Overnight Oats, the old new breakfast

​If you check out the health bloggers, raw food chefs and anyone that posts their breakfast, you will see Overnight Oats coming up in your feeds again and again.

So what's the fuss about this newest breakfast?

In reality, it is one of the earliest 'health foods' that first came to fame with Dr Maximillian Bircher-Benner (1867-1939), an early pioneer of treating illness with raw foods. He was convinced that raw foods had a higher nutrient levels than cooked and processed foods, and that meat had very little nutritional benefit at all. And this was in the late 19th century!

​At the time, his peers thought that his recommended diet was not going to benefit anyone, it wasn't until the discovery of vitamins and minerals in fruits and vegetable in the 1930's that his theories were validated by the scientific community.
Dr Bircher-Benner invented what we now call muesli, although I imagine he would be horrified with some of the sugar filled, processed combinations that go under that name today. He recommended a diet of 50% raw foods, beginning each day with a bowl of Bircher-Benner muesli, oats soaked overnight with apples grated into the oats as you serve. (He believed apples had cured him of jaundice and that they were an essential in keeping the body well.)
Sound familiar? Overnight Oats are the current best way to start your day; when you see how easy they are to make and how simple it is to turn your breakfast into a super food delight, you will want to join in too.

Superfoods are go!

Goji berries, spirulina, chlorella, baobab, moringa, cacao, camu camu, the list of nutrient rich superfoods seems to get bigger every month. One reason they have become so popular is the fact they all pack a nutritional punch and are a great way to increase the nutrient content of your food. Whether you take a capsule, add them to a smoothie, sprinkle on a salad or add to your breakfast, they are an easy and often tasty way to get important vitamins and minerals into your diet.

I have been using a few of the superfood powders from Aduna as as way of supercharging simple breakfasts. Overnight Oats are so easy and if you are pushed for time in the mornings, it is a good feeling to open the fridge and find breakfast there waiting for you. A few minutes the night before seem easier to find for preparation time than in the morning, in this house anyway!

Here are some ideas to get you started. You will soon discover the sky's the limit with different combinations of ingredients. Feel free to tweet your recipes and pictures to @NTB_UK

Keep it simple 

The basic recipe is around 30g of oats, preferably organic, and a 'milk' or juice of your choice. Milk can be a dairy milk or any of the rice, nut or oat milks available. You can also use a juice, apple works well and adds a nice natural sweetness. If you want to keep it really simple, use filtered water.

Cover the oats with your chosen liquid, start with about 6 tablespoons. Once you get going, you will find what works best for you, depending on the texture you prefer.

Give it a stir and pop it in the fridge overnight, In the morning, if you want to keep it traditional, add one grated apple, otherwise top with fresh fruit of your choice and maybe a dollop of natural yoghurt.

Now make it super ...

Baobab and Blueberries
For a vitamin C hit, add baobab powder, it also adds a subtle citrusy taste. A great source of vitamin C and a source that is sustainable and natural. Blueberries are rich in antioxidants too.
For one serving, just multipy to feed more.
The base
30g organic oats
6-8 tablespoons rice milk (or nut milk of your choice)
1 teaspoon baobab powder, I used Aduna Baobab Superfruit Powder
1/2 teaspoon of ground ginger powder
For the topping
1 teaspoon cacao powder, I used Aduna Super-Cacao Powder
1 tablespoon blueberries
I also added strawberries and hazelnuts.
Mix the base ingredients together, cover and put in the fridge. In the morning, give it a good stir, add more milk if it is a bit too thick. Sprinkle over the cacao powder, you can stir it in or leave it to 'melt' into the oats. Add the blueberries and any other topping. Eat and enjoy, knowing you are giving yourself a vitamin C rich start to the day.

Apple Pie for Breakfast
Sounds too good to be true, adding baobab increases the vitamin C content, cinnamon helps blood sugar levels, ginger is good for the digestion.
The base
30g organic oats
6-8 tablespoons rice milk (or nut milk of your choice)
1 teaspoon baobab powder, I used Aduna Superfruit Powder
1/2 teaspoon of ground cinnamon powder
1/2 teaspoon of ground ginger
For the topping
1 grated apple
flaked almonds
Mix the base ingredients together, cover and put in the fridge. In the morning, give it a good stir, add more milk if it is a bit too thick. Grate the apple and stir in, top with flaked almonds. A breakfast that tastes like apple pie can't be bad!
​
Cacao Nuts and Raisins
An antioxidant rich start to the day that's good for the heart too. (Aduna Super Cacao has an approved claim for cardiovascular health.) Oats contain a soluble fibre that has been shown to help lower cholesterol and by using oat milk too, you can boost your intake.
The base
30g organic oats
6-8 tablespoons oatmilk (or nut milk of your choice)
1 teaspoon baobab powder, I used Aduna Superfruit Powder
2 teaspoons cacao powder, I used Aduna Super-Cacao Powder
1 handful of  raisins, organic if possible.
For the topping
chopped mixed nuts or nut of your choice, if you are keeping the healthy heart theme going, try walnuts. Who doesn't love a chocolatey nut and raisin mix?
For other ideas including a few luxury versions, see this article from The Guardian.
Visit Aduna's site for loads of recipes for breakfast and beyond.
www.naturaltradebrokers.com

---

Theresa Cutts. Nutritional Consultant. June 2017