A new diet breakfast trend which has been taking over instagram lately with its beautiful pictures, and I must say what a beauty. No matter if you have been following diets for a long time or are new to it, oats are something we all have heard of. A bowl of oats in the morning can make you feel fuller and help you burn fats at the same time, and cherry on top you can always twist it according to your mood, from fruity sweet to spiced up and nice, oats are very versatile. Although oats can be made in many ways, lately the trend of ‘overnight oats’ has been taking up. So let's dig in and see what overnight oats are, what health benefits it can provide and are they better than your regular bowl of oats as told by Nutritionist Roshni Sanghvi. Well that’s not it, we have also got some delicious overnight recipes for you too.
What are overnight oats?
Imagine one day you wake up in the morning and your healthy breakfast is already prepared waiting for you to dig in with your spoon. Sounds good right? Now stop imagining because we can turn this into reality with overnight oats. Overnight oats are oats soaked in either water, milk or yogurt for 5-7 hours or overnight it is a creamy muesli pudding that can be prepared by adding fruits, chia seeds, dry fruits, nuts and other such things to make it super healthy.
Also Read: 7 Easy Ways To Include Oats For 7 Days In The Week
Health Benefits of Overnight Oats
Rich in proteins, vitamins, carbohydrates and iron, oats are packed with a lot many health benefits to keep your gut and heart healthy along with aiding weight loss. Here are some ways in which overnight oats can be beneficial for your health. “Oats are really high in resistant starch. This is the food the good bacteria in your good feeds on. Thus, boosting the population of the good bacteria and healing the gut. Research also shows oats to reduce cholesterol, the first marker of heart diseases, and also aid in diabetes management,” says Nutritionist Roshni Sanghvi.
1# Helps to Reduce Type 2 Diabetes
Oats are a plant based protein packed with antidiabetic properties. Type 2 diabetes is a condition where people have excessive blood sugar levels in their kidneys which leads to an improper waste filtering process. Oats help in improving the kidney functioning by ensuring that the proper excretion is taking place. A it is high in fibre and low in glycemic index, oats helps you in regulating your blood sugar levels.
2# Helps to prevent heart diseases
With heart disease being one of the leading causes of deaths around the world, it is high time for all of us to start taking care of our heart health. Oats consist of a fibre called beta glucan which is proven to reduce the cholesterol circulation levels in blood by increasing the excretion of cholesterol rich bile. Oats are also rich in antioxidants and when combined with vitamin C, it helps to prevent the oxidation of LDL which is another reason behind issues such as heart attacks, strokes, tissue damage and artery inflammation.
3# Can aid weight loss
While overnight oats are a healthy, easy and filling breakfast option it can also help you to lose weight. As oats are low in calories but filling at the same time due to the presence of beta-glucan it prevents you from overeating which is another cause of weight gain.
Apart from weight loss beta-glucan also promotes the release of peptide hormones which are produced in your gut as a response to eating and can reduce the amount of your calorie intake throughout the day.
4# Helps relieve constipation
It is always suggested that people suffering from constipation should eat oats for breakfast. As oats consist of insoluble fibre it aids to the bowel movement, makes the stool bulkier and helps to soak water, it makes it easier to pass through the colon easily due to being soft and bulky eliminating any signs of constipation.
Also Read: Know How To Prevent Hair Fall Using These 5 Amazing DIY Hair Masks
5# Can boost brain functioning
To boost up your brain functioning you can never go wrong with a bowl of oats in the morning. Oats consist of carbohydrates which then turn into glucose, the fuel our brain relies upon. Rich in fibre and a low glycemic index, oats break down slowly without spiking your blood sugar level and will let your brain reap its benefits for long. Enriched with the goodness of Vitamin B oats helps to prevent you from any kind of cognitive dysfunctions and memory loss
6# Helps accelerate hair growth
Packed with nutrients such as omega 3 fatty acids, iron, fibre, polyunsaturated fatty acids and zinc, oats have everything that your hair loves. The presence of iron in oats makes it a great food for your hair as it helps in regulating normal hair growth. Apart from all these oats are also a great source of biotin which is proven to fight hair problems such as dryness and hair thinning. This biotin present in oats also helps to prevent alopecia which is a health condition due to which the healthy hair follicles are destroyed due to the immune system.
