Overnight Oats with Chia & Greek Yogurt

Have you tried overnight oats yet? Well if you haven’t, this simple recipe will make it easy for you.

What are overnight oats?

Overnight oats are a “no-cook” way of cooking oatmeal. To make them, rolled oats are mixed with a liquid or yogurt base and left overnight (or for 6-8 hours) to allow the starches to soften in the oats so that they can be eaten uncooked.  

What are the benefits?

More Nutritious

Soaking oats in liquid without cooking them helps to break down the natural phytic acid in oats. This means that the nutrients in oats may be better absorbed when they are prepared this way.

Easy to Make

Simply mixing together the oats with the other ingredients can be done in a matter of minutes. Simply prep the night before, and you have an easy (and healthy!) breakfast to take the next day.

Digestive Health  

When oats are left to soak in a liquid overnight and cooked without heat, they increase in their content of resistant starch. Resistant starch is a type of carbohydrate that our body does not fully digest, therefore it is lower in calories than regular starch. But it has a special function in our gut - it helps to feed beneficial bacteria to help them grow and proliferate. For more on resistant starch, read my blog post on the topic.

How do I eat them?

• Healthy breakfast, or snack (high in protein, fiber & nutrients)

• Prep ahead: individual portions in tupperware or jars, and take along for busy days

• Toppings: berries, hemp hearts, tablespoon of your favorite nut butter, sliced fruits (banana, mango, apple) or chopped nuts

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup plain, nonfat Greek yogurt or Skyr (*see vegan option below)

• 1 cup unsweetened vanilla almond, cashew or soy milk

• 1/4 cup mashed banana (optional to sub with pumpkin puree, or mashed sweet potato)

• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

• 1/3 cup rolled oats

• 1 tbsp chia seeds (optional to substitute with ground flax)

• 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon OR lemon zest

• Toppings: berries, sliced apple, 1-2 tbsp ground flax, hemp hearts or natural nut butter

  *For vegan option, omit greek yogurt and use a total of 2 tablespoons of chia & ½ cup mashed banana

 

Instructions

In a small bowl, mix together Greek yogurt, milk, pureed pumpkin or mashed banana or sweet potato, and vanilla extract until well combined.

Stir in oats, chia seeds and cinammon.

Pour into a glass jar or container with a lid and place in fridge overnight, or for a minimum of 4 hours.

Makes 1 serving. Recipe will keep in fridge for up to 3 days in a sealed container.

Nutrition Facts (for original recipe using unsweetened soy milk, without toppings):  

324 calories, 37 g carbohydrates, 10g sugar, 8g fiber, 23g protein, 6g fat, 133mg sodium, 482 mg calcium, 3mg Iron, 599 mg potassium