Ingredients:
Base:
A mason jar (or something of that nature)
½ cup Old fashioned rolled oats
½-¾ cup Almond Milk (or milk of choice)
1 tsp Chia seeds
1/3 banana (ripe)
A few dashes of cinnamon
Toppings:
Handful of Berries
¼ cup of Granola
Nut butter (who measures?)
Optional add ins:
Yogurt
Protein powder
Honey
Maple syrup
Instructions:
Add oats to a mason jar with chia seeds, cinnamon, and sliced banana. Add the milk a half a cup at a time until the oats are covered and the milk sits on top. Stir to combine.
*optional* With the base, if you would like to add protein powder for a post workout oats, add in the powder with the oats and stir into the milk so that is fully incorporated.
Drizzle the nut butter on top of the oats to your liking.
Next add a couple of spoonfuls of yogurt, plain or flavored (I like to use Siggi's yogurt if I opting for flavored because of the low sugar content). This layer of yogurt really adds a nice creaminess to the overnight oats. Lightly stir the yogurt into the oats.
Top with fruit, cut strawberries and blueberries, any berries you like. Fill so that the fruit covers all of the wet oats.
*optional* If you are using plain yogurt, feel free to add a drizzle of honey or maple syrup as a sweetener.
Finish by topping with your granola and storing in the fridge. Can be made in the morning to eat by lunchtime, or the night before. If made the night before, the granola can be added in the morning to prevent sogginess. This is a personal preference.
Note: You can always add more milk depending on how thick you like your oats. Certain additions, such as protein powder may affect how much milk you will need. If adding yogurt, you won't need to worry about going light on the milk.
The combinations are endless but here are a few!
Chocolate Peanut Butter
Base oats + chocolate protein powder or cacao powder + peanut butter
Topped with more banana, and Purely Elizabeth chocolate granola
PB & J
Base oats + peanut butter + plain greek yogurt
Topped with fresh cut strawberries and drizzled with honey/maple syrup
Blueberry Banana Coconut
Base oats + Siggi's Coconut yogurt (about 3 tablespoons or so)
Topped with blueberries and sliced banana and granola
Apple Pie
Base oats + Siggi's vanilla yogurt + diced apples baked in cinnamon with maple syrup
Topped with granola
Vanilla Almond Oats
Base oats + vanilla protein powder or Siggi's vanilla yogurt + almond butter
Topped with berries and granola
Why Oats???
Oatmeal is a phenomenally nutritious food for everyone, not just athletes. In one serving of oats (½ cup dry) you are served with 150 calories, 5grams of protein, 27grams of carbs, 2.5grams of fat, and 4grams of dietary fiber. This base alone provides a balance of all the nutrients one should have in a meal.
With the addition of protein from milks, or powder you can obtain a higher protein content. If you are consuming oats prior to workout, you may not add as much protein as if you were consuming them post workout. But overall, you have the flexibility to control the amount of protein and where it is coming from. While the plain oats are pretty low in calories, it gives you the room to add all different kinds of toppings and additions to enhance your oats. With the 4 grams of dietary fiber, the total carbs comes down to about 23 grams. This is a versatile number for all. With the addition of bananas/fruit and granola you can easily increase the carb content, as well as control it. Oats are low in fat, where the yogurt and nut butter added will increase that number. Oats are a very well balanced, versatile staple that can accommodate all different nutritional needs. I encourage you to get creative with your overnight oats and have fun with it! I hope overnight oats find you some tasty satisfaction.