Though I wouldn’t quite call breakfast the most important meal of the day — I think all daily meals are important! — I do think that a nourishing morning meal sets a good tone for all of the hours that follow. I know that many people don’t have much of a morning appetite, and I would hesitate to suggest that anyone disobey his or her natural hunger signals, but I personally can’t imagine skipping breakfast! It gives me the energy to go about my day, and beyond that, some of my favorite foods are breakfast foods: smoothies, granola, hot porridge, pancakes, and chia pudding, among them. If you flip through the “breakfast” tag on my blog, you’ll get a sampling of the many delicious morning meals that I make and enjoy regularly.
As you can gather from that sampling of breakfast favorites, there’s a huge variety in the kind of breakfasts I like to eat. On some days it’s a smoothie or an all-raw breakfast salad; on others it’s warm grains with walnuts and dried fruit. My breakfast choices depend upon whether or not I need my food to be portable, weather, how soon I’ll be eating lunch, how hungry I am, and what I’m craving. During these summer months, however, I take my breakfast to class and eat it in class every day (my class starts early), which means that breakfast is nearly always the exact same thing: superfood overnight oats, which is my little name for the mixture of chia seeds, soaked oats, hemp protein, gojis, and goldenberries I pack up every morning.
In the first two years of blogging, one of the questions I was asked most often was “what do raw/high-raw foodists eat for breakfast??” Of course, my breakfast choices are not always all raw, but if they were, I’d still have plenty of options: smoothies galore, chia puddings, soaked and pulverized oat groats, buckwheat cereal, raw snack bars and fresh fruit, breakfast salads, and much more! This particular breakfast is ideal for me during summer school because it’s easy to pack and transport, it’s delicious, and it’s very filling: I love chia pudding on its own, but I find that adding oats keeps me satiated longer. I relied on it last summer, and I rely on it still, and it never disappoints me!
Superfood Overnight Oats (high raw, vegan, gluten free, soy free)
Serves 1
2 tbsp chia seeds
1/3 cup dry rolled oats (purchase certified GF oats if you’re a GF eater)
2 tbsp hemp protein (I use Tempt)
1 tbsp dried goji berries
1 tbsp dried mulberries
1 cup homemade or storebought nut milk (+ extra if needed)
2 tbsp date paste, agave, or stevia to taste
Mix all ingredients in a portable container. Allow to sit for at least 20 minutes at room temperature, and then refrigerate till ready to use.
What’s so wonderful about this recipe is the ease: every night before I go to bed, I mix it, allow it to sit for a while as I do my homework, and then move it to the fridge when I go to bed. In the morning, my breakfast is 100% ready to go: all I need add is some fresh fruit as a “side dish.” Sometimes I add fresh blueberries to the original mix, which makes it a one-dish meal.
When you take the overnight oats out of the fridge in the morning, you may find that you need to add more nut milk. Go for it! Different brands of chia seeds (and oats, for that matter) absorb different amounts of liquid, so use your judgment. If you like, you can create a “master mix” by quadrupling the dry components of this recipe, sealing them up, and using 1/4 of the mix at a time with 1 cup of almond milk. Think of it as a bag of muesli–just a lot more interesting!
If you’re curious about my metal container, by the way, that’s a Tiffin: adorable, eco-friendly, portable containers for lunches or breakfasts on the go. You can find these guys at Whole Foods now, or via their website, but I really like to purchase them through Herbivore, which is where I originally found them (and because I love that business, and want to support it as often as I can). They last for ages, and they’re incredibly convenient!
So there you have it: a glimpse into my daily morning meal! I hope that you guys find this quick, on-the-go breakfast to be as tasty and satisfying as I do. If you’re looking for more high raw, vegan breakfast options, please check out any of the following (and all of the other breakfast ideas on my recipe page!):
Almond Butter and Sweet Potato Breakfast Salad
Strawberry and Pumpkin Seed Smoothie
Enjoy them all!
