Does Oatmeal Have Protein?

Yes. One cup of oatmeal cooked with water, around 234 g, contains approximately 5.9 g of protein.

Per 100 g, cooked oatmeal contains approximately 2.5 g of protein.

Protein in oatmeal by serving size

These values use plain oatmeal cooked with water. Dry oats are much more protein-dense per 100 g because cooking adds water.

Serving Protein Calories
100 g cooked 2.5 g 71 kcal
1 cup cooked, 234 g 5.9 g 166 kcal
300 g bowl 7.6 g 213 kcal
400 g large bowl 10.2 g 284 kcal

Is oatmeal a good source of protein?

Oatmeal contributes some protein, but it is not a concentrated protein food when prepared with water.

A cooked cup provides roughly 6 g of protein, so oats can help your daily total but usually need another protein source if the meal target is 20–30 g.

Milk, yogurt, protein powder, nuts or seeds can substantially raise the protein content of an oatmeal meal.

How much plain oatmeal provides 20–30 g of protein?

~20 g protein

about 790 g cooked oatmeal

20.1 g protein

~25 g protein

about 985 g cooked oatmeal

25.0 g protein

~30 g protein

about 1.18 kg cooked oatmeal

30.0 g protein

Those are very large portions, which is why oatmeal is usually better paired with another protein source.

One bowl is easy. The whole day gets harder.

Kibora helps you log meals quickly by photo, voice, barcode, text, or favorites, then shows how protein, calories and the rest of your nutrition add up across your day.

Nutrition data and methodology

Nutrition values use USDA FoodData Central/SR reference values for plain oatmeal cooked with water: about 2.54 g protein and 71 kcal per 100 g.

A cooked cup is approximately 234 g, giving about 5.9 g of protein. Dry oats should not be compared directly with cooked oatmeal per 100 g because water changes the weight substantially.

Common questions about protein in oatmeal

Does oatmeal have protein?

Yes. Plain oatmeal cooked with water contains approximately 2.5 g of protein per 100 g.

How much protein is in one cup of oatmeal?

About 5.9 g in a cooked cup weighing roughly 234 g.

Is oatmeal high in protein?

Not by itself. It contributes useful protein, but a normal bowl usually does not reach a 20–30 g protein target.

Do dry oats have more protein than cooked oatmeal?

Per 100 g, yes, because cooked oatmeal contains much more water. The oats do not lose most of their protein during cooking.

How can I add more protein to oatmeal?

Common options include milk, Greek yogurt, protein powder, nuts, seeds or egg whites, depending on the recipe.

How much protein should you eat per day?

Knowing that a cooked cup of oatmeal has around 6 g of protein is useful. Knowing how that fits into your own daily protein and macro targets is more useful.