Overnight Oats 4 Ways

Written by Published on in Macy, Recipe

I love exploring the multitude of different flavor combinations of Overnight Oatmeal. Now I’m here to share some of my favorites with you! Overnight Oats are delicious and nutritious, not to mention quick and easy.

Let’s face it, most of us barely have time to reach in the pantry and grab a Pop-Tart on the way out the door in the morning, let alone time to prepare a healthy first meal of the day. Breakfast has been crowned “the most important meal of the day”, and for good reason. You have been in fasting mode for the last 8-12 hours since dinner, you need to re-fuel both your body and brain. A risk of skipping breakfast is a prolonged increase of a stress hormone called cortisol. At night cortisol levels rise, and skipping breakfast can contribute to an increase in fat storage and breakdown of muscle. Try to eat breakfast within 1 hour of waking up in the morning.

Now we’ve established when to eat, next think about what to eat, making sure it is balanced, adequate, and nourishing to your mind and body. These recipes are a great start. My Overnight Oats are complete with carbohydrates, a serving or more of fruit, healthy fats, fiber, omega 3 fatty acids, and protein to name a few.

General Directions for Overnight Oats

  1. Mix milk, chia seeds, and oats in the bottom of jar
  2. Start layering the rest of the ingredients
  3. Mix all ingredients together before placing in fridge or before eating
  4. Refrigerate overnight (they stay fresh for a few days)
  5. Grab and go in the morning (I set mine out before I shower so it’s not super cold)

The PB&J

  • 1 C Oats
  • 1 C Almond Milk (any milk works)
  • 2 T Peanut Butter  (check the ingredients on the label for only “peanuts” listed)
  • 1 T Jelly
  • 1 T Chia Seeds
  • 1 T Nuts (peanut, mixed, pumpkin, etc)

Chocolate Covered Strawberries

  • 1/2 C Oats
  • 1/2 C Almond Milk (or other milk)
  • 1/2 T Chia seeds
  • 1/2 C Strawberries
  • 1 Scoop Chocolate Protein Powder
  • 1/4 C Vanilla Greek Yogurt
  • 1 T Dark Chocolate Chips

Tropical Blend

  • 1/2 C Oats
  • 1/2 C Coconut Milk
  • 1/2 T Chia Seeds
  • 2 T Pineapple
  • 1/4 C Strawberries
  • 1/2 Fresh Peach
  • 1/2 Coconut Noosa Yogurt
  • 1/2 Fresh Mango
  • 1 T Shredded Coconut

Apple Crisp

  • 1/2 C Oats
  • 1/2 C Almond Milk
  • 1 Fresh Apple
  • Shake of Pumpkin Pie Spice & Cinnamon
  • 1 T Peanut Butter
  • 1 T Vanilla Greek Yogurt

Feel free to substitute any of the ingredients to make your own unique combination. If it’s delicious, please share it with us in the comments!

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