Five days of overnight oats
Photography, styling and text: Sally O’Neil // @thefitfoodie
Oats are one of those things that are often overlooked for fancier breakfast options. But, aside from being great for you (and your digestion) this humble pantry staple is also super versatile. Here, Sally O’Neil, aka: the fit foodie, shows us how to use them in five fun (and yum) ways.
Sally says: “Prepping oats in big batches ready for the week ahead is a sure-fire way of saving yourself from the bagel cart at work. The fibre takes a while to digest, so these keep you full for longer (use rolled oats rather than quick ones as they take longer for your body to break down). Not a whiz in the kitchen? If I was to offer one recipe to someone with zero cooking ability who was trying to eat healthily, this would be it. Ten minutes’ investment equals a nutritious start to the day for five days. What a pay-off! Do you prefer sweet or savoury?”
Portions: 5
Prep time: 10 minutes
INGREDIENTS:
Sweet:
500 g (5 cups) rolled oats
40 g (1/4 cup) chia seeds
1.25 litres (5 cups) milk of your choice
1 teaspoon vanilla extract or ground vanilla
Savoury:
500 g (5 cups) rolled oats
40 g (1/4 cup) chia seeds
1.25 litres (5 cups) water, or leftover milk-poached chicken stock, or vegetable stock
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
*Note: Watch out for the high sodium content of some ready-made stock
METHOD:
Mix all of the ingredients together in a bowl, cover and leave to soak in the fridge. Spoon portions into a small, portable jars or airtight containers and top with your fave topping combos when you’re ready to eat them.
TOPPING COMBOS:
Sweet:
✱ Walnuts + 1/2 cup grated carrot + nutmeg + 1 teaspoon honey
✱ Sliced banana + peanut butter + cinnamon
✱ Cacao powder + raspberries + toasted coconut + cacao nibs
✱ Trail mix + sliced strawberries + 2 squares dark chocolate
Savoury:
✱ Poached egg + avocado + turkey bacon
✱ 1/2 teaspoon chilli flakes + 1 teaspoon tamari or soy sauce + coriander + poached chicken
✱ Tinned sardines + grated zucchini + lemon juice + pepper
✱ Miso pumpkin mash + chopped Thai basil + cashews
*Tip For sweet options, add a few tablespoons of this to smoothies before blending for extra fibre and creaminess!
*Tip! For savoury options, spoon into your soup base before blending to make it thick and super-satisfying.
For these and more tasty ways to prep you weekly meals, grab The Fit Foodie Meal Prep Plan by Sally O’Neil.
Murdoch Books, $35.00