Recipes: Coconut Milk Cinnamon Overnight Oats

Whether its rushing to the gym, making lunch, blow drying or straightening my hair, or just trying to find an outfit for work, I'm somehow in a daily battle against time, as most people are. As a result, I usually sacrifice a creative breakfast in lieu of some nonfat Greek yogurt, a banana, and PB2, which I love, but to keep my diet interesting I like to switch up my meals every so often.

On the off days that I do find some extra time in the morning, I try to make a quick rendition of a breakfast burrito of egg white, feta, tomatoes, and avocado on a 100 calorie Arnold sandwich thins and topped with salsa. But those are rare occasions.

However, there's a better solution to making an interesting breakfast without spearing any time in the morning. Make it the night before.

When I want to switch up my breakfast routine I usually make overnight steel cut oats with cinnamon, light coconut (almond or soy milk work too), and chia seeds. Cinnamon is a metabolism booster so I like to put it in other food such as Greek yogurt, coffee, or sprinkled over fruit, and chia seeds are a great source of fiber and when fully absorbed, look, taste, and have the consistency of tapioca pudding. Blueberries are also a great stomach bloat reducer. It's sweet and low in calories and extremely good for you.

Recipe:

• 2/3 tbsp chia seeds
• 1/4 cup steel cut oats (I like Trader Joe's)
• 1/3 cup light coconut milk (1/2 cup is only 50 calories)
• 1/4 cup skim milk
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• 1 tsp brown sugar (optional for sweetness)
• 1/3 cup blueberries
• 1 6 oz container 0% Greek yogurt 

Preparation: Place chia seeds, steel cut oats, cinnamon, and brown sugar in a to-go container. I put mine in a mason jar because I love the display, but a plastic container will suffice! Poor skim milk and coconut milk over dry ingredients and place in the fridge overnight. In the morning, you'll grab a fluffy and fully absorbed oatmeal that is decadent and delicious.

When I arrive at work I poor a serving of greek yogurt into a bowl, place my oatmeal on top, and add a 1/3 cup fresh blueberries for some color and sweetness.

Simple, easy, and filling. 

Dessert for Breakfast: Apple Pie A-La-Mode

Working in buying, I've been preparing for Black Friday / Cyber Monday and the chaos of the holiday shopping season for the last couple of months, but now that the temperature has dropped and Christmas tunes are playing in stores, I have officially gotten into the holiday spirit. Like preparing for a snowstorm, I usually prep for my pumpkin pie pounds by investing in stretch pants to account for the inches I'm likely to gain between Thanksgiving and Christmas. Oh jolly belly. But this year is different. I'll be eating all the flavors that remind of us the holidays, but in a glutenous-free way.  

As I've become more comfortable in the kitchen, I've begun experimenting with different flavors I know I enjoy. One of my favorite spices is cinnamon. It's so aromatic and not only great for your digestion but as a way to add flavor to even the simplest foods.

Since we are gearing up for Thanksgiving, I decided to make a crust-less rendition of an apple pie for breakfast and boy is it good, oh and way within my calorie range - Cinnamon Apple Chia Seed Pudding. It's such a large meal but so healthy for you. Chia seeds are a great source of fiber, yogurt a great source of protein, and an apple is a great simple carb that is also another great source of fiber and vitamins. You can't go wrong with this breakfast. It's gooey and sweet yet a healthy breakfast!

Ingredients:

• 1 tbsp chia seeds (60 calories)
• 1/3 vanilla soy milk (30 calories)
• 1 tsp coconut flakes (20 calories)
• 1 gala apple (70 calories)
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• 1 cup 0% greek yogurt (100 calories)
• 1 tsp brown sugar (optional)

Calorie Count: 280 calories

Directions:

Add chia seeds, coconut flakes, soy milk and the optional brown sugar to a mason jar and through in the fridge. While the chia seeds begin absorbing, cut an apple into 4 slices and sprinkle with cinnamon. Throw in an oven at 350 degrees for about 10 minutes until the apple is soft and slightly golden. Remove from the oven and cut the apple into smaller dices to throw into the mason jar. Have the ingredients absorb overnight and in the morning place over a cup of non-fat plain greek yogurt.  

Enjoy!