Overnight Oats are great for Busy Mornings!
I know you have at least heard about Overnight Oats. These recipes seem to be everywhere right now, so what is the big deal? Are they really that exciting? Yes, in some ways they are. Many people don’t eat breakfast for a variety of reasons, but a major one being that they don’t have time. Overnight oats are a great solution for the busyness of the morning routine especially because you don’t have to cook them!
Health Benefits of Oats
Oatmeal has loads of soluble fiber which has been shown to reduce the “stickiness” of the blood, therefore lowering risk of heart disease and helping to prevent colon cancer. Oatmeal’s fiber also serves as a prebiotic (precursor to probiotics) in the small intestine. New research has shown there to be much benefit in those “good” bacteria in your intestines. Eating oats for breakfast is a great way to increase the amounts of “good” bacteria in your body.
Here are some great ideas to get you started with overnight oats:
STEP 1
Start with 1/3 cup of Old Fashioned or Steel Cut Oats (100 Cals, 1.7 g Total Fat, 18 g Total Carbohydrates, 3 g Dietary Fiber, 3.5 g Protein)
STEP 2
Overnight Oats
Ingredients
- 2/3 cup Milk, Greek yogurt, or keifer
- 1/4 tsp Pumpkin pie spice, cinnamon, allspice, cardamom, or anise
- 1/2 cup Fresh fruit (Banana, blueberry, strawberry, mango)
- 1 Tbsp Sliced almonds, chopped pecans or walnuts, peanut butter, chia seeds or hemp seeds
- 1/3 cup Steel Cut or Old Fashioned Oats
Instructions
- This recipe is so fun because you can choose your favorite combination of flavors!
- Place 1/3 cup milk (or yogurt or keifer) in a dish (if you want to warm it in the morning make sure it is microwave safe.)
- Add the oats and spices and stir.
- Cover and place in the refigerator overnight.
- In the morning, warm if desired for 30 seconds in the microwave then add fresh fruit, nuts and/or seeds. ENJOY!
Add liquid and spices the night before, cover and put in your refrigerator. I like to use individual containers so that each person has their own serving ready to go! I also like to put it in glass dishes to make heating in the morning easy in the microwave. You can choose if you want it hot or cold!
| Liquid Choices | Spices | Toppings, Fruits | Toppings, Nuts or Seeds |
| 2/3 cup Milk | ¼ tsp Pumpkin pie spice | ½ Banana | 1 Tbsp Sliced Almonds, pecans or walnuts |
| 2/3 cup Greek Yogurt | ¼ tsp Cinnamon | ½ cup Blueberries | 1 Tbsp Chia or Hemp Seeds |
| 2/3 cup Keifer | ¼ tsp Allspice | ½ cup Strawberries | 1 Tbsp Peanut Butter |
| 2/3 cup Water | ¼ tsp Carrdamom or Anise | 1 Tbsp Almond Butter | |
| 40-100 Calories | No Calories | 40-60 Calories | 30-80 Calories |
STEP 3
Add fruit, nut, or seed toppings in the morning.
STEP 4
ENJOY! You don’t even cook these oats. Soaking them overnight allows them to soften, and then you enjoy them cold in the morning!
Nutrition Notes:
- If you use Greek Yogurt you may have more Calories, but also more Protein (about 12-16 grams of protein for 2/3 cup).
- You can mix up the spices and use 2 different ones or even more!
- You can do the same with the fruit and use a mix of blueberries and strawberries.
- Use peanut butter or almond butter for a different flavor, but be careful, these will add more calories.
Share in the comments which is your favorite overnight oats combination!
If you like this idea for breakfast, you may also like these Chocolate Almond Mini Muffins!
