Raspberry Overnight Oats
I'm all about efficiency. The more you can prepare today the quicker you can hit the ground running tomorrow.
We're at our most productive early in the morning when we have few distractions and have not yet been beat down by decision fatigue...
These early hours in the morning are so precious, too precious to spend preparing an extravagant breakfast.
That's time you could spend training, writing and getting ahead in general.
That's where these raspberry overnight oats come in.
This is a simple, healthy breakfast that'll have you firing on all cylinders with literally zero prep time in the morning.
Why Raspberries?
Raspberries are EXTREMELY nutrient dense, you'll find a ton of vitamins and antioxidants in raspberries which is quite surprising given that there's a super low 120 calories per cup of raspberries.
As we begin to diet down and place our body deeper and deeper into a caloric deficit we often eliminate certain foods to keep the fat lose going, as such we're often cutting out a large portion of our vitamins and nutrients.
You won't have that issue with raspberries, whether you're cutting or bulking it's very easy to keep these in your diet year-round.
Now, in terms of the goodness that raspberries pack this includes:
55% of your daily dose of Vitamin C
40% of your daily intake of Maganese
22% of your daily fiber intake (8 grams)
13% of your daily intake of Vitamin K
7% of your daily intake of B Vitamins
7% of your daily intake of Copper
6% of your daily intake of Potassium
5% of your daily intake of Phosphorus
5% of your daily intake of Vitamin E
You also find that your raspberries contain relatively small dosages of zinc, calcium and Vitamin A.
The flavonoids contained in raspberries have antioxidant effects, fighting off free radicals (free radicals can be responsible for nasty cell damage etc. which results in a ton of different health complications).
Raspberries have been linked to improved brain health (particularly memory) as well, due to the antioxidant content.
Now, you may be thinking "SJ, how is this going to help me gain muscle?"
When you give your body the nutrients, minerals and antioxidants it requires you'll feel just that little bit sharper, this can result in a better mood and a better workout.
Better workouts result in better results, don't just fall into the trap of only eating foods that're high in protein... we need low calorie nutrient dense foods too.
Here Are The Ingredients You'll Need...
Raspberries
We've discussed raspberries in detail above, but just another reminder that not only are they delicious and fantastic for a boost of energy (due to simple carbohydrates) they're also loaded with antioxidants and are fantastic for cognitive health and function.
Oats
Oats are a staple carbohydrate source, here are a few reasons why...
- A cup of dry oats contains 306 calories, 219 of which are from complex carbohydrates
- A cup of oats contains 9 grams of fiber, a third of the recommended daily intake of fiber for men
- Oats are loaded with beta-glucan, a soluble fiber known to decrease unhealthy LDL cholesterol levels
- Unlike rice and other carbohydrate sources, oats are not processed, meaning the bran and germ are intact (all natural nutrients!)
- You'll find 10 grams of protein per cup of oats!
- A cup of oats contains 30% of the daily recommend intake of the B vitamin thiamin (required for cell function)
- A cup of oats contains 48% of the daily recommend intake of phosphorus (required for cell function, bone mineralization and energy production)
- Men can get 57% of their daily recommended intake of iron from a cup of oats
- Zinc is said to be one of the most important minerals for men, and 1 cup of oats contains 27% of that
Chocolate Almond Milk
Whether you don't want dairy in your diet (many of us become intolerant as we get older) or you're looking to reduce your caloric intake as you're in a cutting phase almond milk is a must have in your fridge.
Unsweetened chocolate and unsweetened vanilla almond milk has significantly lower calories than skim milk and tastes fantastic.
Greek Yogurt
Basic unflavored Greek Yogurt unlike regular yogurt which has very little in the way of protein while containing a ton of carbohydrates and fats the Greek variation is loaded with protein.
You'll find around 20 grams of protein per 8 ounce serving.
Now, here's the thing - there are many 'Greek Style' yogurts on the shelves of your supermarket - these are not the same as legitimate Greek Yogurt.
Greek Yogurt is thick as it's been strained of any excess water etc. it's essentially a super concentrated yogurt with the texture to match - on the other hand 'Greek Style' yogurt is regular yogurt that has been thickened up to replicate the consistency of our high protein Greek yogurt. Proceed with caution when shopping as the writing can be quite small and hard to see.
Here's How To Make Your Raspberry Overnight Oats
Combine your oats and almond milk together at a 1:1 ratio, when making raspberry overnight oats I generally go for 1 cup of oats and 1 cup of almond milk.
Add in your Greek Yogurt and mix oats, milk and yogurt together.
Add in 1 cup of raspberries.
Mix well before covering your bowl/container and storing in the fridge overnight.
If you wish, drizzle on some honey and cinnamon before eating.
