Are you skipping breakfast? Or just a busy mama in need of the best breakfast to go recipes? Well I got you covered with these easy overnight oat parfaits. A healthy overnight oat recipe made with your favorite smoothie and granola bar. For a filling and satisfying vegan breakfast or snack recipe. Make a few to store in the fridge.
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A healthy vegan breakfast recipe
Not only are these overnight oat parfaits the best breakfast to go, they are super healthy too! they are made with quick oats, oat milk, a homemade easy smoothie and sweetened with maple syrup.
The health benefits of oats
- Loaded with nutrients
- Protective against heart disease
- Helps maintain blood sugar levels
- Keeps you feeling full
- Easy to make
The health benefits of oats are vast. And you can reap all the benefits from just a 1/2 cup of oats a day! It has a good amount of fibre, iron, zinc and starch. Human studies indicate that oats have tremendous cardiovascular benefits. Oats impact diabetes, obesity and hypertension, and may also exert direct vasoprotective effects due to its high β-glucan content (source).
In additon, oats contain over 20 unique polyphenols that have strong antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, antiproliferative activity in our bodies (source). As such oats are suggested to have a protective effect against coronary heart disease, colon cancer and skin irritation! (we ate a LOT of oats when my son was suffering from eczema) (source). So go make these overnight oats recipe already!
Why fiber is important
Fiber is the plant component in a food that humans can not digest. Fiber helps regulate the transit time of our food through the GI tact and thus has a direct effect on the health of our GI system.
It is important to note that there are two types of fibre, soluble and insoluble fibre. They each play a different role in our health despite never being absorbed (source).
Soluble fibre absorbs water and becomes like a gel. It is fermented by our gut bacteria and is thus considered prebiotic (source). They are broken down by our gut bacteria to produce short-chain fatty acids. Soluble fibre also acts as a bulking agent, slowing down motility and allowing us to absorb more nutrients from our food. Thus lowering blood sugar levels and helping us maintain healthy levels. In addition, soluble fiber can trap cholesterol in our food as well as bile (which is made from cholesterol). therefore soluble fiber has a direct effect on lowering LDL cholesterol! (source)
Insoluble fibre, on the other hand, does not absorb water. It is resistant to digestive enzymes and remains intact until it exits our bodies. It helps to prevent constipation and keeps you regular by adding bulk. Interestingly it actually irritates the lining of your GI tract to help release mucus (source).
A snack or breakfast to go
I started making overnight oat parfait after my third son was born. Now a mom of three I found myself neglecting my needs for a healthy meal. So, to ensure I could reach for a filling and nutritious snack or breakfast I started making these in bulk (Oats are also said to be beneficial for breastmilk production).
You can make this overnight oat recipe ahead of time and store them in airtight containers in your fridge. then when you need a healthy snack you can just reach for one of these. They also make a great filling travel snack and are also kid-approved. Feel free to tailor the flavors to whatever you like. and you can switch it up every time to make it fun.
How to make overnight oats
To make this easy overnight oat parfait you need a little bit of time and a few mason jars. This recipe does require you to make a smoothie. But since that is really the only prep you have to do this is still a relatively easy and quick recipe to make.
We love making smoothies so there is never a shortage of them around here. Feel free to make whatever smoothie recipe you like for these overnight oat parfaits. The overnight oats are just a mix of oats, plant milk and maple syrup. Then to assemble the parfait you simply layer the smoothie and oat mixtures in the mason jar.
Easy granola hack
I love topping my parfaits with granola but I don’t always have time to make homemade granola. And to be honest, sometimes the ingredients can be a little pricey. So what we started doing was using our favourite granola bars for this step.
Simple crumble the granola bar onto a baking sheet. then bake at 350 degrees for 10 minutes. Viola you have a easy granola to sprinkle over your breakfast parfaits.
How to store them
To store your breakfast parfaits use a mini mason jar. You can save old jam jars, or peanut butter containers to help reduce waste. No need to go buy them. Really any container with a lid will do. Just make sure to not over stuff them as the oats will expand. And be sure to leave room for the granola topping!
How long do they last
These healthy overnight oats will last in the fridge for 3 days. Unfortunately I have yet to freeze them so i am not sure if they will freeze well. But I can update on that if I try it out.
Skip the smoothie for an easier recipe
If you want to make these super quick and easy you can always skip the smoothie. replace the layering with peanut butter or just eat the overnight oats as is. Either way this is a winning breakfast. Easy to prepare and great to have in your fridge!
And that’s all she worte! If you guys are looking for more easy breakfast or snack recipes be sure to check out these:
- 8 ingredient gluten free waffles
- The best 20 minute tofu scramble
- 5 ingredient chocolate chia pudding
- 15 minute no bake energy balls
- 1 bowl buckwheat pancakes
- 12 epic vegan recipes to make non-vegans
If you make this recipe be sure to tag me (@at.my.table) with your re-creations so I can share it over on Instagram! I like to hang out of there so come by and say hi!
Ingredients
Smoothie recipe
- 2 cups water
- 1 cup blueberries frozen
- 1 cup mangoes frozen
- 1 banana frozen
- 2 medjool dates pitted
- 1 tbsp vegan protein powder optional
- 1 tsp spirilina optional
Overnight oats
- 1 ½ cups quick cooking oats
- 1 cup water
- 2 cups oat milk (or any plant milk you like)
- 4 tbsp maple syrup (1 tbsp for each jar)
Easy Granola topping
- 2 granola bars broken into pieces
Instructions
- In a high speed blender, add all the smoothie ingredients and blend until smooth.
- Then to a large bowl mix all the ingredients of the overnight oats.
- Finally onto a baking sheet break apart the granola bar and bake at 350 for 10 minutes.
- Once the granola is finished baking assemble the parfaits. Later the oats and smoothie into a mason jar or cup. Top with fresh fruit if you desire. Then add some granola to the top of the jar and close the lid.
- Place into the fridge overnight or for a minimum of 4 hours. These parfaits will last 3 days in the fridge. They make a great to go breakfats or snack.
Nutrition
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