As a mother of two-under-two I can honestly say that meals are a bit of a challenge some days. Some mornings I get lost in the chaos of nursing my youngest, changing back-to-back diapers and making sure that my oldest is getting his milk and breakfast that I often miss my own meals. So when I started the No Tummy Mommy four-week challenge I was so excited to see an old favourite, Overnight Oatmeal, on the recipe list.

During my first mat-leave I started a routine of prepping my oatmeal for the week and I am actually so excited to get back into this routine again. As a nursing mother I am always hungry, potentially hungrier than I was when I was pregnant, and missing a meal makes for a ruff day.

 

There are a couple reasons why I love this meal and one of them is that I can change it up if I get bored of the flavours. I also like to get my little one involved in the “making” process, he learns about the different fruit and we make extra servings so that we can eat together. It’s also great to prep the jars together on Sunday night for the week ahead. We both get a healthy breakfast all week and rather than rushing around every morning, the meal is prepared and we get to eat together.

These are a few new versions of an old favourite:

OVERNIGHT OATMEAL

Part 1: The Basics (this part of the recipe is almost always the same)

INGREDIENTS

2/3-cup quick oats

3/4-cup milk (almond milk adds a delicious flavour)

1/8 of a teaspoon vanilla extract

1 tsp of maple syrup

DIRECTIONS

Measure out oats, milk, vanilla extract and maple syrup; pour into a mason jar. Give the ingredients a quick stir, twist the lid on tightly and shake until everything is well blended. Place the mixture into the fridge overnight. In the morning you can eat the oatmeal straight out of the fridge or, in the microwave for 45 seconds to 1 minute.

 

Part 2: Flavourful Fun (this is where you can get creative)

Add one of the following to your oatmeal:

1. Berries (¼ cup of fresh blueberries or raspberries or dried cranberries)
2. Banana & Cinnamon (slice half a banana and mix in ¼ tsp of cinnamon)

These are light and fairly healthy options. I usually pair these with a light cup of tea. Sloan’s Heavenly Cream or Peaches and Cream are my two favourites.

3. Dark Chocolate (break-up 2 squares of your favourite dark chocolate)

This is the more decadent version of the recipe and it’s kind of nice to save this one for Fridays, because chocolate for breakfast is kind of amazing and it makes Friday even better!

This recipe has been a go-to meal for me over the past two years and I hope that it makes your morning a little sweeter.

Enjoy!