What are your favorite raw and vegan breakfasts on the go? I’d love to hear about them.
xo
I'm a Certified Clinical Nutritionist, a former book editor, and a post-baccalaureate pre-med student at Georgetown University. I'm passionate about helping people to discover and enjoy plant based foods in a simple and healthy way. My name is pronounced like "Jenna."
{ 35 comments… read them below or add one }
Breakfast is such a delicious meal!
Your breakfast looks amazing and has so many health benefits.
Thanks for sharing Gena x
Overnight oats are great! Just tried them for the first time recently. Loving the idea of the banana “sushi” for breakfast. So creative!
What a great post. I often do overnight oats as I leave for work at 6:30am so they are perfect to make the night before. This blog has given me some new ideas – thanks!
I love doing this when I’m traveling. At conferences for school, fresh fruit is generally the only appetizing portion of a continental breakfast, so I’ll bring tetra-paks of non dairy milk and containers of oats and whatever else I want, then just make them up the night before, or even in the morning. I love the tins, too. What a great way to do without the plastic!
I also take my breakfast to work and it’s also overnight oats most days! However, 1/3 c. wouldn’t do the job for me, so it’s usually 3/4 c. dry oats, 1 c. almond milk, Tbsp either chia seeds, tahini or nut butter and something like pumpkin or banana mixed in. Portable and delicious
Seeing as you sometimes have salad for breakfast, do you ever have breakfast for dinner (brinner in the immortal words of Turk from Scrubs)? This looks like the sort of thing I could throw together in the morning and then have straight away ready when I get in tired and stressed in the evening, but I always feel like I have to have a “proper” meal for dinner ie. with vegetables and probably less sugars. Any thoughts? I mean oats is still carbs and protein and therefore “proper” right?
Tiffins!! I used to have one but left it at a park event one day when Skylar was a baby…I loved it! Great recipes and ideas, Gena
Can’t wait to try this nutrient- dense and wholesome on-the-go breakfast out!! I’ve totally tried this combo out before, with the addition of spirulina and banana which really seems to satiate me. I start summer session next week, so time will be very limited to make a leisure morning meal as I usually enjoy to. I”d love more portable, in-advance breakfast ideas, and lunches! Thanks again, Gena~
E
what a great post! I’m definitely going to have to give these oats a try!
This recipe looks so divine Gena… I too can’t imagine life without breakfast! I really love breakfast foods like the ones you listed yourself.
Being a student I also need nutritious portable breakfast options. I travel 1.5 hours to an early start most days and so I definitely don’t have time to eat before I leave the house so I always pack my eats. I’ve been doing lots of smoothies in a bottle lately, but with it coming into Winter in Australia I feel the need for something not quite so icy… will have to try this out xx
Although I really love overnight oats and your recipe looks really yummy, I just would like to mention that oats are not technically raw.
If you eat the wholegrain (soaked and sprouted for example), it is of course raw, but rolled oats are steamed before being rolled.
(sorry for this news!)
I ordered raw oat flakes online. They’re handmade in small batches and processed below 118 degrees, possibly lower. Nothing you’ll find in a store will be raw. It’s at rawlife dot com in case the link doesn’t appear. http://www.rawlife.com/store/Organic_Whole_Raw_Oats_22oz.html
Overnight oats is the best breakfast on the go, so simple and yet so delicious!
Great looking recipes!! Makes me hungry…. my ezekiel bread with butter and honey didn’t last long enough!
I really wanted to like my Tiffin, but had too many bad experiences w/it a few years ago – leaking, rusting, dificult to open, etc. to justify another purchase. I’ve been considering a few other brands, but many seem to receive similar complaints from users. So, my hunt continues…
I keep meaning to try those breakfast sushi. Love Nut Butter and Banana, and adding a bit of greens would be like an unmixed Green Monster for me, if that makes any sense. LOL
I live on overnight oats during the week as I leave really early in the morning for work. I usually add some steel cut oats to mine. Some people find they don’t soften enough overnight, but I like them a little chewy. My new fav milk to use is the original unsweetened almond/ coconut combo from Almond Breeze. Just wanted to tell you that I finally made your banana soft serve this past weekend (yeah I’m a little slow). I mixed it with some frozen mango and sprinkled some granola on top and it was delicious. I’ll definitely be making it again.
