I’ve always been told, “Breakfast is the most important meal of the day”. I’m still not convinced that’s totally true but I’m willing to be open minded to the idea. The problem I have with breakfast is I love to sleep, surprisingly more then I like to eat. I would gladly skip breakfast for an extra 30 minutes of sleep and normally I would be okay with that except I have noticed my habits are now rubbing off on my daughter.
I made it my mission to try out a few easy breakfast ideas that I can make (and she can make on her own) that will allow us to have our cake (breakfast) and eat it too! For the next few weeks, every week I will showcase a few easy “Breakfast For Busy People”. This week let’s take a look at Over Night Oats!
Over Night Oats are basically a cold cereal that you make the night before (hence the overnight part). It’s important that you really do allow this to setup overnight. I tried to see if you could skip this step but trust me, it was not good.
The Basics: Over Night Oats
This has got to be the easiest recipe (even my daughter can do it alone). What I like about overnight oats is you can change it up and crate a different breakfast every day by simply changing your mix-ins. The basics of the recipe call for:
- 1 clean jar with a lid. I like these and they are available on Amazon
- 1/2 cup of Quaker Oats old fashioned rolled oats.
- 1 cup of liquid (eg. milk, soy milk, almond milk, coconut milk, juice etc.)
- 1-2 tsp of a spice of your choice (get creative, you can use nearly anything)
- 1-2 tsp of your favorite sweetener
A Few Recipes To Get You Started: Overnight Oats
Peach Pie Overnight Oats
1 Cup Old Fashioned Quaker Oats
1 Cup Milk (I used Nonfat)
2 Tbsp. Whole Almonds
1 Tbsp Chopped Almonds
1/2 tsp Vanilla Extract
Pinch of Salt
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1 Tbsp Honey
2 peaches diced (you can also use a fruit cup with liquid drained)
Instruction
In a mason jar or other container with a lid, combine oatmeal, milk, vanilla, cinnamon, salt and honey. Mix well and place in refrigerator overnight (a minimum of 6 hours). In the morning, mix oatmeal and apply chopped almonds to top and a drizzle of honey. Enjoy!
Fig and Honey Overnight Oats
1 Cup Old Fashioned Quaker Oats
1 Cup Milk (I used Nonfat)
1/2 tbsp Chia Seeds
1 Fresh Fig, Sliced
2 Tbsp. Whole Almonds
1 Tbsp chopped pecans (or any nut of your choice)
1/2 tsp Vanilla Extract
1 Tbsp Honey
Instruction
In a mason jar or other container with a lid, combine oatmeal, milk, chia seeds and honey. Mix well and place in refrigerator overnight (a minimum of 6 hours). In the morning, mix oatmeal and apply sliced figs, chopped pecans (or nuts of your choice) to top and a drizzle of honey. Enjoy!
Carrot Cake Overnight Oats
1 cup Old Fashioned Quaker Oats
2 dates, pitted
½ banana, peeled
1 medium carrot, peeled and chopped
½ teaspoon cinnamon
¼ teaspoon nutmeg, ground
¼ teaspoon ginger, ground
¾ cup milk of choice
2 Tablespoons unsweetened coconut flakes
2 Tablespoons chopped walnuts
2 Tablespoons raisins or dried currants
pinch cloves, ground
Instruction
In a mason jar or other container with a lid, add oats. in a blinder, combine dates, banana, carrot, spices and milk. Place on top of oats along with coconut, nuts, and dried fruit. Place in refrigerator overnight (a minimum of 6 hours). Enjoy
Looking for more, check out our Pinterest page for more ideas!
