Looking for breakfast inspiration? Don’t get me wrong…I love me some pasture-raised organic eggs, for a number of reasons: 1) they are surely the most bang-for-your-buck protein option on the market, 2) somehow they taste amazing every single time, and 3) most notably, they are so easy and time-efficient to prepare. And the versatility — oh, sweet sweet edible embryos! To give eggs a bit more due credit, they are the single food that most of us can eat every day with out ever growing weary of their charm. With that said, sometimes you need something else, something other than eggs and greens, other than a bowl of hot oatmeal, other than granola and yogurt (which is the standard breakfast stand-in on those rare occasions when I hit a wall with eggs for breakfast). Am I right? Or maybe you don’t eat eggs at all and are looking for a creative alternative to your eggless breakfast go-to. Whatever your reason or breakfast baseline, on egg-free days (well, on the nights before these egg-free days), try preparing a batch of overnight soaked oats decorated with all of your favorite nuts, seeds, nut milks, fresh and dried fruits. Soaked oats are a great breakfast option for a number of reasons, beyond the mere fact they they represent a departure from the monotony of your everyday breakfast item. Soaked oats can be prepared quickly in the calm of ‘the night before’ so in the crisis of the ‘morning of’ all you have to worry about is eating the fruits of a very limited labor. Even more, soaking oats, nuts, and seeds makes these items more digestible and more nutrient bio-available. And last but not least, soaked oats are delicious, nutritious, and full of fiber, protein and energy.
After all the hype, you probably want to see the recipe for overnight soaked oats. Good news folks: there is no recipe! Just a few guidelines. Take these guidelines and try jazzing up your oats with all of your favorite oatmeal-appropriate ingredients. Note: It is not totally out-of-the question to soak your oats in green tea or even bone broth (for a savory option). And I recently spotted an avocado-coconut-banana soaked oats recipe, to give you an idea of the limitless options.
Directions:
Put oats (in any amount) in a mason jar or bowl with any or all of the following: nuts, seeds, dried fruits, fresh fruits, coconut flakes, cinnamon sticks, warming oatmeal-ish spices like cardamom and nutmeg. Submerge the goods (by a 1/2 inch or so) with water, nut milk, or tea. Cover with lid or plastic wrap and let stand in the refrigerator for 6+ hours. In the morning eat as is or add milk and/or fresh fruit. I like to make bigger batches and eat soaked oats all week for breakfast.