Healthy Breakfast Recipe! Are Overnight Oats Student Friendly?

 Before we explore the first recipe of the blog, I just want to go over the criteria of what makes a recipe students friendly.

Before we explore the first recipe of the blog, I just want to go over the criteria of what makes a recipe student-friendly.

Student-friendly recipes should be:

• Under 30 minutes to make 

• Ingredients must be inexpensive and easy to find.

• Was the recipe easy to follow

• Does the recipe allow for substitutions 

• Does the final product taste good

    

    Now that we understand the student-friendly criteria, let's explore the first healthy breakfast recipe. When researching healthy breakfast ideas, I came across many fast and healthy smoothie recipes. My issue with this was that, as a student in a student house who has quite a few 8 am classes, there is no way I would be able to run a blender at 7 am without my housemates getting mad at me, therefore all blender and smoothie recipes are off the table. 

    The first recipe I found was an overnight oats recipe. Overnight oats are a simple recipe that adds protein, fibre, and healthy fats to your diet. Overnight oats are preferred for busy mornings, and you can make individual serving sizes that you can take on the go. These fast and easy breakfasts are super satisfying and will keep you satisfied until lunch. Overnight oats are made with simple and easy-to-get ingredients such as oats, milk (milk alternatives) and chia seeds. 

Ingredients 

Overnight oats allow for a lot of customization to the flavours and added ingredients. The base of the recipe calls for rolled oats, chia seeds, milk of any kind, sweetener (honey, or maple syrup), and a small pinch of salt. Greek yogurt can also be added to add additional protein. The oats can then be topped with a variety of ingredients such as fresh fruits, granola, and chocolate; it is totally customizable. 

How to make basic overnight oats

Making overnight oats is super simple to start:

• Oats, chia seeds, your sweetener of choice, salt, and yogurt (optional) are added to a container that has a lid (a mason jar also works).

• Then milk or milk alternatives are poured over the oat mixture and stirred thoroughly to combine. 

• The oat and milk mixture is then covered and stored overnight in the fridge and can be kept for up to 5 days.

• Right before eating the oats need to be stirred and can be topped with any toppings desired 

Oat variations 

    You can do so many different things with overnight oats, and create many different flavour profiles. I am going to share one of the overnight oat variations I have tried and continue to make for breakfast!

Since fall is just starting, this apple pie overnight oat variation is perfect to get you ready for a beautiful fall day. 

Apple Pie overnight oats 

Measurements for the base recipe 

• ½ cup of whole rolled oats 

• 1 Tablespoon of chia seeds 

• ½ teaspoon of maple syrup or sweetener of choice

• A pinch of salt

• ⅔ cup of milk/alternative milk of choice 

• ¼ cup of yogurt (optional)

Added ingredients for apple pie oats in the oat mixture. 

• 2 tablespoons of applesauce (sweetened or unsweetened).

• ¼ teaspoon of cinnamon 

Topping

• Chopped pecans (optional)

• Diced apple(optional)

Student-friendly ranking 

•  Under 30 minutes to make ✔

• Ingredients must be inexpensive and easy to find ✔

• Was the recipe easy to follow ✔

• Does the recipe allow for substitutions ✔

• Does the final product taste good ✔

This recipe got a 5/5 rating due to how easy and time affect the recipe is as well as the different variations of overnight oats a person can make 

The overnight oat recipe and steps were from the website Love & Lemons!

https://www.loveandlemons.com/overnight-oats-recipe/