For so many years I have conditioned myself to not eat oatmeal for breakfast because it wasn’t “good for me” even though I love it! Well, after some digging into the oatmeal myths out there, the truth is that starting your day with whole grain oats is not a bad thing at all…in fact, it’s really a great thing to do! Where the problems come in, is when we don’t have anything else with it. Or, even worse, we pile on heaping spoonfuls of brown sugar AND nuts AND dried fruit AND chocolate chips AND granola! So instead of it being the base of a healthy breakfast, it’s more like a super indulgent sundae you may splurge on at Sugar Factory. In either case, by mid-morning we’re crashing and are ravenously rummaging through our kitchen cabinets or desk drawers in a panic looking for something to eat. And usually in this mental state, we’re not looking for a couple of hard boiled eggs on a bed of arugula from Pret A Manger!
As I trolled Pinterest searching for oatmeal recipes that looked less like dessert and more like a complete breakfast, I came across the wonderful world of overnight oats! While I had heard of them before, I never really paid attention…until now! One of the beautiful things about these recipes is that they are made the night before (hence the name!). So, when I’m on the run in the morning, I can grab a mason jar full of oatmeal from the fridge and a spoon and head out the door. Making oatmeal at home also gives you all the control of what goes into it. This week I added berries, chia seeds, flax seed and high-protein, Icelandic style yogurt, which I can attest kept me full and satisfied well beyond noon – no rummaging through drawers for this girl! I could have just as easily added homemade applesauce, cinnamon and a scoop of vanilla protein powder to the oats for a more traditional, homier, flavor combination. The combinations are endless!
Very Berry Overnight Oats🍓
Ingredients for 1 Serving:
- 1/2 cup rolled oats (don’t use instant or steel cut)
- 1/2 cup frozen berries, plus a few for topping in morning
- 1 tbsp chia seed/flax seed mix (excellent source of omega-3 fatty acids, fiber and protein!)
- 5oz container of Siggi’s vanilla yogurt (Greek yogurt works just as well!)
- 1/2 cup unsweetened almond milk (if you prefer it thicker, use less)
Apples & Cinnamon Overnight Oats🍎
Ingredients for 1 Serving:
- 1/2 cup rolled oats (don’t use instant or steel cut)
- 1/2 cup chunky apple sauce – find Flawesome Foodie homemade recipe here
- 1 tbsp chia seed/flaw seed mix
- 1 scoop vanilla protein powder (I prefer Shakeology by Beachbody 💪🏼)
- 1/2 tsp cinnamon
- 1/2 cup unsweetened almond milk (if you prefer it thicker, use less)
Directions:
- Throw everything into a mason jar and cover (everything looks good in these jars!)
- Shake! Shake! Shake!
- Place in fridge overnight
- Enjoy!
Both of these recipes have at least 20g of protein (Flawesome fact – 5g from the oats alone), which is sure to give you a boost in the morning and keep you satisfied until lunch! Feel free to make several jars at once, as they last in the fridge for a week!
Be Healthy & Enjoy!
Coach Flawesome 👩🏻🍳❤️