7# Boosts immunity
When we all are in the middle of a pandemic and keeping ourselves and our loved ones safe from the deadly virus is our only priority. It is certainly important for all of us to boost up our immunity and have an excellent immune system. Having a bowl of overnight oats can actually boost up your immune system. The presence of beta-glucan in the oats helps to increase the activity of white blood cells (WBC’s) in our body which are responsible for protecting us from any kind of diseases. As oats are also rich in zinc and selenium, it plays an important role in fighting infections, The beta-glucan is capable of making the antibiotics more effective and accelerating the wound healing process.
Are overnight oats better than regular oats?
A question which is living rent free in our minds is whether overnight oats are actually better that regular oats or people just prefer them due to their morning laziness. Well we have got this decoded. The first and the most important point which makes overnight oats win the competition is that they use natural and raw rolled oats whereas regular oats are highly processed and hence can be prepared instantly. More processed your food is the less nutritional value it will have and less processed natural food substances will always have a higher nutritional value. These natural, raw, rolled overnight oats are packed with nutrients such as copper, zinc, iron, magnesium, phosphorus, vitamins, fibre, manganese and other such minerals which keeps your gut healthy and your digestive system on track.
Also Read: 5 Health Benefits Of Raw Oats
Overnight Oats recipes
Here we have so easy and delicious overnight oats recipes that you can enjoy and take advantage of the health benefits of these overnight oats in the easiest way possible.
1# Classic Vanilla
The most popular flavour of all, no one can have heard feelings towards this classic vanilla.
Ingredients
- ½ cup of rolled oats
- ⅓ cup of greek yogurt
- ⅔ cup of almond milk
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- A pinch of salt
- Honey to taste
Procedure
- In a jan take all the ingredients and whisk them well.
- Close the jar with an airtight lid.
- Refrigerate it overnight.
2# Chocolate Chip Banana
Don’t we all just start drooling as soon as we hear chocolate. Well here’s to your healthy overnight oats with delicious chocolate chips and the goodness of bananas.
Ingredients
- ½ cup of rolled oats
- ⅓ cup of greek yogurt
- ⅔ cup of unsweetened milk
- 1 tablespoon chia seeds
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- A pinch of salt
- Honey to taste
- ½ banana
- 2 tablespoons of chocolate chips
Procedure
- Add in all the ingredients to an airtight container and whisk them well.
- Close the lid and refrigerate overnight.
3# Mocha
Here’s a call for all the coffee lovers to make this rich chocolate and espresso flavoured overnight oats to treat themselves.
Ingredients
- ½ cup of rolled oats
- ⅓ cup of greek yogurt
- ⅔ cup of unsweetened milk
- 1 tablespoon chia seeds
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- A pinch of salt
- Honey to taste
- 2 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
- 1 tablespoon instant espresso powder
Procedure
- Add in all the ingredients to an airtight container and whisk them well.
- Close the lid and refrigerate overnight.
Also Read: Eating Overnight Oats Daily Can Make You Lose Weight Rapidly
Chocolate Peanut Butter
Raise your hands if you can feel the taste just by reading this, because we surely can. A classic combination coming together to treat your taste buds.
Ingredients
- ½ cup of rolled oats
- ⅓ cup of greek yogurt
- ⅔ cup of unsweetened milk
- 1 tablespoon chia seeds
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- A pinch of salt
- Honey to taste
- 2 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
- 2 tablespoons peanut butter
Procedure
- Add in all the ingredients to an airtight container and whisk them well.
- Close the lid and refrigerate overnight.
With inputs from Nutritionist Roshni Sanghvi Aka The Vegan Khaleesi
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