The Overnight Craze

Overnight Oats- has anyone else heard the these? Or tried them? Well I needed to figure out what all the fuss was about! I tried one of my favorite bloggers recipes, Peanut Butter Fingers. I looked up different recipes and I thought this recipe looked the best- it had only a few ingredients (some of them I already had, bonus!) and she likes her oats thick too.

Here are some other Overnight Oat Recipes:
Whole Foods Overnight Oats
Kath Eats Real Food Overnight Oats
Fitting it all in Overnight Oats

Here is her recipe Overnight Oats :

• 1 6 oz. Greek Yogurt
• 2 tablespoons of Chia Seeds
• 2/3 cup Quick Oats
• 1/2 cup milk (I used skim milk)

Mix them all together.

Cover and refrigerate overnight. 

I tried them this morning and I have to say they were delicious!! I had to add a little bit of milk until the consistency looked good. I topped it off with my homemade granola & strawberries. The granola has cinnamon in it and it really adds some taste. So I think next time I make it I will add some cinnamon!

What it looked like right out of the fridge. I added a little milk so it wasn't so thick.

Breakfast is served! 

While I was looking at different Overnight Oat recipes I noticed most recipes included Chia Seeds. While you would think that as a dietetic student I learned all about super foods and dieting fads in our classes. But we really don't. So I wanted to find out what was so 'super' about chia seeds! You probably first heard about them as the chia sprouts growing from Chia Pets!! But they also have nutritional value. Chia seeds are a rich source of Omega 3, protein and antioxidants. They are easy to digest, have a long shelf-life and don't need any preparation before eating. When they are added to water and allowed it sit, for at least 30 minutes, chia forms a gel- which helps the thickening of overnight oats.

Homemade Granola Recipe:
3 cups of oats
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp salt
2 tsp of canola oil 
1/2 cup of lite maple syrup
(optional- add 1 cup of raisins, cranberries or nuts)
 Combing the oats, cinnamon, salt, (optional raisins, cranberries, nuts)
Then combine they syrup, canola oil. Pour on top of dry ingredients and mix together. Mix until all the dry ingredients are covered.
Place parchment paper over a cookie sheet and spread the granola evenly 
Bake at 325 degrees for 30 minutes or until golden brown 
Delicious with some yogurt in fruit as a parfait!