What are overnight oats? You may have seen this food trend online. You can find recipes everywhere, from Pinterest pages to the Instagram accounts of fitness influencers. You may have seen overnight oats on the menu at your local trendy neighborhood coffee spot.
Part of the appeal of overnight oats, aside from their tastiness and creamy texture, is that you can prepare them the night before or even days in advance. When you wake up, you have a delicious, ready-to-go breakfast in a portable container. All that you need to do is take off the lid, stir, and enjoy.
You may be wondering if this item is worth incorporating into your diet and whether the food is a nutritious choice for breakfast. We break down how overnight oats are made, what they taste like, and whether they can be a sensible breakfast choice for people who want to fuel their active lifestyles.
What Are Overnight Oats?
You probably know what oatmeal is and are familiar with how to make it. Oats are cooked in hot water or milk on the stove or in the microwave to produce a warm porridge that so many of us enjoy as a hearty and filling breakfast.
Overnight oats are a no-cook method of making oats. Rather than heating the oats, they are soaked in milk for several hours, preferably overnight. The liquid softens the oats. When you leave them to soak overnight, the milk breaks down the oats and makes them porridge-like. You can flavor the oats in many ways and tweak them according to your dietary needs and preferences. For protein-lovers, the oats can be enhanced with protein powder or you can substitute the milk with a ready-made protein shake. You can add chia seeds or nuts to boost fiber and enhance the flavor. Dried or fresh fruit, spices, nut butters, and sweeteners can be added to flavor the oats. There are even recipes for savory overnight oats.
Some people like that overnight oats allow them to enjoy oats during the warmer months when it is too hot for oatmeal. That way they can enjoy the health benefits of oats all year long.
What Do Overnight Oats Taste Like? Do They Taste Good?
Overnight oats have a hearty flavor like regular oatmeal, but unlike the oatmeal you are accustomed to, overnight are cold. Soaked oats have a creamy texture, and adding yogurt or nut butter can make them taste even creamier. Many people find that they are a refreshing way to enjoy oats during the summer months.
Getting the right consistency for your oats is key. You achieve this by getting the correct ratio of liquid and oats. If you do not use enough liquid, the oats will be inedible. They will not be soft enough, and you will not get the signature creamy texture that makes overnight oats so appealing. If you use too much liquid, the oats will have a soup-like consistency that may not be tasty to you.
You want to add the right additions to make the overnight oats tasty to you. Whatever flavor profiles you like in regular oatmeal will probably taste good to you in overnight oats. If you like the flavor of peaches and cream in your hot oatmeal, you will probably also like it in your overnight oats. The only way to find out what you like is to start trying different flavors of overnight oats. From chocolate-peanut butter to blueberry and vanilla, there is a version of overnight oats that is right for your tastebuds.
To make overnight oats as tasty as possible, you may need to hold off on adding certain ingredients until right before you are ready to eat them. While dried or dehydrated fruits and flax or chia seeds may benefit from soaking, other ingredients like fresh fruit and toasted coconut should only be added right before consuming.
Are Overnight Oats Good for You?
Overnight oats can be convenient and nutritious, making them a great option for most people. They are a great source of slow-burning fuel. Rolled oats, the best kind of oats for making overnight oats, are a healthy and well-balanced whole grain that provides fiber and plant-based protein. They offer more protein and fat than many other grains. Rolled oats have many health benefits:
- They are an excellent source of manganese, phosphorous, magnesium, vitamin B1, copper, iron, and zinc.
- They are rich in beneficial antioxidants such as avenanthramides, which have anti-inflammatory and anti-itching effects and may help lower blood pressure.
- Oats have high amounts of the soluble fiber beta-glucan, which can reduce cholesterol and blood sugar levels as well as promote fullness and increase good gut bacteria.
If you add the right ingredients to your oats, they can be a great choice that can keep you full and benefit your health. You must check, however, that your recipe or ready-made overnight oats align with your diet. Regardless of your diet, there's a version of overnight oats for you.
Here are some quick notes for how to adapt overnight oats to your diet:
- For sugar-free diets: look for versions that use your sugar-free sweetener of choice.
- For low-fat diets: verify that any added nuts or nut butters, seeds, or oils will not put you over your recommended daily fat intake.
- For low-calorie diets: choose low-calorie versions that use sugar-free sweeteners and add flavor with fruits.
- For bulking: do not hold back on the nut butters, nuts, and seeds.
- For gluten-free diets: use gluten-free oats.
- For high-fiber diets: the oats already have fiber, but you can add even more by choosing versions with ground flax, nuts, seeds, grains, and fruit.
- For high-protein diets: add protein powder to your overnight oats or even purchase a pre-made version with added protein, which only requires you to add milk up to a fill line and stir. No cooking knowledge is needed.
As you can see, overnight oats can easily be customized to suit your macronutrient needs. That is part of why people who meal prep love them so much. They also like that overnight oats can be made days in advance, making them ideal for meal prep. If you are feeling ambitious in the kitchen, you can use Powerful Nutrition's delicious and nutritious high-protein powders, pre-made shakes, and yogurts to make your own overnight oats. We are so inspired by the creativity of our customers who often use our products to whip up the most amazing culinary creations.
If you are short on time or do not like to cook, Powerful Nutrition has you covered with high-protein overnight oats in two flavors: peaches and cream and blueberry and vanilla. Both tasty flavors come in a portable container that you can take anywhere. In addition to our signature high-quality whey protein powder, we add clean, natural ingredients like whole-grain oats, quinoa, and flax seeds to offer you a breakfast that is chock full of healthy fats (omega-3 fatty acids), proteins, whole grains, and fiber. This well-balanced and heart-healthy breakfast will taste great and fuel you throughout the morning. You can even add your own fresh fruit or other toppings, though it is great as-is.
If the overnight oats trend is not for you, or if you just enjoy traditional oatmeal, we have tasty, high-protein oatmeal that is much more nutritionally balanced and complete than your average instant oatmeal at the grocery store. We like to keep our ingredient list short and use ingredients that you probably already have in your pantry. Whether you like your oatmeal cold or hot, Powerful Nutrition has you covered with all your protein oats or "proats" needs.