Basic Overnight Oats + Which Type Of Oats May Benefit YOU?

Basic Overnight Oats are my favorite way to fuel for long runs during the summer months! I get that not everyone likes oatmeal let alone cold oatmeal. BUT I do appreciate the convenience factor when you have to rise and shine to beat the heat for runs or early outdoor workouts. Scroll to the bottom to find three ways I like to throw together my favorite no hassle oats!

There are so many different oatmeal brands out there these days. There’s everything from steel cut oats, sprouted oats, rolled oats, etc. Let’s be real though when you find yourself in the cereal aisle looking at all the options you’re like whaaaaaaaat?!? I think it’s overwhelming even to figure out which brand is best which is why I wanted to breakdown the main options to allow you to make your own choice depending on what you feel your body needs!

Types of Oats

Steel Cut Oats

Steel cut oats originate from the oat kernel just like all other oats but are chopped into large pieces. They almost look like rice pieces. Since steel cut oats are the least processed form available it means they will unfortunately take the longest to cook. Due to this they take anywhere from 20-40 minutes to cook which is double the cooking time compared to rolled oats. However, they are perfect for overnight oats because you do not have to cook them and give a chewier texture.

They rank lower on the glycemic index compared to rolled oats. This means it has a lowered affect on your blood sugar levels while digesting. The reason for this is because the digestive enzymes take longer to reach the starch inside the kernel, therefore slowing the conversion of the starch to sugars.

“Old Fashioned” Rolled Oats

These are the classic oats that people typically purchase when they want to make oatmeal. Those who complain that oatmeal is too mushy you have probably been buying quick oats. “Old Fashioned” Rolled oats have a glycemic index score of 55 vs 66 for quick/instant oats. Meaning rolled oats have a lower impact on blood sugar making it a great choice for sustainable energy.

Rolled oats are essentially the same as steel cut but they have been rolled to make the cooking process faster. Nutritionally the only difference would be the level of fortification of calcium and iron which you can find on the nutrition label.

Sprouted Oats

Sprouting grains has become a more popular technique by food companies recently due to recent findings. This is by no means a new technique but has been brought back because it increases key nutrients like B vitamins, Vitamin C, Folate, Fiber, and essential amino acids (building blocks of proteins). The sprouting process helps crack the outer layer allowing theses nutrients to become more bioavailable for our bodies to uptake.

Incorporating these into your diet over a duration of time will give you the added nutritional benefits but don’t expect an overnight miracle to happen. Other products that are sprouted include breads, rice, millet, seeds, etc. Also the glycemic index is considered to be low in sprouted oats products.

Three Ways to Make Overnight Oats

For all of the recipes below all you need to do is either add to an empty glass jar with a tight lid or to an almost empty jar of peanut butter! Then Shake, Shake, Shake…Shake, Shake, Shake….Shake that JAAAAAAAAR, Shake that JAAAAAARRRR!