Overnight Oats

Hello!

I’ve been wanting to post this but just never got to. I’ve been taking sometime mid of CNY till March..I haven’t made much this month in April cause I wanted to eat more proteins in the morning.

So anyway, overnight oats are the easiest breakfast to prep, healthy and filling. It is also on the go, and well it can probably be made into an afternoon snack but don’t really suggest that as it is quite filling. You can also add your favourite fruits and nuts to spice it up! I usually load them with lots of berries and 1 banana to kick start the morning. If you’re wondering.. hrm.. why is it overnight ??

Because rolled oats are soaked in milk / almond milk / any other liquid the night before you want to eat them. This way, you don’t need to cook or heat up anything. The rolled oats just becomes soft but still biteable (if there’s a word) while soaking up the milk. Some people called it porridge (sorry, porridge in the chinese world means rice + broth, congee) There may also be like a million type of oats, small oat leaves, steel cut oats, whole / rolled oats, instant oats, old fashioned oats, oat bran.. etc.. For this, you need “rolled oats”. The shape is more defined but they are not thick. If you use instant oats (or those that is processed to be smaller in size) they will become really mushy, maybe like blended baby food. Haha but please, whole or rolled oats are recommended. Or, if you can have a peek thru the packaging, make sure the oat leaves are in whole pieces, not powdery.

Then, there are also many ingredients that you can add to it. I always add chia seeds (a good source of protein) and grounded flaxseed.

Benefits of Chia Seed

1. Chia seeds are rich in antioxidants that help protect the body from free radicals, aging and cancer. The high antioxidant profile also helps them have a long shelf life. They last almost two years without refrigeration.

2. Fiber is associated with reducing inflammation, lowering cholesterol and regulating bowel function. Chia seeds are an excellent source of fiber, with a whopping 10 grams in only 2 tablespoons. That is one-third of the daily recommended intake of fiber per day.

3. Chia seeds are rich in polyunsaturated fats, especially omega-3 fatty acids. Chia seeds’ lipid profile is composed of 60 percent omega-3s, making them one of the richest plant-based sources of these fatty acids — specifically, of alpha-linolenic acid, or ALA. The omega-3s in chia seeds can help reduce inflammation, enhance cognitive performance and reduce high cholesterol.

Benefits of Flaxseed

1. Omega-3 essential fatty acids, “good” fats that have been shown to have heart-healthy effects. Each tablespoon of ground flaxseed contains about 1.8 grams of plant omega-3s.

2. Lignans, which have both plant estrogen and antioxidant qualities. Flaxseed contains 75 to 800 times more lignans than other plant foods.

3. Fiber. Flaxseed contains both the soluble and insoluble types.

The reason I ground them is so they are more digestible.

So there really isn’t a recipe per se. Try with 1/2 cup of rolled oats. I add slightly lesser than 1/2 cup. Then add in chia seed or flax seed if using. Add in milk. I use a mixture of almond milk and fresh milk., till it covers oats. Cover and give it a shake. You may add some honey or maple syrup if you want, but some fruits are already sweet so there really is no need to add any sweeteners.

Then, put it in the fridge. Go to sleep. Wake up the next morning and you can see that the oats have bloomed and soaked up some of the milk. Here, go ahead and add fruits you like. Here I have sliced Korean Strawberries (which are sweeter and juicier), almond nuts, pumpkin and sunflower seeds, and topped with raspberries. Et voila you have your yummy, delicious, healthy breakfast to go!

I’ve used these fruits before; banana, persimmons, pear, apples, blueberries, dragonfruit, kiwi, plums, prunes, champagne grapes, regular grapes uh… and maybe more which I can’t remember. I sometimes add some chocolate chips, a dollop of homemade nut spread, nutella, almond flakes, or  toasted coconut flakes.

To share some tips, if you want to add any nuts or seeds, prepare them (if you want them toasted) and put them in individual containers. This way, you don’t have to search thru your kitchen / pantry in the morning. I usually have what I want ready the night before so I can speed up in the mornings. sometimes I even cut fruits the night before (especially those that are big, like dragonfruits or mango) so you don’t stain your working shirt.

As you can see, I always have alot of fruits to go with overnight oats. Partially because, I am NOT an oats person. Well, you didn’t see that coming did ya ? I do not like taking oats, at all. Not until I tried making these overnight oats and then loved it. But I still hold back against it and really try to make up for the taste by adding fruits I love.

See, it really is not so difficult to incorporate healthy eating into your diet.

Ok cheers!