Overnight oats are without a doubt, your healthful alternative as a quick breakfast or snack, you just need to keep them in the fridge. The question is, how long are overnight oats good for?
Generally, overnight oats stored in the fridge are good for consumption within five days. It is like breakfast waiting for you! That’s why you may rest from preparing breakfast for up to five days.
Just prepare one Sunday night and you won’t need to spend so much time preparing breakfast the whole week. And yes, you can make it as appetizing and nutritious with different recipe ideas that are blazing quick to prepare!
Overnight Oats: A Healthy Breakfast Option
According to Black EOE Journal, although 97% of Americans agree that breakfast is the most important meal of the day, only 44% eat breakfast. Females more than males are more likely to habitually skip breakfast because of always being in a hurry or running late.
Not with overnight oats! Oatmeal is another high fiber choice and something that you may prepare the night before. You can make overnight oats in two minutes.
Most busy people try to meal prep. They make overnight oats on a Sunday night and just put them in the fridge. The oats soak in with the liquid and will be ready after 12 hours.
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Here’s How to Meal Prep Overnight Oats
Again, overnight oats can stay five days in the fridge. But if you like them chewy, just let them stay there for three days.
So, to meal prep breakfast for the seven days of the week, follow these easy tips:
- Make overnight oats in two portions and two jars.
- When you finish your breakfast, always replace the overnight oats in the jar you have already consumed.
- Do this by mixing 1 part of oats with 1 part (or more) of water or milk. Don’t forget to stir and cover.
- Put the new jar of oats in the fridge and let it soak overnight.
The meal prep suggested above in making overnight oats is easy. You need less than 5 minutes to have your best healthy option ready for the following days.
Things you Must Remember With Overnight Oats Preparation and Other Tips
Use Almond Milk
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Almond milk is best for overnight oats because it stays fresh longer than regular cow’s milk.
Milk adds softness to the oats, so they are not dry when you eat them. If you want more creamy oats, add more milk.
So, if you are a milk lover and you’d want it to be in your overnight oats because of the taste and the creaminess it provides, go for almond milk.
Coconut Milk is Also a Healthy Option
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Another plant-based milk is coconut milk. Thus, it is also highly acceptable. Plus, the taste complements the overnight oats.
This dairy-free milk, or lactose-free milk, is an excellent substitute for those who are lactose intolerant. Take note that you may also use cashew milk or oat milk.
Low Fat Milk
For those conscious of nutritional calories, low-fat milk may be used instead. This is called Reduced-fat milk, which contains 2% of fat.
Skim milk is nonfat or fat-free milk. Different kinds and sources of milk have varied tastes. Hence, you must consider the taste in choosing what milk you want to put in your overnight oats.
Add Chia Seeds
Why chia seeds? These seeds have a taste that blends well with the overnight oats and are packed with tons of nutrition.
Chia seeds are loaded with essential vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants, including iron, calcium, magnesium, protein & omega-3, and also high dietary fiber.
The high antioxidant profile of chia seeds helps preserve their shelf life and protect the body from disease-causing free radicals.
Amrita Superfood Chia Seeds is a superfood that has no additives or harmful ingredients.
Chia seeds also help in giving a creamy texture to the oats.
These seeds contain healthy omega 3s and like old-fashioned rolled oats, have lots of fiber.
Save Fresh Fruits for Later
If you want to store your overnight oats for five days, do not add granola, nuts, coconut flakes, and fresh fruit yet.
These top-ups will also soften once sitting in the fridge for long. Moreover, fresh fruit, when soaked, might give a sour taste that grows stronger for days.
But if you want to prepare them with fruits, use frozen berries, like raspberries and blueberries. These will defrost overnight, making the liquid soak up and thus, cooking the overnight oats.
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Maple Syrup for Sweetness and Freshness
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If you’d like sweet overnight oats, you may add maple syrup or honey to the mixture. Maple syrup nicely glazes the oats.
If you want more sweetness, you may add more maple syrup or honey but don’t use brown sugar.
To Warm or Not to Warm
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Though typically served cold, overnight oats can be eaten warm if you wish. But it is usually eaten cold; that’s why it’s a grab-and-go breakfast.
If you prefer warm oats in the morning, just place them in the microwave for a minute. So, if you’re planning to warm up your overnight oats, be sure to use microwave-safe jars.
Avoid Quick Cooking Oats
When old-fashioned oats, or rolled oats undergo high processing for quick cooking, they become unhealthy.
Old-fashioned oats are the best for overnight oat recipes because of their consistency after sitting in the fridge for days. However, you may also use certified gluten-free oats.
