Over Night Oats: Nut Butter & Chocolate

Overnight Oats: Nut Butter & Chocolate

Who needs a quick, easy, healthy and yummy breakfast idea? Pretty much EVERYONE! A great way to start your day is with oats. They're full of fiber which will leave you feeling full without a huge calorie load. They're also full of essential vitamins and minerals and have been shown to decrease risk of heart disease, diabetes and even cancer. Count me in.

My favorite ways to eat oats in the morning are in waffles, baked oatmeal muffins or in overnight oats. 

It takes less than five minutes to assemble these babies, they're so easy my kids make them! Feel free to use whichever nut butter you like best, I switch between pb and almond but sometimes I'll go for cashew or walnut. My favorite non dairy milk is homemade cashew, but almond would be a great addition. 

You'll need:

2 T cacao

1/2 c nut butter (no oil)

1/2 c cashew milk

1/4 maple syrup

1 t vanilla

Pinch of sea salt

1 T chia seeds

2.5 c oats

Optional add-ins: dark chocolate chips, more seeds or chopped nuts

Mix all ingredients except chia seeds and oats until smooth, then use a spatula to combine oats and seeds until mixed. If the mixture is thick, add in more non-dairy milk. Makes 4 half pints.

Everything but the Kitchen Sink Energy Bites

I'll admit it. I trick my kids into eating healthier than they think they are. I sneak ingredients that they try to avoid into EVERYTHING. My oldest hates nuts but eats them all of the time. They think all of my seeds are weird, yet they love them in a smoothie or muffin. They also love anything bite-sized. So I jam-packed these bites with healthy and satisfying plant-strong goodies. 

It took me under 20 minutes to make these, and will take around an hour in the fridge to set. They travel very well, and you can change up the ingredients to cater to your craving or what you have on hand.

Everything but the Kitchen Sink Energy Bites

You'll need…

2 cups rolled oats
1 c nut butter ( I used almond and peanut)
1/4 c maple syrup or coconut nectar 

1/4 c seeds, I used sesame, chia, ground flax and pumpkin
1/4 c homemade or store bought chocolate hazelnut spread
1/4 c dried cranberries
1/4 c raisins
1/4 c dark chocolate chips
1/4 c chopped nuts, I used almonds

Combine all ingredients in a bowl. I'll be honest, I just used my hands, it was easier but messier. With semi-wet hands, roll dough into 1 inch balls. Refrigerate for at least an hour.

Blueberry Bliss Super Smoothie

This is one of my all time favorite smoothies. It's packed full of antioxidants, protein and omega 3's. It's so simple and you can add whatever healthy add-ons you have on hand. If you're still getting use to greens in your smoothie (kale can be bitter at first), try all spinach or baby greens (kale, chard, etc)

Blueberry Bliss Super Smoothie

You'll need...

3 leaves of kale, de-stemmed

1 handful baby spinach

1 T chia seeds

1 T sesame seeds

1 T flax seeds

3 T pumpkin seeds

2-3 c water or nut milk

(you can also add oats if you want it to be a bit more filling)

3/4 c frozen blueberries 

1-2 frozen bananas

Let's get started!

Place the first 7 ingredients in a high-speed blender ( I use a Vitamix) and blend until smooth. Add the fruit, puree until smooth. Pour into a glass and enjoy! Serves 2.