Maple Blueberry oats while catching the sun rise.
This has been the most amazing find of my healthy new life!! Hands down, swear to god. It was one of the first few pins I actually tried out from Pinterest, and although I've tweaked the flavors and add-ins to my liking and created brand new ones for myself, that pin is what started it all.
So why all this hype about some oatmeal? Well because it saves me time and energy in the mornings when I'm hungry and don't want to do a damn thing to feed myself...cooking is tiring sometimes! On the other hand, when it's 10pm on some random night at home and I'm awake and thinking about what I'm going to eat for breakfast the next day, it's way easier for me to muster up some energy and get some food together (I honestly think I'm an insomniac sometimes). They're pretty simple to make, already pre-portioned come breakfast time, and SO convenient. These little suckers are so easy to just grab out of the fridge and run out the door with a spoon in tow (This is where I point you to the picture on the right from when my boyfriend decided he wanted to take pictures of sunrise and I NEEDED to bring food or I was going to be a very cranky girl). Yes, I said from the fridge; it's a cold oatmeal. I had never had cold oatmeal before making these, but you get used to it, especially with all the different flavor choices...you'll see what I mean, just read on.
So why all this hype about some oatmeal? Well because it saves me time and energy in the mornings when I'm hungry and don't want to do a damn thing to feed myself...cooking is tiring sometimes! On the other hand, when it's 10pm on some random night at home and I'm awake and thinking about what I'm going to eat for breakfast the next day, it's way easier for me to muster up some energy and get some food together (I honestly think I'm an insomniac sometimes). They're pretty simple to make, already pre-portioned come breakfast time, and SO convenient. These little suckers are so easy to just grab out of the fridge and run out the door with a spoon in tow (This is where I point you to the picture on the right from when my boyfriend decided he wanted to take pictures of sunrise and I NEEDED to bring food or I was going to be a very cranky girl). Yes, I said from the fridge; it's a cold oatmeal. I had never had cold oatmeal before making these, but you get used to it, especially with all the different flavor choices...you'll see what I mean, just read on.
Monkey (left) & Choco-Strawberry (center) being made
Whenever I make my overnight oats, it turns into like a mass production of them, hahaha. Line up a bunch of mason jars, measure the same base mixture into all of them, and then switch up the flavorings from jar to jar. Simple and tasty, and feeds me breakfast for a whole week. Quick to make them all, and yummy!!
This might be the only time I write the directions for a recipe before the ingredients, but it just makes a little more sense that way, so you can look through all the flavors without getting caught up in what to do with them. The site I got the original ideas from already had a lot of good flavors, so you can look at The Yummy Life for the original flavors. The ones I've included below are ones that I've either changed/tweaked or created myself (just so there's no confusion). I add whey protein powder to a lot of the flavors because I'm always looking for more lean protein in my diet, but I've added what else to substitute in most of those cases, in case you're not a protein powder type of person.
This might be the only time I write the directions for a recipe before the ingredients, but it just makes a little more sense that way, so you can look through all the flavors without getting caught up in what to do with them. The site I got the original ideas from already had a lot of good flavors, so you can look at The Yummy Life for the original flavors. The ones I've included below are ones that I've either changed/tweaked or created myself (just so there's no confusion). I add whey protein powder to a lot of the flavors because I'm always looking for more lean protein in my diet, but I've added what else to substitute in most of those cases, in case you're not a protein powder type of person.
Refrigerator Overnight Oats
Each base + flavor makes 1 serving
Directions:
Base Ingredients:
Directions:
- Add all base ingredients (see below) to your container of choice (I prefer half pint (=1 C) mason jars because they just fit the whole mixture). Stir with a spoon or put the cover on and shake until the ingredients have been combined.
- Pick out your flavor combo and add it to the jar. Stir or shake the added ingredients well, especially if using protein powders (they tend to clump).
- Cover and refrigerate until ready to eat. Can also be frozen, depending on your container; just thaw it before you dig in.
Base Ingredients:
- 1/4 C old fashioned oats
- 1/4 C plain fat-free greek yogurt
- 1/3 C unsweetened almond milk
- 1/2 tbsp (=1 1/2 tsp) chia seeds
- Optional: 1 packet stevia or sweetener of choice
Flavor Combos
Carrot Cake:
Strawberry Chocolate:
- 2-3 tbsp carrots, finely shredded/grated
- 1 tbsp walnuts, chopped
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1/2 tsp cinnamon
- Optional: 1 tbsp vanilla or cinnamon swirl protein powder
Strawberry Chocolate:
- 1/4 C diced strawberries, fresh or frozen
- 1 tbsp chocolate protein powder (or unsweetened cocoa powder)
Apple Pie, Raspberry Vanilla & Pumpkin Pie
Apple Pie:
Raspberry Vanilla:
Pumpkin Pie:
- 1/4 C apple, diced (or 1/4 C unsweetened applesauce, or a mix of the two equivalent to 1/4 C)
- 1/2 tsp cinnamon
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- Optional: 1 tbsp cinnamon swirl or vanilla protein powder
Raspberry Vanilla:
- 1/4 C raspberries, fresh or frozen
- 1/4 tsp vanilla extract
- 1-2 tbsp vanilla protein powder
- Optional: 1 tbsp raspberry preserves
Pumpkin Pie:
- 1/4 C pumpkin puree (NOT pumpkin pie filling)
- 1/2 tsp pumpkin pie spice
- 1/2 cinnamon
- 2 tsp maple syrup
- Optional: 1 tbsp cinnamon swirl protein powder (or pumpkin spice or vanilla, just depends which flavor protein you have)
Strawberry Cheesecake: Mango Almond:
Protein Monkey:
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Apricot Ginger:
Mocha:
- 1/8 tsp almond extract
- 3 dried apricots, diced (or 1/4 C fresh apricots, diced)
- 1/2 tsp ground ginger (or, if you can handle it, 1 tsp fresh ginger root, diced finely)
Mocha:
- 1-2 tbsp chocolate protein powder (or unsweetened cocoa powder)
- 2 tsp instant espresso powder mixed in 2 tbsp hot water (or 2 tbsp strong coffee of choice)
Cranberry Pecan (L) & Pineapple Coconut (R)
Pineapple Coconut:
Cranberry Pecan:
Coconut Cashew:
- 1/3 C unsweetened coconut milk instead of the base almond milk (I used So Delicious brand)
- 1/4 C pineapple, diced
- 1 tbsp unsweetened coconut, shredded or desiccated
Cranberry Pecan:
- 1 pinch ground cloves (less than 1/8 tsp for those OCD folk out there that need to measure....like me)
- 1/4 C fresh cranberries, chopped into halves or quarters (or 2 tbsp cranberry sauce/jelly)
- 1 tbsp pecans, chopped
- 2 tsp maple syrup
Coconut Cashew:
- 1/3 C unsweetened coconut milk instead of base almond milk
- 1 tbsp cashews, chopped
- 1-2 tbsp unsweetened coconut, shredded or desiccated
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- Pinch of sea salt