The consolation prize for my boot camp wake up alarm at 4:45 am is that I get to fuel up with a bowl of nourishing, loaded oats. Admittedly, 99 percent of the time, I am too fuzzy-headed and time-strapped to make said bowl of fabulous oats before the sun even rises. That’s why I love to meal prep overnight oats to get a jump start on breakfast.

Check out my Raspberry Beet Overnight Oats recipe – not only is it pretty in pink but it’s a pretty amazingly healthy recipe for any day, even a busy Valentine’s Day breakfast.  

What ingredients are in Raspberry Beet Overnight Oats?

Just by reading the title, you probably have guessed that my Raspberry Beet Overnight Oat recipe features simple and real ingredients like old fashioned oats, raspberries and beets! I also add an omega seed blend for extra texture and nutrition plus a bit of stevia to satisfy my sweet tooth without upping the carbs even more. My liquid of choice is unsweetened almond milk, but you can use any milk of your choice or even water . . . or juice for that matter. 

Beets are blended smoothly into creamy almond milk!

I also split a serving of collagen hydrolysate or protein powder to the 2-jar batch of my overnight oats, but that is optional. Before serving, I add fresh or thawed frozen raspberries, additional diced beets and sugar-free white chocolate chips.  The easy overnight oats recipe is almost like a dessert, but nourishing and hearty enough to fuel my runs, workouts and days full of errand-running.

What kind of oat do I use for overnight oats?

My oat of choice for overnight oats is “old fashioned” or “rolled” oats. All oats are made from the same plant, the difference is just in how the groats (whole kernel of the oat) are how small they are cut and finished. Old-fashioned oats work well for overnight oats as they don’t get mushy before I can eat them like “instant” oats which are cut down into tiny bits so they are ready to eat quickly. Old-fashioned oats also soften overnight in liquid to a pleasing texture, unlike coarser steel cut oats that remain too al dente and almost always require boiling.

What containers should I use overnight oats?

Next thing to consider is your storage container for overnight oats. Really, anything will do that you can cover and keep air-tight like canning jars (I use the Weck tulip jar because the opening is nice and big, like a bowl) plastic food storage containers, or even drinking glasses that you can cover with plastic wrap. Personally, I prefer mason jars or canning jars with a screw-on or sealing like so I can shake up my oats to mix and save dirtying up a spoon. Also make sure that you have several inches of headroom in your container for several reasons: 1) oats will expand a bit as they soak up the liquid; 2) if you want to warm up in the morning, the oats will bubble up while reheating and 3) allow room for delicious toppings and extras.

Can I meal prep these Beet Raspberry overnight oats?

Yes, by all means add overnight oats to your make-ahead menu, I consider this type of refrigerator oats to be one of the OGs of meal prep. Oats mixed up and sealed in air-tight jars or meal prep containers will stay fresh in the fridge for 4 to 5 days. After the initial overnight soak, I’ve even had luck freezing my oats for longer storage. When ready to eat, transfer to the refrigerator 24 hours in advance of eating (or less, and use the defrost microwave button, stopping to stir occasionally.) Also, save toppings and extras to put on right before eating, everything stays yummier that way.

Are Beet Raspberry Overnight Oats healthy, even though they have carbohydrates?

Of course, these overnight oats are nutritious, do not fear the carbs! Generally speaking, eating too many calories in excess of what you burn off makes you gain weight, NOT carbohydrates themselves (although they can cause you to store some extra water, but that’s not bad either). The carbs in overnight oats are complex carbohydrates coming from the oats, beets and berries which are all beneficial, offering fiber-rich, slow-digesting nutrition for longer-lasting energy. Personally, I rely on that energy to run, workout, tackle my daily errands and just think straight.  Oats are an excellent source of fiber including the fiber beta-glucan which may be able to help lower blood cholesterol. Beets are also good-for-you carbohydrates offering fiber, loads of antioxidants and vitamins (that deep purple red color is a giveaway) an inorganic nitrates. These nitrates transform into nitric oxide in your body, assist in oxygen delivery, and may thusly help to optimize sports performance. As far as fruit goes, berries of all types are a great choice (including raspberries) as they are lower on the Glucose Index and filled with antioxidants and vitamins. And, for a treat, I love all the chocolate things I can use as sugar-free toppings on my oats (and desserts) like sugar-free chocolate chips and sugar-free syrups from Choc-Zero.

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Print

Prep Time

5 mins

Total Time

4 hrs 5 mins

 

Course: Breakfast

Keyword: beets, meal prep, oats, raspberry

Calories: 287 kcal

Ingredients

• 11/3 cups unsweetened almond milk
• 2 ounces cooked and peeled beets like Love Beets brand, about 2 small beets (divided)
• 2 tablespoons unflavored collagen powder or protein powder of choice*
• 8 to 16 drops liquid stevia or to taste
• 1 1/2 tablespoons NOW Foods Omega Seed Blend**
• 1 cup old-fashioned oats
• 1/3 cup fresh or frozen thawed raspberries
• 1 tablespoon sugar-free chocolate chips white or dark, like ChocZero

Instructions

1. Add almond milk to blender with 1 ½ ounces of the cooked beets (remainder will be chopped up for the topping). Add collagen or protein powder (optional) to blender and puree until smooth. Pulse in seeds with just a few bursts to distribute in liquid. Add 8 to 16 drops of stevia, according to preference for sweetness.
2. Pour milk-beet mixture evenly across two minimum 16-oz. containers.
3. Add ½ cup dry rolled oats to each container, stirring gently.
4. Place in refrigerator overnight (without toppings) or for a minimum of 4 hours.
5. When ready to eat, distribute raspberries, remainder of beet chopped finely and sugar-free chocolate chips among the two containers.
6. May be kept in refrigerator, sealed air tight, for up to 4 or 5 days (or freezer for up to 3 months).
7. If you’d prefer to eat oats warm, heat them on 50% power in the microwave for 3 minutes, stirring every minute – watch carefully that they don’t overflow and add a bit of additional liquid if become too thick. Add toppings once heated, enjoy.

Recipe Notes

*May be omitted
*OR make your own blend with ½ tablespoon hemp seed, ½ tablespoon chia seed, and ½ tablespoon flax seed OR, instead, substitute your choice of seed(s) in the total amount of 1 ½ tablespoon.

Nutrition Facts: As recipe written with unflavored beef collagen, and toppings as listed.

 

 

This is the collagen powder I stand by and have used for years?