Just in case you guys don’t already know, I am a fan of all things oats! Now oat bran was actually once reserved for livestock mainly because it was the hard outer shell of the cereal grain. Recently, it has been recognised for all it’s amazing benefits (I suspect because of its inclusion into the Dukan Diet). Some of its benefits include lowering cholesterol and slowing down sugar and fat absorption.

While I'm not 100% sure that these benefits are real, there is one benefit that I am confident about: that is its ability to create a sense of fullness. It is also amazing how that huge jar of overnight oats came from 1/3 cup of oat bran which absorbs 25 times its volume in liquid. I’m guessing that it expands about as much in the stomach which makes one feel full from a small portion. So all that talk about it causing weight loss might just be because it reduces the appetite! And comparing rolled oats to oat bran, oat bran has a higher content of fiber, protein, B vitamins, iron and to a tiny extent, fat. It also have a slightly lower carbohydrate content.

In this article, I will be talking about the famous Overnight Oats. To be honest, the main reason I used oat bran is because it’s much finer than regular oats and it gives the recipe its pudding-like consistency, none of that gritty bits in this recipe! It was only after I decided to try using oat bran that I did research on it, and discovered all the healthy bits.

Now onto the recipe! Here is a visual summary of what goes into my overnight oats:

1.
Oat bran | 1/3 cup Bob’s Red Mill Oat Bran
(For those going gluten-free: oat bran is naturally gluten-free but may get contaminated during production if the factory also produces gluten containing products so just make sure the manufacturer guarantees it is gluten free if you are particular)

2.
Fruits | Handful of Blackberries & Blueberries
(Feel free to add any fruits you like, I plan on using bananas in my next batch!)

3.
Liquid | 1/4 cup Fage 2% Greek Yogurt & 1/3 cup Water
(I have seen recipe that call for coconut water, milk, regular yogurt, kefir, etc. I would suggest anything with a thick consistency)

4.
Tasty Extras | Crunchy Almond Butter and Brazil Nuts
(Other ingredients I have seen are whey protein, chia seeds, honey, agave, etc. it’s just for some added taste)

Step 1: Wash your fruits

Step 2: Mix yogurt with flavouring

(in this case, almond butter). I also have this really yummy honey yogurt that I use when I’m feeling indulgent (it contains cream. Not so healthy)
Normally I would just mix it in the jar directly, but since I was finishing up my Fage, I decided to just mix it in the yogurt tub.