Overnight Soaked Oatmeal - Creamy, Gut Friendly and Quick Cooking — Good Food Lady (2024)

FAQs

Are overnight oats good for gut health? ›

Oats improve gut health

The Beta-Glucan in oats promotes bile-acid excretion which transports toxins out of your gut.

On the other hand, overnight oats are packed with a variety of nutrients. They are natural and high in nutrients like copper, zinc, iron, magnesium, phosphorus, vitamins, fibre, manganese, and other minerals that help keep your gut healthy and your digestive system running smoothly.

We've got shortcuts for you in the notes. But if you know you're having oats the next day, the best way to get dreamy oats is by soaking them overnight in cool water. Soaking not only softens the oats, but it also makes them more tender, quicker to cook, and easier to digest.

As Best points out, "some of the worst ingredients that are mistakenly added to healthy overnight oat recipes include chocolate sauce, sugar, syrup, and dried fruit."

Oatmeal's high fiber content and prebiotic qualities may benefit your body in more ways than one. Making oatmeal a regular part of your menu can potentially lower your disease risk, help your gut health thrive, make bowel movements easier and keep you feeling fuller for longer.

Overnight oats are perfectly safe to be eaten every day. You may even eat them every morning if you like. However, some say that they feel oats give them digestive issues; overnight oats are not unsafe for those without medical conditions that affect digestion.

Oats are rich in carbohydrates and a fibre called beta-glucan, which helps in the slow release of glucose into the bloodstream. However, consuming oats in isolation and in the morning may lead to a spike in blood sugar levels due to the Dawn effect.

Can I use water? No. Adding enough water to make your oats drinkable will greatly damage the taste. Think of it like eating cereal with water, don't do it!

Overnight oats offer a range of health benefits, due to their rich fibre and protein content. They also contain a number of vitamins and minerals, some of which include manganese, phosphorus, magnesium, copper, iron and zinc. This makes overnight oats healthy for your gut, as well as for overall health and well-being.

Add Twice as Much Milk as Oats

Whether you prefer whole milk, rice milk or coconut milk, you can use it. Just make sure to add twice as much milk as oats. Note: You can also use whey, buttermilk or thinned yogurt for a tangier flavor.

What kind of oatmeal is best for overnight oats? ›

The Best Oats for Overnight Oats: Old-fashioned oats, also known as rolled oats, become tender and creamy when soaked. Quick-cooking oats, which are smaller, can end up pasty and steel-cut oats, which are sturdier, stay quite firm even after soaking.

The intensity of heat while cooking is the contributing factor, lower the heat better the nutrient availability. When you soak the oats overnight, it's almost like you're cooking them, but the process is much longer and slower, and it's done without heat. Hence, it is more nutrient rich than cooked version.

If you don't add enough liquid, your oats will be dry and clumpy in the morning, making them less enjoyable to eat. Make sure to add enough milk or yogurt to fully cover your oats and give them a creamy consistency.

As a source of dietary fiber, oatmeal may be good for constipation relief. Oatmeal is a nutritious whole grain that can be beneficial for health. Oats are high in dietary fiber, so eating oatmeal may help someone prevent or manage constipation or difficulty with passing stool.

Overnight oats are the more nutritious option, but that doesn't mean that this meal is for everyone.

For a convenient option, overnight oats, made with rolled oats, can be a game changer for children with IBS, especially those experiencing constipation-predominant symptoms. The gel-like consistency helps soften stools, making those bathroom visits smoother and more comfortable.

Soaking your oats is actually the traditional way our grandmothers would have prepared oats. Traditionally porridge was made preparing the oats the night before and allowing them to soak overnight. This assists the oats to break down so they are more digestible. Also encourages beneficial enzymes to come to life.