Thursday 24 August 2017

RECIPE | PB&J Overnight Oats with Chia Jam ft. Natvia*.


Overnight oats are a simple and convenient way to start the day, plus, they're great for eating on the go. Today I'm sharing my recipe for PB&J overnight oats using chia jam!


Overnight oats are a breakfast staple in my world. You see, I'm a bit greedy and so if I eat breakfast too early I'm hungry again by the time I get to work, and by mid-morning you'll definitely have a hangry Jordan on your hands. So in a bid to reduce the hanger and stop my need to eat all the snacks before 10am, I've made the switch to eating overnight oats at my desk once I arrive at work.

It's not the ideal breakfast scenario (that would be on my sofa, wrapped in a blanket enjoying the peace and quiet), but for me, during the working week at least, it's a no brainer. They're portable, customisable, filling and they have the added bonus of being reasonably healthy (provided you don't empty half a jar of biscoff in there).

What I tend to do is soak the oats and seeds in some form of plant milk overnight - I'm not that fussy which but I am really into Alpro's original roasted almond milk at the minute. Then in the morning I plop in whatever fruit I have available (I find that bananas and berries work best for me) alongside some nut butter and a drizzle of maple syrup.

Another addition that I've been using lately is chia jam. Chia jam is made from fruit and chia seeds (duh) and uses the jelly like texture of the seed once they get wet to form a jam like consistency. What's great about making jam in this way is that it requires far less sugar, in fact, I've been making it with Natvia* sweetener, which reduces the sugar content of the jam even further. Not that I'm against sugar, because trust me, I'm definitely not. You know me, I'm all about balance and so choosing a lower sugar option at breakfast time means that I can enjoy a slice of vegan brownie later in the day (which I do on a regular basis). It's all about moderation.

Natvia is made from the stevia plant and comes from natural sources, rather than being artificially made like other sweeteners. It's great for diabetics and has more of a sugar like texture and weight than traditional sweeteners, which I think makes it easier to substitute when baking or cooking with it. What I will say is that it is much more expensive that your average sweetener, which is something to consider if you were wanting to use large quantities of it e.g. to bake. But for this recipe you only need 2-3 tbsp, and so a 300g cannister would go pretty far.

You can also get it in tablet form to pop in hot drinks alongside baking and icing packs too. So there's plenty of choice depending on how you consume sweeteners. I know some people get a bit iffy about artificial sweeteners. I personally use them in my tea and coffee, however, it's important that you do you (as always) and make your own choices about what products you're happy consuming.

Anyway, we should probably get to the recipe, don't you think?

PB&J OVERNIGHT OATS

WHAT YOU'LL NEED:

OVERNIGHT OATS:
♥ 30g oats
♥ 15g chia/ground flax seed
♥ 150-200ml plant milk (dependent on the consistency you want)

CHIA JAM:
♥ 400g berries (I chose strawberries)
♥ 1 tbsp water
♥ 2 tbsp chia seeds
♥ 1 tsp lemon juice
♥ 2-3 tbsp Natvia (or sugar/sweetener alternative)

WHAT TO DO:

♥ Place the oats, chia/flax seeds and plant milk in a mason jar and pop in the fridge overnight.
♥ Chop the berries (if they're strawberries) and pop into a saucepan over a low-medium heat.
♥ Add 1 tbsp water and simmer gently until softened and mushy - you can mash them at this stage if you want.
♥ Add the lemon juice, chia seeds and 2tbsp of Natvia and stir well.
♥ Taste to check the sweetness - you can add more Natvia if you do so desire.
♥ Pour into a mason jar and leave in the fridge overnight to thicken up.
♥ The following morning add your favourite fruit (I love extra strawberries), chia jam, a teaspoon of peanut butter and a drizzle of maple syrup. I also always add a brazil nut to my overnight oats for my daily selenium.

Overnight oats are a simple and convenient way to start the day, plus, they're great for eating on the go. Today I'm sharing my recipe for PB&J overnight oats using chia jam!

Honestly, I just love this chia jam and it's so so easy to pull together, far easier than traditional jam. I'm not usually one to buy into "superfoods" these days, but as a vegan I'm conscious of ensuring that I get adequate omegas, which both chia and flax seed provide. They're also a source of plant based protein and dietary fibre and so are staples in my kitchen. Plus you can use them as egg replacements in baking, so they're versatile too!

Let's start a conversation:
I'd love to hear your favourite overnight oats combos? Why not share your thoughts in the comments below or drop me a tweet @_hellojordan!

[FYI - products marked with a * were sent to me for review purposes, however all thoughts and opinions are my own]

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Jordan xx