Overnight Blueberry Almond Oats

Eating healthy and dieting doesn't have to mean unappetizing food, nor does it need to leave you feeling hungry either! Along with starting my diet, I made some changes to the normal meals I was having for breakfast and lunch. No more cereal and milk for me for breakfast. It's hard to find a cereal that is filling enough without adding a bunch of calories to my day. So, I started exploring some better options, and came across this recipe via Pinterest. Overnight oats. Cold oatmeal. Yeah, I'll admit that I was definitely a bit skeptical that this would be good, but I was willing to give it a try to see what I thought. I'm so glad that I did! I normally eat this every weekday morning now. It's an especially great option if you're usually on the go in the morning and don't have time to sit down to eat something. You actually make it the night before in a to-go container, so that all you need to do in the morning is grab a spoon and head out the door!

I made a few slight changes to the original recipe I found, and I've been very happy with the results.

Overnight Blueberry Almond Oats
(serves 1)

Ingredients:

• 1/3 cup old fashioned (rolled) oats
• 1/3 cup vanilla almond milk, unsweetened
• 1/3 cup vanilla non-fat Greek yogurt (I like both Chobani and Nostimo)
• 1/3 cup fresh blueberries
• 1 tsp Pure Via turbinado and stevia blend (or a sweetener of your choice)
• 2 Tbsp sliced almonds

Directions:
Stir the oats, milk, yogurt, blueberries, and stevia blend together in a container. Cover and place in the refrigerator overnight. In the morning, remove from the refrigerator, stir, and top with the almonds. Enjoy!

*Nutritional Info: 272 calories, 74 g carbohydrates, 6 g fat, 13 g protein, 5 g fiber.

*These numbers may vary with differences between brands of ingredients

The almonds fit perfectly in the little cup to keep
everything together inside the one container!

It's funny because I'm not really a big fan of Greek yogurt. I use it for cooking, and because it's healthier than alternatives, but it definitely isn't something I like to eat on its own. Same goes for almond milk. I'm not interested in drinking a glass of it. But, put them both together with the oats, and it's actually really, really good! Perhaps it helps that I use the vanilla varieties of both, too. :)

I add the turbinado and stevia blend to give the oats some sweetness. If you want to skip that, you can, but I think it's good, and it only adds a measly 10 calories. :) It's twice as sweet as granulated white sugar, so you don't need to use as much. It also has less than half the calories of white sugar, too! Double win! You could also try brown sugar, honey, maple syrup, or some other sweetener if you'd like.

I like to use Gladware snack containers when I make this. They come with a little cup that fits into the lid of the container. The sliced almonds fit perfectly into this container, so I can have them ready to go, so all I need to do is pop the cup off of the lid, and empty them into the oats! It's seriously easier than making a bowl of cereal in the morning. The container can travel well with you in the car, so eating on the go is a possibility if you need to!

I hope you'll give this one a try! It will change the way you eat oatmeal and is a really great option when the temperatures outside soar again! I can dream, can't I? ;)