The Speedy Saviour Of 'On-the-Go' Breakfasts
A snippet from my Newstalk show last week on this breakfast superstar. Listen to the full episode here!
One of the simplest and quickest breakfasts to prepare in advance. They are so good they almost taste like dessert and so many people I know choose to have them as their 11 o clock or 4pm snack.
There are a few key things to remember which I spoke about on Newstalk last week (you can listen here). It is so important to balance out the intake of carbohydrates with protein. This is why I love to use a combination of Greek yoghurt specifically for mine. It has a higher protein content than other yogurts. The addition of the chia seeds is genius as you barely notice they are there but you get such a bang for your buck in terms of getting in extra fibre.
I LOVE to cook using ratios. It seems to be how my brain likes to remember and process information so my simple overnight oats ratio for you is 1.5 parts oats: 1 part milk: 1 part Greek yogurt.
And th best kept secret of all, they don’t even really ned overnight. About 4 hours will do if you are really stuck.
Couple of top tips – the kids HATED the goji berries in the mixture. As with kids, it was an unpredictable texture to the uniform, safe texture of the rest so that put them off. I also loosened it mixture with extra milk before serving it as they didn’t want extra yogurt on top. So if it is a bit thick just stir in a little extra milk before adding your toppings.
Also, final thing, I did not add any sweetness to the oat base. You can – a little drizzle of honey, maple or chicory root goes along way.,
I hope you love these as much as we do,
So Simple
A game changing secret I will share with you here today is when you want to make something taste sweet but you don’t want to resort to sugar use vanilla and salt. The vanilla brings this flavour we associate with sweetness and the pinch of salt makes everything taste more vanilla and more sweet. One of the best healthy eating hacks you will ever get right there.
Chia seeds are an amazing source of fibre and they help to thicken the overnights. I love the addition of the yogurt too as it helps create that luxurious, rich texture to the overnight oats.
The toppings is where the individual, creative and delicious fun starts. I love variety so by having a basic overnight oats pot made and ready for each day allows me to get super prepared and then I can be as creative as I like that morning and eat whatever takes my fancy.
Kiwi and fresh strawberry one day, tropical passion fruit and pineapple the next, peanut butter and berries for a little indulgence and I am a happy bunny until lunch.
Ingredients
Ingredients
- 1 ½ big mug oats
- 1 mug milk of choice
- 1 mug yogurt 0% fat Greek, Greek coconut, soy yogurt
- 65 g chia seeds
- 60 g milled seeds
- 35 g goji berries
- 1 tsp vanilla bean paste
- Pinch sea salt
- 2 tbsp honey
Toppings
- Kiwi and strawberry
- Tropical pineapple passionfruit & coconut
- Nut butter & berries
- Date compote pear and walnut
Instructions
Method
- In a large bowl, combine the oats, milk and yogurt.
- Add in the vanilla, pinch of salt, goji berries, milled seeds and chia seeds. Stir well.
- Spoon into containers. Cover and chill overnight.
- To Serve: Slice up fresh fruit, dollop on jams, nut berries or compotes first, then top with the fresh fruit. I always like to add a little crunch of a nut on top too.
- Enjoy and savour every bite.
