New Obsession...Overnight Oats
Happy April Fool's Day! Not much fooling going on around here. I started my day at my favorite gym with the 6:00 class and today was weights focused. It is a class of 6-8 women and I love the motivation! I always tend to lift more or do one more rep when I know there are people around cheering for me. And what do you need after an amazing workout...refueling. Oatmeal seems to be my go to but every once in a while I want to change it up and this would be the result of that need for variety.
I need to start by saying I was not a big fan of overnight oats the first time I tried them. They were cold and chewy and...weird. As you can tell I was not a fan. Then about a month ago I tried them again and I must say...I LOVE them! Maybe it has something to do with the cute mason jar I make it in or the fact that it is portable and yet oh so satisfying. Then again maybe it's because it includes yogurt and oatmeal which are two of my favorite foods. I love that, like my normal morning oatmeal, I can add whatever I want as toppings to change the flavor.
Everyone has their own way of making it; all milk, some yogurt, different proportions; but I found my sweet spot and now I will share that with you.
First I start by putting the dry ingredients in the jar. I use a pint size mason jar for this because of the ease of closing it up and transporting with no mess. I use a base of oatmeal, chia seed, and ground flax seed but here is where you could add in cinnamon, powdered PB, cocoa powder, or other dry mix ins. I then pour in the almond milk and yogurt and mix this all together. I love changing up the yogurt flavors to get more variety.
Side note: I have a new yogurt obsession and I have become a kind of yogurt snob. I will only eat Siggi's. Being an RD I tend to read labels and ingredients and Siggis wins it! You can read all the ingredients and recognize them as real. And how can you not love that the sugar content is lower than most yogurts and protein content is high.
Okay back to the oats. Because of using the Siggis there is a good amount of protein but if you were to use a lower protein yogurt or wanted added protein you could always add in protein powder. After it is all mixed up I leave it in the fridge overnight. Then, in the morning, grab the jar and add in some fresh fruit and a handful of nuts and mix it up. I like to leave mine out of the fridge for about 15 minutes to take the chill off or put it in the microwave for about 30 seconds before I devour it.
I hope you enjoy these as much as I do. And follow for my trial of menu planning this month. I have my calendar started and will be spending this cloudy April morning with a hot cup of tea organizing recipes.
Overnight Oats
1/2 cup oatmeal
1/4 cup yogurt
1/2 cup almond milk
1/2 tbsp chia
1/2 tbsp flax
Fresh fruit and nuts to top with
Mix all ingredients in the jar and refrigerate overnight
Top with fruit and nuts or other toppings before eating!