Overnight Oats – 3 Ways!
Do you ever feel like this puppy in the morning??? Food straight to mouth. Sometimes I am absolutely starving in the morning and cannot wait to eat a healthy & delicious breakfast. If you hate waiting for food to be prepared, then overnight oats is the perfect recipe for you to try!
If I could only eat one food for the rest of my life, oatmeal would definitely be in the running- along with watermelon, sweet potatoes, carrots &hummus, and Jessica’s granola. Overnight oats are the perfect healthy breakfast because they are so versatile! They are so easy to customize to your tastes, perfect for busy people on the go, and don’t break the bank (my fav part of course). Actually, I think my absolute favorite part about overnight oats is the fact that you can prepare it the night before and then it is ready the next morning. Overnight oats may not look too pretty, but they sure taste great!
There aren’t many breakfast foods that are both healthy & can be eaten on the go. Most people skip breakfast, or eat foods like pop tarts, granola bars, frozen waffles, or lavish coffee drinks. I would much rather have something that fills me up and gives me energy for the day! If you are looking for healthy, easy, cheap breakfast options, then overnight oats are for you!
Some people are weirded out my cold oatmeal, but I think it is delicious. I eat overnight oats so much more during the summer time because of the warm weather. If you have never tried overnight oats before, summer is a great time to add them to your diet! I am including 3 of my all time favorite recipes for overnight oats, but there are so many possible variations.
Variation 1: Strawberry Banana Overnight Oats
Now, I am normally not a fan of strawberry-banana flavored anything. I never understand why people order strawberry banana flavored smoothies- they seem so boring to me! I’m more of a pomegranate/ mixed berry/ tropical smoothie kinda gal. However, bananas and strawberries in overnight oats makes for the perfect combo. I have been in such a habit of making overnight oats for my breakfasts for work, and this was a recent creation!
Ingredients:
1/2 cup oats (gluten free if needed- Bob’s Red Mill is my go-to brand)
1/2 plus 2 tablespoons unsweetened vanilla almond milk
2 tablespoons vanilla greek yogurt (dannon light n fit, chobani, or siggi’s)
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon chia seeds
5 medium sized sliced strawberries
1/3 large banana/ 1/2 a medium/small banana
Directions:
Mix the oats, almond milk, yogurt, chia seeds, cinnamon, and vanilla extract in a bowl. Then, slice the strawberries and banana. I use a mason jar to make my overnight oats because I find that they work best when they are in a taller, more narrow container. Then, place sliced banana on the bottom of the mason jar, then pour a bit of the overnight oat mixture. Continue to alternate adding sliced banana and oats until all of the ingredients are used up. Then add the sliced strawberries to the jar, seal it tight, and store it in the fridge overnight. SO EASY! Seriously- it is so quick, simple, and delicious.
Here is a photo of how mine turned out! I borrowed my sister’s Nashville mason jar that she got at the Wildhorse saloon- how cute is it?? Less than 2 weeks until I leave for my trip- so excited!
Next up: Blueberry Coconut Chia Oats
I used a pre-made oatmeal packet for this recipe. I found the Qia oats on sale at whole foods for $3.99 for a pack of 6 which is a very good deal for packaged gluten free oatmeal. I had to buy it because there was absolutely NO SUGAR added! I was so surprised at this fact because the oats tasted sweet!
This variation probably looks the least appealing, but it is so delicious! Chocolate + PB + banana= cannot go wrong with that combo!