OVERNIGHT CHIA COCONUT OATS

Cool, creamy, substantial and satisfying - this is a breakfast of dreams. This delicious oat and chia seed combo is a great way to kick start the day as both fill you up and provide you with lots of energy. The chia seeds give you a quick boost while the oats are a slow release form of energy, able to carry you through till lunchtime.

Ingredients:

- 1 cup of gluten free oats

- 1-2 cups of almond milk (depending on how thick you like your oats to be)

- 2 tbsp coconut yoghurt

- 2 tbsp chia seeds

- Small handful of berries/fruit of your choice

- 1 tsp vanilla extract

- 1 tbsp maple syrup/sweetener of choice

Topping:

- 2 tbsp coconut yoghurt

- Frozen berries/fruit of choice

- Gluten free granola

Method:

Pour all the ingredients in the order listed into a sealable jar then stir the mixture. Refrigerate overnight and stir it again in the morning. Add coconut yoghurt, granola and frozen berries on top to serve.

TROPICAL CHIA PUDDING

Chia seed pudding is my go to recipe if I know I won't have much time in the morning to prepare a healthy breakfast. It really is a healthy, handy time saver as it's made with as little as 3 ingredients and literally takes a few mins to throw together the night before, you can even take it with you to go the next day.

There's many other reasons to love chia seed pudding, not only are chia seeds gluten free, they're also packed full of; nutrients, antioxidants, fibre, omega-3 and minerals to name a few benefits! As well as making a quick and easy breakfast it can also be eaten as a healthy snack or dessert (what's not to love about that?). 

Ingredients (Serves 1):

For the pudding:

- 1/2 cup of chia seeds

- 2 cups of almond milk

- 2 tbsp maple syrup

- 1 passionfruit (optional)

For the topping:

- 2 tbsp coconut milk yoghurt (I used Coyo)

- 1 passionfruit

- Coconut chips 

Method:

1.) Combine all the pudding indigents into a jar and stir. Close the lid tightly then shake vigorously.

2.) Come back to your fridge to stir your jar a few hours later (I forgot this step this time and you can see the chia seeds stuck to the bottom so learn from my mistake!)

3.) Leave to chill in the fridge for at least 4 hours or overnight. 

4.) Serve with fruit and nut toppings of your choice.

What's so great about this pudding is that you can add whatever fruit/nut toppings you like and combine with different milk/sweeteners to give you a variety of flavour combinations. I had some Coyo yoghurt so decided to go for a totally tropical theme as I'm currently into breakfasts that give me that sunshine feeling before I start my day (see Healthy Chocolate Oats). This beautiful coconut and passionfruit combo certainly had me dreaming of warmer climes and served as a welcomed reminder that Summer is not too far away!

HEALTHY CHOCOLATE OATS

So you may be thinking boring old chocolate oats, as a blog post - is she for real? But these aren't just any plain old chocolate oats, these are healthy superfood chocolate oats (said in a sexy Marks and Spencer ad kind of way), packed with energy inducing ingredients and yummy warming goodness.

While it didn't take me long to come up with a title, it's actually taken me a lot longer to come up with a recipe that I'm happy with. I've often found chocolate oats made with cacao to be too bitter and not sweet enough for my liking -  but then again I have a VERY sweet tooth.

I'm now trying to satisfy this sweet tooth in a way that doesn't compromise on healthy. I did this here by adding a date to the mix and a tsp of coconut sugar. Previously it would have been dairy free choc chips and large helpings of agave all the way, so this is a big improvement!

My other healthier sources of sugar include fruit and maple syrup, honey is also an excellent healthier source of sweetness if your not a strict vegan like me.

Ingredients:

- 40g/1 cup gluten free porridge oats
- 200ml of plant based milk, I used almond
- Tbsp chia seeds
- Pinch of pink salt
- Tbsp flaxseed
- Tbsp organic cacao powder
- Tbsp organic maca powder
- 1 chopped date
- 1/2- 1tsp coconut sugar
- Sprinkling of cacao nibs

Recipe:

1.) Weigh out 40g of oats or use 1 cup.
2.) Add this to a pan of plant based milk and warm for around 5mins along with the other ingredients in the order listed.
3.) Your oats should start to bubble after this time, that means they're ready to eat!
4.) Top with a scoop of nut butter and fruit of your choice.

My favourite toppings with chocolate oats are; peanut butter and banana or almond butter and berries. Here I went for a slightly tropical meets winter topping with banana, coconut chips, almond butter and frozen blueberries, as it was an insanely cold, rainy, grey day outside but I wanted to feel sunny on the inside!