Overnight Oats

I have a few “requirements” for my everyday breakfast…it needs to have a fruit, something with fiber (from the fruit and possibly something else), fat and/or protein, and it must be filling.  And delicious (sometimes I go to bed thinking about what I get to eat in the morning!). 

It might be a smoothie (green or not…usually this is a summer, post-run breakfast).  Or oatmeal with fruit and nuts (in the winter).  And lately its been overnight oats, which aren’t all that different from muesli.  I’m more of a fruit, yogurt, and whole grain breakfast kind of girl.  I LOVE eggs…just not at breakfast.

 

In my “easy” method I just combine oats with unsweetened Greek yogurt and let them soak overnight.  In the morning I add a little milk to thin it out and the toppings, the best part!  Fruit, nuts, sometimes maple syrup or another sweetener.  Or I’ll mash a banana into the yogurt and oats the night before (which doubles as the sweetener and the fruit). 

Sometimes I take it a step further and do a batch for the whole week.  I shred a couple of apples and then add them to the yogurt and oats to soak overnight. 

Or if I’m really fancy I use this method.  I pulse oats, nuts, shredded apple, and coconut all together in a food processor.  Sometimes I’ll do a few bananas instead of the apple.  You can keep this mixture separate from the yogurt (which I do sometimes) or go ahead and mix it with the yogurt (I typically do that and then portion it into my little class storage containers…breakfast ready for the week!). 

    

The possibilities are endless…sometimes I do a mixture of Greek yogurt with vanilla Wallaby.  Sometimes instead of using milk to thin it out I do coconut milk.  You can vary the nuts and the fruit.  You could add cinnamon.  Or peanut butter (PB&banana is sooo good!). 

Kath has a bunch of variations (she’s the one who got me hooked).  The basic proportion for me (her’s is a little different) is 2:1…4 cups of yogurt (the entire container of Fage…the 35 oz size) and 2 cups oats.  This lasts me the whole week…6 - 7 servings.  For a single serving I’d do 2/3 cup yogurt and 1/3 cup oats.  Plus the toppings!  Don’t forget the toppings!