Easy Overnight Oats, Hot or Cold?
As people’s go-to and grab-and-go breakfast, overnight oats may be eaten right away from the fridge or you may heat them first if you like.
But they are mostly eaten, yes, cold but still is one healthy, delicious breakfast.
How to Store Overnight Oats in the Fridge?
Use an airtight container, a wide-mouth glass mason jar, preferably 16 oz, to store overnight oats in the fridge.
Overnight oats in a mason jar airtight container make eating more appealing than those stored in plastic containers. Moreover, plastics may have a certain smell that could stick to your oats.
You can store overnight oats in the freezer to keep them fresh for up to five days. But you see, the freshness of overnight oats depends on how you prepare them.
When stored in freezers, they could last up to six months. But of course, the longer the oats sit in there, the more the oats will transform into a softer one. How long overnight oats last also depends on what you put into them.
Remember, they should be covered with a lid or plastic wrap to keep them fresh longer.
Steel Cut Oats Not that Good for Overnight Oats
It is highly suggested not to use steel-cut oats for overnight oats because besides not reaching a consistency best for overnight oats, they have a lower glycemic index. This means the starch from the oats is more difficult to digest.
Why Gluten-Free Oats
Gluten-Free Oats are specially grown, harvested, and processed in the safest way to keep them from other grains.
This process will ensure that they’ll be free from gluten contamination and safe for those with celiac disease.
Good Plain Old Fashioned Oats
Good fashioned oats or rolled oats are the best oats for overnight oats. This is because they soak up the liquid and give the overnight oats their creamy, silky texture.
Oats are packed with nutrients, that is why a Swiss Doctor , Maximilian Bircher-Benner used overnight oats to heal tuberculosis back in the 1900s.
Creative Meal Prepping
If you are meal prepping overnight oats, be sure to add in slightly more milk than if you’re eating them right away the next day. This will ensure that your overnight oats in the fridge will not be dry days later.
Basic Overnight Oats Recipe for Beginners
Want to learn the easiest overnight oats recipe for a beginner like you? Don’t worry; we got you covered!
On a Sunday night, you may prepare the five jars that’ll last you the whole work week!
Healthy and Best Overnight Oats Recipes
There are lots of healthy overnight oats recipes online. Whatever your breakfast method is, overnight oats will surely fit in and maybe even become your favorite.
Since more and more people realize the benefits, recipes have been sprouting like mushrooms.
This is especially so because overnight oats seem more like a dessert than a nutritious breakfast. It is something you may use to deceive your picky-eating children.
To say that there is a best overnight oats recipe is like shooting for the stars, as there are many great overnight oats recipes. The best also depends on your preference.
Overnight Oatmeal Recipe Idea 1: PEANUT BUTTER JELLY
Just imagine a peanut butter jelly sandwich, except you substitute the sandwich with overnight oats.
Layer peanut butter, strawberry jelly, crushed peanuts, and fresh-cut strawberries
Simply soak the oats in a liquid, like water or milk, and let them sit overnight. Just leave out the fruits and add them in when you’re ready to eat your overnight oats.
The irresistible sweet and salty taste will be that- IRRESIS-TABLE!
Overnight Oatmeal Recipe Idea 2: GLUTEN AND DAIRY FREE NUT MILK WITH OATS
This was featured in our previous recipes.
Ingredients
1 cup rolled oats (steel cut oats GF or you can use thinner oats)
4 cups of water (use less water for thicker, creamier milk!)
Pinch of Himalayan Pink Salt
1 Tbsp (15ml) maple syrup
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
Directions
- Add water to a blender.
- Add rolled oats, salt, maple syrup, and vanilla extract to the blender.
- Blend on high until smooth.
- Strain with a tea mesh.
- Transfer to a covered container, chill, and enjoy!
Overnight Oatmeal Recipe Idea 3: I AM NUTS–
As long as you are not allergic to almonds, this is a good option to add to your overnight oats. It may be calorie-dense, but it is nutrient-dense as well! Besides, who does not need energy in the morning?
With monounsaturated fats and that added crunch, it simply means you will love nuts more!
Just use crushed almonds, mini chocolate chips, and maple syrup. Voila! You’ll have a healthy breakfast that even young children will love.
Overnight Oatmeal Recipe Idea 4: APPLE PIE
Chopped apples combined with pecans, maple syrup, and ground cinnamon bring a warm sweet taste to your overnight oats.
Favorite Overnight Oats Recipe
What is your favorite overnight oats recipe? Overnight Oats Recipes are easy to prepare. What toppings you add to them make these easy breakfast meals tempting.
