Overnight Oats | My New Favorite Breakfast

I love breakfast.

I can't go a day without it.  Many people I know say they're not really a "breakfast person."  Not me.  No way.  You don't want to know me on a day that I don't have breakfast.  It's the most important meal of the day, after all.

I used to be a simple cereal girl--the boring, non-sugary kind.  Plain Cheerios with sliced bananas was my breakfast every weekday morning while I was pregnant with Max.  When Max turned out to be a gassy little fella in his wee-little days, I cut out pretty much all dairy from my diet since I was breastfeeding (with the exception of the occasional bowl of ice cream and some cheese), which meant it was time to say goodbye to my daily cereal.  I switched to instant oatmeal for my breakfast (oatmeal is also known to help boost breast milk production, FYI) and have had it every weekday since Max was about a month old.

I've recently decided to do a lifestyle overhaul, and I figured it might be time to say goodbye to my sugary and processed instant oatmeal breakfast routine.  I've seen Overnight Oats recipes all over the place lately, but I was always skeptical of trying it.  I'm a very picky eater and textures can make or break something for me.  I'm used to eating warm oats, not soggy oats from the fridge.  However, I decided to give it a try for a week.

If you're wondering whether or not I liked them, take a look at the title of this post.

I love overnight oats!  Sure, it's a little weird eating cold oatmeal, but you don't really even notice it because the combination of ingredients is so unique and refreshing.  The slivered almonds give it a nice little crunch, and you can sweeten it up by adding your favorite fresh fruit (not sure if I've told you before, but fruit is my JAM).  It's very filling and so good for you, too!

I've been using the following recipe from Popsugar for my Overnight Oats and it hasn't disappointed yet...except for that time I poured the vanilla extract too fast and got way more than a teaspoon in there.  That was weird.  When followed correctly, the recipe is simple and versatile.

Overnight Oats

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup rolled oats
• 1/2 cup coconut milk (I use unsweetened vanilla almond milk instead)
• 1 tablespoon chia seeds
• 2 tablespoons slivered almonds
• 1/2 tablespoon maple syrup
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract  
  
  
  

Directions

1. Place all ingredients in a glass jar and stir well.  Screw on the lid and place in the fridge overnight (hence the term "overnight oats"). 

   

   Yes, these jars are enormous.  They were all Home Goods had when I was frantically searching the day before I wanted to start trying this recipe.

2. In the morning, remove from the fridge, top with your favorite fruit, and enjoy!  You could also add more nuts or drizzle with more syrup or honey, but I've found it delicious as is.  I like to spoon mine all into a bowl so I can ensure that each bite has some fruit in it. 
   

Admittedly, I am terrible at remembering to whip this all up at night.  That's why I did 3 jars' worth of dry ingredients ahead of time.  Then I try to remember to add the liquids to one of the jars at night and pop it in the fridge.  I forgot last night, though.  So I added the liquids this morning and then let it sit in the fridge for an hour.  It worked!  Not all of the almond milk was absorbed yet, but it was pretty darn close.  So if you're super forgetful like me, fear not!  It works after only an hour of soaking, too!

Are you a breakfast person?  Have you tried Overnight Oats?  What's your favorite recipe?  Comment below!