One of my absolute favorite and budget friendly breakfasts is oatmeal. It’s incredibly cheap, it is whole grain, provides lots of fiber and is so versatile. I love making it fresh in the morning because it only takes a few minutes, but let’s face it, I have a new born and a few minutes can be hard to come by. Especially if you like to add lots of things to your oatmeal.
Enter in overnight oats! During one of Lincoln’s naps or right before I go to bed I can throw a few of together, set them in the fridge and breakfast is ready to go in the morning. This is especially helpful if you run out of time for yourself to eat breakfast. I won’t give you the, “it’s the most important meal of the day” lecture, but starting your day with food within a few hours IS helpful for energy levels. Also, you can eat them cold or you can heat it up right in the container it’s already in. The ingredients you add and the combinations of them are endless!
Easy and nutritious as well!
Not only are they easy to make but oatmeal is highly nutritious, especially for a nursing mama. It serves as a good source of fiber, 4 g per serving, which can help you reach the recommended amount of 25-30 g fiber per day. It’s high in iron which is important especially for breastfeeding and it has 6 g of protein per serving. Basically, it’s a powerhouse food full of nutrients providing energy and satiety.
If you look up post-natal nutrition needs for breastfeeding a lot of websites pop up with the recommendation of consuming 350-500 additional calories daily. More important is making sure that the foods you eat are nutritious, whether you are breastfeeding or not, because all mama’s are healing. All mama’s are bleeding, sore, getting staggered sleep, having wildly changing hormone levels, and trying to figure out how to be themselves with the new label of parent attached to it. It’s beautiful and awesome, but it’s tough and nutritious foods are going to play a major role in all things postnatal.
How do we make them?
Specific recipe for PB & Cherry Overnight Oats below
Step 1 – choose your container. It doesn’t have to be a mason jar but they are pretty and if putting your food in a fun / pretty container helps you eat it, then by all means keep doing it!
Step 2 – Add 1/2 a cup of any kind of oats you like such as old fashioned or steel cut.
Step 3 – Add the liquid. Add just enough to cover the oats which is usually just about a cup. You don’t have to use milk but it will add more flavor. I prefer adding almond milk. If you want to measure it, I typically add about 3/4 cup or 1 cup.
Step 3 – Add the add-in’s. This is where it gets really fun, the list is endless as far as the different combinations you can make.
Now for a recipe! No doubt I’ll be providing more overnight oat recipes in the future, but this one is full proof so let’s start there!
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup uncooked, oatmeal
- 3/4-1 cup liquid Milk will add more creaminess and flavor
- 1 tbsp peanut butter
- 1 tbsp cherry jam
- 1/3 cup frozen cherries I like chopping them roughly since I don't like big chunks in my oatmeal but you can also leave them whole
- 1 tsp chia seeds just because!
Instructions
- Mix everything together in a container. It's trendy to use a mason jar but you can use whatever you've got on hand. Let it sit in the fridge overnight.
- Enjoy in the morning hot or cold! It will stay good in the fridge up to five days if it is covered.
Notes
Now it’s your turn! Send me your overnight oat pictures or tag me on Instagram! I cannot wait to see what you come up with.
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Made last night and enjoyed this morning. SO good! Added a plop of vanilla extract because I add that to everything. Loved the addition of cherries. I never use my frozen cherries for anything other than smoothies…what’s wrong with me?!?
Ahh I’m so glad you liked it!! Vanilla would make a great addition <3