I love overnight oats. Totally doable for any family! Not to mention the health benefits.
Hi Gena! Great recipes! Also, I wanted to comment on your turning 30 post regarding your future plans. I just wanted to say, “hang in there, you’re doing great!”
Best of luck!
I graduated from college in 2008 not knowing what I wanted to do. In 2009 I started to look into applying to medical school myself. After 2 years of classes, MCAT studying, and all the other things that go into applications, I applied in 2011 for a hopeful start date of this August. During the past year I went on a couple interviews, but was waitlisted, not accepted. I just started the reapplication process with a new planned start of 2013. It’s been expensive, and emotionally draining, and I often have the same thoughts as you, but I always remind myself to keep moving forward. We don’t always get what we want the first time around, but I can tell from your posts and your insights that you definitely a healer who has found their passion
I like the variety of your breakfasts. I love savory in the morning even though I drink a lot of smoothies. That sweet potato morning salad looks really good.
I eat overnight oats for breakfast almost every day! I like adding something with a little crunch, like almond slivers or pepita seeds. And now that berries are coming back into season, this really perks up my breakfast!
Quick question – you mentioned that you leave it on the counter for 20 minutes or so before putting it in the fridge. Why is that?
Oh and I also must mention that last week I was whisking a spoonful of your chocolate PB black bean dip into my overnight oats and it was simply divine!
Hey Gena! I really want to like overnight oats, but I am not a fan of cold oats especially with bananas in them. This would be so handy for breakfast…I just wish I could like it.
Any ideas for making them more palatable?
Just add a warm non-dairy milk to them in the morning. I might want to reduce the quantity of milk you soak them in, though.
I need to start doing the overnight oats thing, and this one looks fabulous! I’m crazy about hemp and chia seed right now. I need to get on this! Thank you!
I forgot about vegan overnight oats! Thanks for sharing your version! I’m enjoying a raw banana, coconut water, acai, protein smoothie as I read this and feeling very raw-inspired
Soaked oats are my go-to breakfast lately, too. The latest mix includes oats, chia, flax meal, almond butter, nut milk, cinnamon, agave and wild organic blueberries. Perfectly portable, satisfying and healthy
Hi Gena, overnight oats are one of my favourite breakfasts. I also find it’s great for a snack after a weight training session. I’d say overnight oats have been the best addition to my raw eating!
I know it says hemp protein.Is that the same as hemp seeds? I just bought a bag for the first time and wondered could i use them in this recipe for overnight oats?
I love the superfood overnight oats recipe! Its a new staple. I use blueberries or other fruit on hand.
made this for today’s breakfast. It was very good. In fact, I gave my 16 month old daughter a small taste while I was eating it and she kept running back to me saying “more, more!” After having her own breakfast she downed a few spoonfuls of this, too.
I modified a bit and used raisins instead of mulberries. Think I might dial-back the agave a bit next time. but this will be a go-to brek for me on summer mornings!
Hey, just thought I’d add that you can purchase a tiffin at World Market (where I work) for $9.99 + tax. I bought one for days when I have classes, and it’s incredibly easy to use and is so airtight I never worry about messes. Also, they’re ICREDIBLY popular with flight attedants, also for the portability and ease of use.
I love soaked oat breakfasts. I just followed your recipe (except I had to sub cranberries for mulberries) and can’t wait to see how it tastes tomorrow morning. Thank you!
And breakfast sushi? Wow! That’s next on my list to try!
If you make a bulk mix of the dry ingredients, can you include the hemp powder or should that stay refrigerated and added later?
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