For so long I have wanted to try this as I have always read about the health benefits and convenience of overnight oats in a jar.
I have oats, yogurt, frozen berries, honey, and all such related ingredients stocked up. And so in the afternoon before my next long run, I decided finally to prepare it for pre-long run breakfast.
The preparation as actually very easy.
Just layer whichever ingredients you like the oats jar to taste and leave it in the fridge overnight, and voila! Breakfast ready from the fridge in the morning, paired with a lovely hot cup of strong liquid caffeine :P
My version of the Oats Jar layer (Bottom-up):
- Rolled Oats (non-instant)
- Full Fat Yogurt
- Honey
- Cranberries + Prunes
- Frozen Mixed Berries
I was tempted to add in coffee - I have a small jar of Amaretto-flavoured instant coffee - and scoops of peanut butter, and nuts! But I held my hand as it was the first time I am trying this - let me have a basic taste of it, and these variations could be included in subsequent tries - I thought to myself.
So this morning, I eagerly pulled my fridge door open, and retrieved my first ever Oats Jar made, in all excitement and care. I left it on my dining table to "thaw" a little - as my digestive and body system does not react well to very cold foods.
After I'd done my pre-run belongings preps, I made myself a nice strong mug of coffee to pair with my overnight prize.
Ummmmm ..... it was delicious! The sourness of the frozen berries blended in well with the tangy yogurt, infused with the sweetness of honey and cranberries. Then came another mildly sour layer of flavour from the prunes. The softened oats provided a delicious chewy texture to complement them all!
Topped it up with sips of my bitter coffee - Everything was perfect!
I wondered how satiated and full I would get -- I was getting filled up fast - much faster than my normal routine breakfast of coffee with 2 or 2+ slices of plain wholemeal bread. Usually I would still crave and reach for a handful of nuts to complete my first meal of the day.
I decided to see the effects of this new breakfast menu on my body.
The Verdict:
Satiety
Very satiated, though my mind still thought of the almonds. But I had no strong urge nor needed to touch them. I felt comfortably satisfied, full and happy :)
Fullness
I felt comfortably full - 80-90%, without a need to crave and eat anything else other than that jar of laden oats plus my mug of coffee.
It lasted me the entire morning with running an easy 10km to 11km distance. I only started to feel a little peckish after I'd done my cool-down workouts.
Bloating
None. I felt good. Energised. Happy.
Overall Grade
9 out of 10. :)
I would definitely make it again for a pre-long run breakfast. It can even serve as a lunch or dinner, depending on the quantity of oats and other ingredients added, and what other foods paired with.
However, the next time I prepare this again, I would have tweaked the following:
- I would have added in the yogurt first, followed by the oats, and then perhaps another layer of yogurt or honey. While most of the oats in my first try softened well, I could taste a few spoons of still relatively hard oat flakes. As I did not add any milk nor water, the only liquid would be yogurt, honey or the juices of the frozen berries - I have to make sure that my oats are well-soaked by these.
- I definitely would want to up the crunch by adding in my collection of nuts - almonds, walnuts, cashews etc. Not only does this amp up the texture; added protein is definitely a plus for my run!
Till the next time!
