As a child I remember eating porridge my Dad made on cold winter mornings before all seven of us would run for the school bus. I vividly remember him telling us “It will stick to your ribs” and keep us warm. We lived in rural Alberta, basically in the middle of nowhere, which meant a 45 minute freezing cold bus ride. I think he wanted us to have a nutritious breakfast and it was his way of tricking us into eating thick, goopy, tasteless bowls of oats. I had already experienced plenty of sugar at this point in my life, like most kids did growing up in the 70’s and 80’s and I knew that porridge without a mound of brown sugar on it tasted horrible. Basically I wanted cake for breakfast and I turned my oatmeal into cake with a heafty dose of sugar.
Cream of Wheat and Johnny Boy also made a regular appearance school mornings. We really only had “the bad” cereal when we camped in the summer. By bad cereal, I mean Fruit Loops, Corn Pops and Honeycombs, also know as “the good stuff”. The kind of cereal that all kids love, has zero nutrition and will give you a very nice sugar high first thing in the morning. Since my taste buds have matured beyond Fruit Loops and I know what sugar actually does to the body I would say that my breakfasts are a tad healthier. I have given up on sugar and my energy levels are much better off.
Overnight oats are by far my favorite way to prepare oats. Soaking oats the night before means you don’t have to cook them the next day. Simply remove the oats the next morning from the fridge, top with more milk and a handful of berries and you have your breakfast. You can still cook the oats if you like by adding water or milk and heating them over low heat.
You can use any flavour combination you like for the oats and add dried fruit or fresh fruit. I like loads of cinnamon, vanilla, homemade coconut milk and pecans. Soaking the oats and nuts overnight makes them easier to digest as well however if you have digestion issues this may not be the breakfast for you. Some can tolerate grains better than others.
Overnight Maple Pecan Oats
Serves 1
Ingredients:
- ½ cup whole oats, gluten free if required
- ½ cup milk of your choice (I use homemade coconut milk, hemp, almond or cashew milk)
- 1 tablespoon chia
- ½ teaspoon cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- 4 – 5 pecans, chopped
- 1 – 2 teaspoons pure maple syrup (optional) a few drops of stevia works well too
- a pinch of sea salt
Directions:
- In a small bowl combine oats, milk, chia, cinnamon, vanilla, pecans, maple syrup and sea salt. Mix well and pour into a glass container or small Mason jar, cover and refrigerate overnight. Remove from the fridge in the morning and add extra milk if you like. Add fresh fruit or extra nuts.
