Recipe: Overnight oats

Overnight oats are a very popular breakfast because it cuts down on prep time. They are made by soaking oats in a liquid (usually milk) overnight.

Overnight oats are superior to traditional porridge because:

• They are made ahead of time, saving time in the morning
• They don’t need to be cooked, cutting down on preparation time, cleaning up, electricity/gas bills, etc.
• They contain higher resistant starch

More than a recipe, this is a template you can follow to make overnight oats based on ratios. I like using milk and yoghurt as the wet ingredients and a ratio of 1:1:1 oats to milk to yoghurt. The recipe calls for 1/3-1/2 cup of each. If you are a smaller individual or have a smaller appetite, go with 1/3 cup.

Ingredient recommendations

• Oats: choose plain rolled oats instead of instant oats for a lower glycaemic index alternative. Choose wheat-free/low-gluten oats if required.
• Milk: choose low fat or light if fat/energy content is a concern, choose high protein milk if not adding protein powder, choose lactose-free if lactose intolerant, choose calcium-enriched if using a plant-based alternative
• Yoghurt: choose low fat or light if fat/energy content is a concern, choose high protein yoghurt if not adding protein powder, choose lactose-free if lactose intolerant, choose calcium-enriched if using a plant-based alternative

About the toppings

• Nuts and/or seeds: these add a bit of fibre, protein and healthy fats to your breakfast, making it more satiating and giving it a nice crunch. You can add a nut/seed butter (e.g. peanut butter) if you prefer.
• Fibre: (e.g. psyllium husk, LSA, Macro Gentle Fibre) this is a good option if your daily fibre intake is on the low side and/or if you want to make your breakfast a little more filling
• Fruit: choose your favourite fruit, preferably fresh and in season. Frozen fruit is also great, and you can thaw it in the fridge overnight if you prefer.
• Sweetener: if not using fruit or using low sugar fruit you might want to add extra sweetness to your oats. Use honey or malple syrup if you don’t mind the extra sugar or need it for fuelling exercise, or a non nutritive sweetener (e.g. stevia, monkfruit) if you don’t need the extra sugar and kilojoules.
• Spices: spices are a great addition to keep things interesting
• Protein powder: this is a good addition to make sure your breakfast has an adequate amount of protein for body composition and satiety purposes
• Collagen powder: you can add some collagen powder to support connective tissue health
• Creatine monohydrate: if you take creatine monohydrate daily for athletic or cognitive reasons, mixing it with your overnight oats is as good as any other way of taking it

My personal preferences

I normally make my overnight oats with 1/3 cup plain rolled oats + 1/3 cup Complete Dairy or FitMilk light milk + 1/3 cup YoPRO plain or Coles Perform yoghurt. As for toppings, I often add 10g of psyllium husk, creatine monohydrate, collagen powder if training after or WPI if not (just to have a decent amount of protein in the morning) and either crunchy peanut butter or berries.

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