I had grown up eating and cooking my own oats, but eventually stopped because it was just too much trouble to turn on the stove, and cook the oats for 10 minutes. I remember adding Milo powder, blueberries or Horlicks into my oats, happily, and messily, eating my oats on the sofa while watching cartoons. So when I heard of it, I instantly felt like reliving my childhood (without the messy part, of course) and giving these overnight oats a try. After much experimentation, I have found the perfect recipe.
What are overnight oats, exactly? Well, in my own words, oats that you don't need to cook, but instead soak in milk overnight. The simplicity and ease of this homemade meal is what attracts most, myself included. You mix everything together the night before, leave it in the fridge, and in the morning, half asleep, you'll be heartened to know your breakfast is ready.
To start, you'll need a jar or a container.
I make these overnight oats quite often so I decided to go out and buy myself a nice container specifically for oats. But you can use any jar or container, reused from your mum's sour plums, or your old Nutella jar.
Firstly, measure up 45g of oats, or 1/2 cup, and add it into your container. I usually use instant, but you can also use rolled oats or quick cook. Regardless of the kind of oats used, you should let it soak for at least three hours. Usually, it is most convenient to make it the night before and soak it overnight, hence the name.
Next, add 235ml, or 1 cup, of milk. You can use whole milk, low fat, or skimmed, or even soy. I usually use whole milk as I enjoy the full creaminess and flavor of it.
Next, add a tablespoon, or 15ml of honey.
If you have a sweet tooth, you may choose to add more. Similarly, if you fear the sweets, you may choose to add lesser honey, or omit it out altogether.
Mix it all together and that's it. 4 steps. It takes less than 3 mins to make, and trust me when I say it is filling. I have a huge appetite and usually, eating this for breakfast can last me till dinner time.
But of course, oats by itself can get a little plain and boring after some time. To counter that, we can add some variations! Here are some of my favourites.
One small banana. (or half a large banana)
I cut it into banana coins (as shown above), and dump it in. The sweetness of the banana adds a nice touch to the oats.
Try to use bananas that have spots on the peel. A common misconception is when a banana has spots and it is slightly mushy, it has gone bad. However, that is untrue. Spots on the skin means it has ripened, and is when it is sweetest.
1 tbsp of chia seeds
Add it in at the start and let it soak together with the oats.
While slightly pricey, chia seeds add a slight crunch to the oats and have been proven to improve Type 2 diabetes, lower cholesterol and blood pressure levels, provide many nutrients such as calcium, protein, omega 3 fatty acids & anti-oxidants. It also helps you to feel more full due to the fibre it contains.
Half a kiwi fruit
Cut it into small cubes and add it in.
Kiwi fruit is a great source of Vitamin C and has been proven to improve sleep, and better skin. However, as kiwis can be a little sour, you might want to add a little more honey to balance it out.
1 tbsp of cocoa powder
Add it in together with the milk to turn your oats into chocolate oats! Alternatively, you can also use chocolate milk, but I prefer adding cocoa powder instead as I like the richness it has as compared to chocolate milk.
As cocoa powder is a little bitter, so you can balance it out with more honey or a little icing sugar.
A handful of chocolate chips
I love chocolate chips, so I tried adding it in one time and it was SO GOOD. Kept craving for it after.
1 tbsp of Nutella
Who doesn't like Nutella!? Add this in together with your milk at the start and give it a thorough stir to give your oats a rich chocolate-hazelnut flavour.
1 tbsp of Peanut Butter
Peanut Butter is another one of my guilty pleasures. Add it in together with your milk at the start to give your oats a creamy, nutty flavour.
Tip: Add chocolate chips and peanut butter into your oats together and it will taste like Reese's Peanut Butter Cups.
4 chopped oreo biscuits
I love Oreos way more than I'd like to admit. Soak the Oreo biscuits (cream in) together with your oats and give it a little stir before you eat it. Heavenly!
Basic Recipe:
1/2 cup oats, instant, rolled or quick cook. (45g)
1 cup milk (235ml)
1 tbsp honey (15ml)
Cost:
800g of oats = $4.90
45g of oats = $0.28
2L of milk = $5.25
235ml of milk = $0.61
500ml of honey = $7.90
15ml of honey = $0.24
Total cost = $0.28 + $0.61 + $0.24
= $1.13
The basic oats cost less than $1.20! That's cheaper than economic noodles at coffee shops! If you are on a tight budget, or want to save money, these overnight oats are definitely a cheap alternative to your daily coffee and toast, even with the addition of fruits!
My usual fare, oats with chia seeds & bananas.
Cost: $1.13 + $0.28 (bananas) + $0.40 (chia seeds)
= $1.81
Still cheaper than any breakfast you can get from coffeeshops!
Not only are these oats delicious, cheap and filling, they are pretty healthy too. With honey substituting sugars, oats containing huge amounts of dietary fibre & minerals yet low in calories (1/2 cup of oats is less than 300 calories), and fruits, should you add any, adding these oats into your daily diet would definitely do your body much good.
The versatility of these oats enable it to be as creative and customisable as you would like. You can add pretty much ANYTHING to these and it would still be good. Go wild and do show us your creations and cool mix-and-matches with the hashtag #cheapfoodgps on Twitter and Instagram, or by uploading it onto our Facebook or Tumblr pages. We are excited to see your masterpieces! Till next time!
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Written By: Kenneth Ong
Twitter / Instagram: @Kehhnough
kennethunderscoreong@yahoo.com
Great recipe! I'll definitely try it out soon. Never thought of adding chia seeds and oreos so thanks for the awesome tip!
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