It’s all about the TOPPINGS!
FRESH FRUIT
These are mostly the fruit mix-ins that come with the seasons, like blueberries, raspberries, strawberries, peaches, bananas, apples, and pears made as a puree or just by cutting them the way you want.
DRIED FRUIT
Dried fruits give overnight oats that delicious twist, chewy texture, and fruity flavors. These are examples of dried fruits: raisins, cranberries, chopped dates, goji berries, apricots, whole figs, pineapples, banana chips, golden raisins: Zante currants, and many more.
NUTS AND SEEDS
Sliced almonds, hemp seeds, chopped pecans or walnuts, pepitas, toasted sesame seeds, sunflower seeds, ground cinnamon, and many more.
ALMOND BUTTER OR PEANUT BUTTER
Almond nut butter and peanut butter provide a protein boost. But if you want it nut butter-free you may replace it with sunbutter.
SPICES
Spices like cinnamon, turmeric, nutmeg, ginger, or cardamom can spice up a bit.
ADDED FLAVOR
The things you sprinkle onto the overnight oats mixture like coconut flakes or cacao nibs will give that added extra flavor you’ll surely love.
Vanilla extract is also one excellent flavor enhancer. The vanilla extract gives the overnight oatmeal sweetness without the sweetener.
PLANT-BASED YOGURT
The extra creaminess could also come from a plant-based yogurt. And it adds extra protein and a probiotic boost.
GREEK YOGURT
Greek yogurt has less sugar, much protein, and gives a thicker consistency to the overnight oats.
On the other hand, regular yogurt has fewer calories and more calcium. However, both of them are packed with probiotics and support digestion.
You may add yogurt in your easy overnight oats preparation and boost your health with protein powder.
All in all, Greek yogurt gives the oats a creamy texture, a boost of protein, and a tangy flavor you’ll love.
VEGAN YOGURT
Vegan yogurt uses non-dairy plant sources like soy, almonds, peas, cashews, and coconuts. It helps give a pudding-like texture to your overnight oats.
And just like Greek and Plant-Based yogurts, Vegan Yogurt has probiotics that promote good digestion.
Most Frequently Asked Questions
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What’s so special about overnight oats?
Let’s put it this way. Overnight oats are the best way to eat oats and the best way to absorb the nutrients from oats.
When you soak oats overnight, you are like cooking them without the heat. Thus, the process is slower and will take a longer time.
But, this is why its natural phytic acid is reduced when the starches break down—resulting in healthier oatmeal.
Is it ok to eat overnight oats every day?
Overnight oats are perfectly safe to be eaten every day. You may even eat them every morning if you like. However, some say that they feel oats give them digestive issues; overnight oats are not unsafe for those without medical conditions that affect digestion.
Can I add hot water to overnight oats?
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If you want overnight oats warm you may use your microwave or a pot and warm them through the stove.
If you like, you may add hot water instead of heating them through a microwave or stove. Simply boil water in the pot and pour a sufficient amount on your cold oats.
Do overnight oats make you gain weight?
Overnight oats are not fattening, but if the ingredients you mix into them are high in fat, yes, they may cause you to gain weight.
So, it is important to choose the things you put into your overnight oats. There are tips already mentioned in this blog about what to put into your overnight oats.
What are the disadvantages of eating oats?
Eating oats is healthy, but if the ingreditents you put into your oatmeal are not, it will have disadvantages.
Side Effects of Overeating Oatmeal
- May lead to malnutrition and shredding muscle mass
- Increase sugar intake
- Limiting your nutritional choices
- May cause bloating to some who have digestive issues
- Can cause weight gain because of the add-ins that are full of calories
What are the advantages of eating oats?
One of the healthiest grains on earth is oats.
According to Healthline, oats have a well-balanced nutrition composition.
- Oats are a good source of carbs and fiber. They also have the powerful fiber beta-glucan.
- Oats have more fat and protein than most grains.
- They are loaded with essential vitamins, minerals, and antioxidant plant compounds.
- They have bigger amounts of Manganese, Phosphorus, Magnesium, Copper, Iron, Zinc, Folate, Vitamin B1, B5, and smaller amounts of calcium, potassium, B6, and B3.
To know more about the advantages of eating overnight oats, you may want to read the 10 REASONS WHY OVERNIGHT OATS ARE HEALTHY & 4 OATS MISTAKES WE ALL MAKE.
Have a More Nutritious Breakfast/Snack Option with Overnight Oats
Having a quick yet nutritious breakfast/snack is so easy with overnight oats. Just prepare once, add your toppings and extras and they are ready to serve!