Fighting the fat: overnight oats

Clockwise: Bakewell, Copacabana, Berry Blitz, Blue Rhubarb

I’m late to jump on yet another bandwagon – overnight oats! One of my friends on Slimming World first introduced me to the concept and I was tweeted a number of recipes until I realised it is in fact incredibly easy and the possibilities are endless! I’ve realised trial and error is the way forward, particularly with regards to measurements – eventually you’ll find something that works. For a month, I’m drinking Your Tea every morning and evening – so for breakfast, I’m eating oats.

To make overnight oats, you will need:

• A glass or jam jar
• Some cling film for covering
• A dessert spoon
• A tea spoon
• A fridge (obviously!)

The main ingredients:

• Porridge oats (I use two or three small handfuls)
• Low-fat Greek or natural yogurt (either use one small pot from a multipack or 4 dessert spoons if using a tub)

And then get creative and make different combinations to accompany those two core ingredients. Here are some suggestions to get you started:

Bakewell

Begin with a dessert spoon layer of cherry compote and sprinkle toasted almonds on the top. Add your oats and low-fat Greek yogurt and repeat. I finished mine with a layer of cherry and added a single almond to the top.

Berry Blitz

This time I used a pot of Weight Watchers Greek-style strawberry yogurt. Layer raspberries with the yogurt and oats. This time I repeated this twice and finished with oats and a squeeze of honey.

Blue Rhubarb

This time I used a pot of Liberte blueberry yogurt and some leftover stewed rhubarb we had in the fridge. Layer the rhubarb between the yogurt and oats (add some honey for sweetness, or else it’s quite tart). Finish with the oats and honey.

Copacabana

This one was named after the Graze punnet I used (which consists of chocolate and Brazil nuts). Begin with a layer of mashed banana with cinnamon, before adding the low-fat Greek yogurt and oats. Add crushed Brazil nuts and dark chocolate buttons (or Copacabana) to the oats and repeat another layer of each ingredient.

Strawnana

Again using the strawberry yogurt, begin with a layer of mashed banana. Top with yogurt and oats. Add a layer of chopped strawberries and repeat with yogurt and oats. Finish with the banana and top with half a strawberry.

I make mine around 7pm, the night before and leave in the fridge for a good 12 hours.

Will you be giving any of these combinations a try? What’s your favourite overnight oats recipe?