Mornings are hectic at our house. From the moment the alarm echoes rudely through the inky darkness of my bedroom, I am already going over the mental checklist of the day ahead: feed cat (check), wake sleeping teenager, make coffee, let dog out, re-wake teenager, make breakfast . . .

Breakfast. “The most important meal of the day.” That’s a lot of pressure to put on one meal, but there’s truth in that statement. The word itself means literally to “break the fast” which refers to the hibernation period our bodies experience between dinner and waking.

Think about it. When else do you go eight to ten hours without eating? Probably rarely–and if you did you’d be ravenous.

Eating a healthy, balanced breakfast is the single most important thing you can do to fuel your body for the busy day ahead. Yet many people are stressed to get out the door and make poor food choices or skip breakfast all together.

That’s why I love Overnight Oats! You can make and refrigerate this nutritious “breakfast in a jar” ahead of time for morning convenience. It’s also portable, so it can go wherever you need to go. The basic recipe is easily adapted to suit individual tastes. Feel free to experiment with dairy or non-dairy milks, as well as different flavors of yogurt and fruit combinations. The whole grain oats and chia seeds are gluten-free and packed with fiber that will keep you feeling satisfied until lunch.

Mason canning jars are currently the rage, but if you don’t have them you can make these recipes in any 16 oz. wide-mouth glass container.

 

PUMPKIN SPICE OVERNIGHT OATS (1-2 servings)

Printable recipe: PUMPKIN SPICE OVERNIGHT OATS

This perfect fall recipe comes from blogger A Pumpkin & A Princess. It will keep in the refrigerator for up to 3 days!

Ingredients

1/2 cup old fashioned oats

1/2 cup 2% milk

2-3 tablespoons pumpkin puree

1/2 cup vanilla greek yogurt

1/8 tsp vanilla extract

1-2 tsp brown sugar

1/2 tsp pumpkin spice

1/2 tablespoon chia seeds

Optional:

1 tsp maple syrup

granola or nuts for topping

Instructions

1. Combine all ingredients together and store in mason jar overnight. Top with granola or nuts.

 

STRAWBERRY-BANANA OVERNIGHT OATS (1-2 servings)

Printable recipe: Strawberry-Banana Overnight Oats

*Adapted from FoodFitnessFreshAir.com

 

Ingredients:

1/3 cup oats

1/2 Tbl. chia seeds (optional)

1/3 cup vanilla greek yogurt

1/3 cup almond milk (I used vanilla), slightly overflowing

1/2 banana (1/3 if it’s particularly large), diced

1/3 cup fresh strawberries, sliced (about 6 to 8 berries)

Optional:

Maple syrup

Granola and/or chopped nuts

Instructions:

1. Combine diced banana, oats, chia seeds, yogurt, and milk in a bowl and mix to combine.
2. Alternate layers of sliced strawberries with oat-banana mixture in a mason jar. Cover, and refrigerate overnight.
3. In the morning, top with granola and/or walnuts, along with fresh berries/bananas, if desired. Drizzle with maple syrup.