One of my favorite snacks to prepare during meal prep is overnight oats! If you follow Mel’s Clean Eating Meals then you know I LOVE overnight oats.
Meal prep overnight oats are SO simple to prepare, plus they are quite versatile in terms of flavors.
My favorite way to make overnight oats is to combine oats, chia seed, yogurt, milk and protein powder. Yes, five simple ingredients and only a few minutes of your time are needed!
Overnight oats are a great meal prep recipe because it requires zero cooking! If you have vegetables roasting in the oven or chicken baking, then you can take that extra time to whip up a healthy breakfast or snack for the entire week.
Once all the ingredients are combined, put the containers in the refrigerator and let the oats and chia soak up all that liquid. It turns into a deliciously creamy mixture that is full of protein and healthy carbs!
The first time I had overnight oats I was thrown off because they were cold! It took me a couple times to get used to it and now I honestly prefer them cold over hot! If you can’t get used to these Meal Prep Overnight Oats being cold, then warm them up for a second in the microwave before eating. It won’t hurt anything!
One note: You must use rolled oats for this recipe. Do not try to substitute with quick oats or steel cut oats! You’ll end up with a less-than-desirable meal that will have a funky texture.
To make these oats, combine all five ingredients in a mason jar or container, then stir them up until all ingredients are evenly distributed. Pretty simple.
I’ve been making meal prep overnight oats for a while now and my favorite way to combine all the ingredients takes a bit more time. I add my ingredients one by one basically.
I start by adding the milk to my container, then whisk in the protein powder. Once that is well combined (no lumps from the powder) then I add the yogurt. Since yogurt is thick, it takes a little bit to get it mixed well with the milk and a thinner texture. Lastly, I add the oats and chia seed to the container and stir those in until they are evenly distributed. Again, it takes a minute or two longer than combining them all at once, but it helps keep the oats from getting lumpy from the protein powder and yogurt.
Feel free to use any yogurt you prefer. Occasionally I’ll use plain Greek yogurt or lately I’ve been using Oikos Triple Zero Greek yogurt in my overnight oats. Any flavor will do and any type of yogurt.
Again, Meal Prep Overnight Oats are quite versatile. Use a flavored yogurt to change things up or even change up your flavor of protein powder! Toppings is where it can get really fun, so get creative!
I typically add fruit to my overnights oats and usually some type of nut or nut butter. If you are adding crunchy toppings like nuts or granola, then put those toppings in a resealable bag to sprinkle on top later. Otherwise your crunchy toppings will soften as they sit with the oats for a few days.
I make 4-5 servings of Meal Prep Overnight Oats at a time and eat them each day for either breakfast or a snack. It is a great way to make a healthy meal without having to cook anything.
Note: The recipe below is for one serving of Meal Prep Overnight Oats. Double, triple, quadruple, etc for as many servings as you’ll need for the week.
Need some fun overnight oat inspiration? Try my Strawberry Banana Protein Overnight Oats, Mocha Protein Overnight Oats, or my recipe for Chocolate Covered Strawberry Overnight Oats.
- 1/3 cup rolled oats*
- 1/3 cup milk of your choice
- 1/3 scoop protein powder of your choice
- 1oz Greek yogurt of your choice**
- 1/2 Tbsp chia seed
- Combine all five ingredients in a container or mason jar and stir contents until evenly distributed. Cover and allow to sit in the refrigerator for at least two hours or overnight. Serve cold with toppings of your choice.
- This recipe is for one serving of overnight oats. Make 4-5 servings at once if you want to use it for meal prep.
- *do NOT substitute with steel cut or quick cooking oats
- **more or less yogurt can be added depending on your preference of texture