Overnight Oatmeal Recipe and Why It's Healthy

I have been seeing all of these recipes for overnight oatmeal and about how we should soak our oats overnight.  My first thought was, “Why would I do this when it’s just as easy to throw your oats in a bowl the next morning?”  Upon researching this topic, however, I have learned that it is actually beneficial to soak our oats overnight.  By soaking our oats, it makes them more digestible and helps our system obtain more of the nutrients in the food. 

With that being said, I may not always remember to do this the night before, but when I can, I will try to do this.  I have been experimenting with different recipes for this, and have actually found it helpful to make it the night before.  It’s kind of nice to wake up the next morning and have my oatmeal mixture all ready.  I just pop it in the microwave for a minute and it’s done.  All of the fruit has already been added, so it’s ready to go! 

I have tweaked several recipes and like this one the best.  This recipe is the right amount for 2 adult serving and 2 kid-size servings.

Overnight Oatmeal:

1 cup rolled oats

¾- 1 cup milk (I used almond milk)

¾ cup- 1 cup plain yogurt (greek or regular works fine)

1 apple (sliced and cut in small chunks)

½ cup raisins

1 tbsp. chia seeds (optional)

1 tsp. cinnamon

pinch of salt

Directions:

Stir everything together in a bowl and place in fridge overnight.  In the morning, you can top it with something crunchy, such as nuts or granola. Or, top it with your favorite nut butter.  It can be served cold or warm. We like to serve ours warm.