoy them for up to 3 months! Or make one-half of the recipe instead.
For a lower-calorie breakfast, use more water and less milk when cooking the oats.
For a higher-protein breakfast, choose a high-protein milk like soymilk and add hemp hearts.
For extra creamy oats, use an immersion blender to partially blend them after cooking.
Leave the skins on apples when adding them to the oats for maximum nutrition and fiber.
Storage: Refrigerate in an airtight container for up to 7 days. Cooked oats can also be frozen in airtight containers or portioned into freezer-safe silicone bags for up to 3 months.

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🙋🏽‍♀️ Recipe FAQs

Are Oats Safe for Diabetics?

There was an oatmeal diet intervention used to treat type 2 diabetes. The study found that oatmeal was a highly effective tool for achieving better blood sugar control in patients with type 2 diabetes and reduced the amount of insulin required. A more recent review found that two days of an oatmeal diet improved blood sugar levels and the effect lasted for 4 weeks after the study when subjects were on their regular diet. However, the oatmeal diet can result in hypoglycemia so it must be done under close medical supervision.