Meal Prep Banana Protein Oatmeal Jars — 32g Protein, Under $2.50
The best meal prep breakfast is one that requires zero effort on the day. These banana protein oatmeal jars are assembled in five minutes on Sunday and sit in the fridge ready to grab every morning. Rolled oats, mashed banana, Greek yogurt, and a spoonful of almond butter layer together overnight into a thick, creamy jar that tastes like banana bread in breakfast form. No cooking required. No blender. No decisions at 7am. Just open, stir, and eat — or grab the jar and eat on the way out the door. At 32 grams of protein and under two dollars and fifty cents, this might be the most efficient breakfast on the entire blog.
Ingredients
Method
- Mash the banana thoroughly in a bowl or directly in the jar until smooth with minimal lumps.
- Add the Greek yogurt, milk, vanilla extract, cinnamon, honey if using, and pinch of salt. Stir until fully combined.
- Add the rolled oats and stir again to incorporate everything evenly.
- Spoon the almond or peanut butter on top — do not stir it in fully. Leave it as a layer or swirl it gently so it stays visible and creates pockets of flavour throughout.
- Seal the jar tightly and refrigerate overnight or for a minimum of 6 hours.
- In the morning, give the oats a good stir — they will have thickened considerably overnight. Add a splash of milk if you prefer a looser texture.
- Top with banana slices and an extra drizzle of nut butter if desired. Eat cold or warm as preferred.
Notes
Overripe bananas are perfect for this recipe and are regularly sold at a steep discount in grocery stores — keep an eye on the marked-down produce section. The riper the banana the sweeter the oats, which means you need less or no added honey. Buy almond or peanut butter in large jars — the cost per tablespoon drops dramatically compared to small jars and a large jar lasts months. Rolled oats in bulk bags remain one of the cheapest sources of complex carbohydrates available anywhere.
