Zoats: What the Heck Is That?

I came across an Instagram post of oatmeal and noticed the hashtag "zoats." I was curious and thought it might be some product brand the Instagrammer used. But, I learned from a quick Google search that zoats are oatmeal with zucchini (or zucchini oats). My initial reaction was "ugh, not another frivolous trend." I'm all for culinary innovation but the current food culture is overloaded with people trying to come up with pointless hacks or portmanteaus just for the sake of wow factor and social media likes.

I once saw an Instagram video in which someone used a pin to score small cuts through an unpeeled banana only to peel it and use their other hand to break off pieces at the scored marks and eat them. Not only was this so-called hack useless and unhelpful, but your hand gets dirty. No thanks, I'll just take bites of a banana like a normal person and keep my hands clean. But I digress...

So, why should anyone eat zoats? Can't we just eat them separately? Luckily, I didn't have to look too hard because Google turned up a few articles that quickly explained some benefits. Zucchini are low-calorie and packed with fiber and potassium (more than a banana). And mixing it with oatmeal helps provide fiber while reducing some calories and carbs.

Ok, that gives me enough of a reason to try zoats. A basic zoats recipe has oats, grated zucchini, and egg whites. But if I was going to try this latest food trend, I wanted to go with a fun-flavored version. After getting inspiration from some recipes, I made this carrot cake inspired version (which excludes eggs).

I had to buy zucchini but the rest of the ingredients were based on what I already had in my kitchen. There are plenty of options to use different milks or sweeteners.

The zoats turned out pretty good and it's key to grate the zucchini so it blends into the oatmeal. The texture was very similar to regular oatmeal. A single serving from a 1/2 cup of uncooked oats is doubled by adding the zucchini, so I can see how this helps cut down calories and carbs for breakfast.

While I think this food trend has some benefits and I'd try them again, I don't see it becoming a regular part of my breakfast repertoire. Grating the zucchini adds extra steps and clean up which is not ideal when you're trying to get out the door in the mornings. Zoats are better as a make ahead dish either the night before or on the weekend.

Carrot Cake Zoats Recipe

Prep time: 5 mins
Cook time: 10-15 mins
Total time: 15-20 mins
Yield: 2 servings

Ingredients

• ½ cup uncooked old-fashioned oats
• ½ zucchini, peeled and grated (peeling prevents any green tint in the dish)
• ½ carrot, peeled and grated
• 1 cup water
• 1/8 teaspoon kosher salt
• ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
• pinch of ground cloves
• pinch of ground nutmeg
• 2 Tablespoons maple syrup
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1/2 cup milk (or plant-based milk)
• Sugar or sugar substitute (I used Splenda)
• 1/4 cup chopped pecans

Directions
Add oats, grated zucchini, grated carrot, water, salt, cinnamon, cloves, nutmeg, maple syrup, and vanilla extract to a medium saucepan. Stir and bring to a boil. Then lower heat and simmer for 10-15 minutes until oats and vegetables are cooked through. Remove from heat and let sit for a couple of minutes.

Stir in milk to thin the zoats to your desired consistency. Adjust sweetness to your taste with sugar or sugar substitute, or additional maple syrup.  Serve immediately in bowls and top with chopped pecans.