Friday 7th of February 2025
Dare to Tupperware

Berry Overnight Oats

First published in 2017

We are excited to introduce you to this week’s Guest Foodie, Lauren Barber. Lauren is a Nutritional Health Coach who specialises in working with clients to help them find a way of eating that works for their individual body and lifestyle. 

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“Having ridden all my life I am all too familiar with the poor nutritional choices we often make when ‘on the go’ with horses. I believe that this busy lifestyle contributed to problems with my digestion and ultimately lead to a lot of food related issues for me.

My biggest tip for people – whether they are in the equine world or not – is to start their day with a balanced, nutritious meal that contains some sources of protein and fats. I know it is a cliché but breakfast truly does set us up for the day and if we get this meal right then it will have a positive impact on blood sugar levels and energy, which also helps us make more nutritious choices for lunch, snacking and dinner.

You will all have heard about slow release energy when it comes to horse food – and the same can be applied to us. Foods that are high in simple carbohydrates digest very quickly – things like bread and sugary cereals for instance – and these will spike our blood sugar, give us a quick boost of energy, but then very quickly ‘run’ out and lead us to crave more, get shaky or dip in energy.

 

Slow release

Food that is more complex and takes longer to digest, such as good quality sources of protein, healthy fats and complex carbohydrates – think nuts, seeds, oats, natural yoghurt, smoked salmon, vegetables and eggs – release slower into the blood stream and give us a more sustained source of energy and leave us fuller for longer.

Oats are a great source of slow release energy and my Blueberry Overnight Oats recipe can be made up the night before and provides the perfect ‘grab and go’ breakfast. By including Chia Seeds and yoghurt you are providing yourself with a good source of healthy fats, meanwhile the berries will give you a natural sweetener, which won’t spike blood sugar levels too much so you are less likely to reach for the biscuit tin at 10am!

Berry Overnight Oats – Serves 1

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Ingredients

40g oats

1 tbsp chia seeds

1 tsp ground cinnamon

200ml milk of choice (I use unsweetened almond milk (Rude Health is a good brand but cow’s milk will also work)

2 tbsp plain yoghurt (you can use natural yoghurt or coconut yoghurt if you don’t eat dairy – I personally love Coyo

A large handful of fresh or frozen strawberries or blueberries

Method

1. Add all of the ingredients to a bowl, jar or Tupperware and leave to soak for at least 4 hours. Ideally overnight.

2. Before you eat it give the mixture a stir to ‘burst’ the berries (they will have softened in the liquid overnight) and this will combine with the rest of the mixture and naturally sweeten it.

3. Eat and enjoy!

A few top tips…

·      Make up two or three days worth in advance on a Sunday evening so you have a few breakfasts ‘in the bag’.

·      Swap the berries for any fruit of choice but try to stick with just one small portion of fruit in your breakfast to help keep your blood sugar levels stable. Grated pear or apple works well.

·      Adding cinnamon helps to your breakfast helps to give a slight sweetness and also has been shown to help stabilise blood sugar levels.

·       ‘Super boost’ your Overnight Oats with extra seeds – pumpkin, flax and sunflower all add extra fibre and healthy fats to give you sustained energy levels.

·      If you find that the consistency is not right for you – alter the amount of liquid to your personal taste. Some people prefer their oats more ‘liquidy’, while others like a bit more ‘stodge’!

·      If you don’t eat oats then you can make this with cooked quinoa – just use around 150ml of liquid as it won’t soak up as much as the oats do.

·      Buying things like chia seeds and oats online can make it cheaper than supermarket shopping – particularly if you buy in bulk.

Lauren shares her recipes and wellbeing tips on www.listenupbeautiful.co.uk and has just launched a £75 Spring Clean package which is running until the end of March. To book a free complimentary 30 minute consultation call with her, simply click here and reserve your slot.

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