Overnight Oatmeal for Breakfast, Anyone?

Hello!  I hope you having a good day!   Do you ever have those overwhelming and tiring days?  But then there are those days where the weight is lifted and relief is provided, right?!  I feel like I huge weight has been lifted off my shoulders today.  I manage a retail store and my inventory has been off for several months and I couldn’t figure out why.  My associate’s and I have completed live inventories and have checked the numbers, but when I go back into the system they are off again!  I have been spinning my wheels for months, not sure how to explain it to POS System provider and continually blaming myself for the mistakes.  I was very fortunate today to have the VP of Sales and a Business Analyst assist me in a live inventory of the store and fix all of our inventory issues!  I am so relieved and overjoyed that its all fixed now.  We spent 5 hours counting and correcting the system!  I am a happy girl right now, to say the least!

Anywho, this past Saturday evening I decided to try a new recipe that I stumbled across online, I honestly don’t remember where I found it, but I was excited to try it!  You have to prepare this recipe the night before, that way you can enjoy it for breakfast the following morning.  I was intrigued to try this recipe, because I eat homemade oatmeal every morning and it was fun to see a creative recipe for it!  I have to say, I liked the texture and the taste.  The taste was a little different than I expected, but this is a recipe you can totally adpat to your taste- buds.  The best part is oats are so good for you!

 A few reason to enjoy oatmeal….

• Oatmeal has been said to lower cholesterol and reduce the risk of heart disease.
• The soluble fiber in oatmeal absorbs a considerable amount of water which significantly slows down your digestive process. This result is that you’ll feel full longer, which helps you control your weight.
• Oatmeal may help reduce high blood pressure. The reduction is linked to the increase in soluble fiber provided by oatmeal. Oats contain more soluble fiber than whole wheat, rice or corn.
• Oatmeal contains a wide array of vitamins, minerals and antioxidants and is a good source of protein, complex carbohydrates and iron.

In the morning the oats will have absorbed the milk and yogurt – making the mixture thicker!

Overnight Oatmeal

Ingredients
1/3 cup uncooked rolled oats (not instant, not steel cut)
1/3 cup organic almond milk (skim milk)
1/3 cup fat-free Greek yogurt

Possible Add-ins
1/2 cup fresh fruit
1/2 cup pumpkin
1/2 cup applesauce
1 tbsp unsweetened dark chocolate cocoa
1/4 cup almonds
1/4 cup dried fruit (I used cranberries)
1 tsp of cinnamon
1 tsp of Stevia (I sprinkled a 1/2 packet of Truvia, to sweeten!)

Recipe:
Mix uncooked oats, almond milk and yogurt together in a bowl.  Cover the  mixture with plastic wrap or store in an air tight container and leave in the refrigerator overnight.  The consistency will be soupy after this initial mixing.

Overnight, the oats will absorb the liquid from the almond milk and yogurt, and the mixture will expand and thicken.  This absorption process, in essence, “cooks” the oats.  In the morning, top the mixture with nutritious add-ins of your choice.   The possibilities are endless!  I personally added raw almonds, 1 tsp of cinnamon, 1/4 cup dried cranberries and 1/2 tsp of Stevia (Truvia)!   This is an awesome high-protein, low-calorie, satisfying breakfast!

Try it out and let me know what you think!

XO,
Rachel Ashley