I eat breakfast at my desk. It has become a treasured routine. I slowly settle into my morning with a large glass of water and a cup of coffee. After a few emails and a quick meeting with my supervisor, I retreat to my office and construct what I believe to be the perfect breakfast. A few large scoops of nonfat Greek yogurt (Fage is my favorite, always plain), a dollop of honey, and a hefty portion of homemade granola (my recipe).
But habits can be boring. In the interest of shaking things up, I decided to test out a ubiquitous Pinterest go-to: overnight oats. I even used a Mason jar. Hipsters beware. Here is my version, take it or leave it.
Note: this morning I did, in fact, shake up my routine. I was so excited to taste them that I plopped my things down at the office and went straight for the oats! And now, five minutes later, I am staring contentedly at an empty breakfast jar and an inbox of unread emails.
Overnight Oats with Dark Chocolate and Mango
Ingredients:
1/3 cup rolled oats
1 cup almond milk (I like Original Blue Diamond Almond Breeze or Trader Joe’s Original Almondmilk)
1/2 teaspoon of Chia seeds*
1/2 sliced banana
Handful of chopped almonds
1 strip of sliced dried mango (I am addicted to Trader Joe’s Just Mango)
Semi-sweet chocolate chunks
A pinch of brown sugar and cinnamon (optional–I am excluding the brown sugar next time because of the sweetness)
*I added Chia seeds for the nutritional value. You can easily swap with a spoonful of flax seed meal, or simply leave out altogether.
Directions:
Add all ingredients into a container (Tupperware or Mason jar), close tightly, and shake. Place in refrigerator overnight and enjoy in the morning. I prefer mine chilled but you can easily warm the oats for a few seconds in a microwave.
*The ratio of oats to milk is 1:2, but I like mine a bit smoother so I upped the amount of liquid. When using frozen blueberries, use exactly 1:2 oatmeal to milk (the ice from the blueberries adds to the liquid).
VARIATIONS:
oats+almond milk+1/2 tablespoon of cocoa powder+1 tablespoon of peanut butter+1/2 tablespoon of honey
oats+almond milk+10-12 frozen blueberries+pinch of cinnamon+1/2 tablespoon of brown sugar
