SunButter and Jelly Overnight Oats

August 11, 2019

Head back to school with these SunButter and Jelly Overnight Oats, a make-ahead breakfast that’s delicious and nutritious, plus food allergy friendly for the entire family!

Nut Free, Gluten Free, Dairy Free option, Soy Free, Egg Free

Disclosure: This post is sponsored by SunButter, but all opinions are my own. Thank you for supporting the brands that make the Chelsey Amer Nutrition blog possible!

Thinking back to my school days, I remember scarfing down a bowl of cereal on my way out the door. I didn’t like eggs until high school and I guess I never thought to have oatmeal (it also wasn’t a favorite). So, I had cereal (maybe would’ve been better off with pizza?!)and was hungry an hour later while sitting in class.

Now only if overnight oats were a thing when I was in school, I could’ve had a nourishing, nutritious, balanced, easy, delectable, flavorful, and satisfying breakfast that took only MINUTES to make the night before!

Overnight oats are one of those breakfasts that just doesn’t get old in our house. I think I’ve made my husband overnight oats to take to work 90 out of the last 100 days. They’re so versatile and you can play around with flavor combinations so you never bore.

And being as obsessed with SunButter as I am, you know I make this SunButter and Jelly Overnight Oats combo ALL. THE. TIME!

With back to school season upon us, I figured it’s the perfect time to share a nut-free, school safe breakfast that can double as lunch. This version is especially filling because of the extra healthy fats and protein boost (thank you SunButter and yogurt).

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What should you look for in a balanced breakfast?

There’s nothing worse than eating breakfast that only keeps you full for an hour (amiright?!). You want sustainable energy all morning long. Especially if you’re making breakfast for your kids – breakfast eaters focus better in school!

So what should you aim to include in a balanced breakfast?

1. Protein – Without protein, you won’t stay full for very long because protein is key for satiety. Protein-rich foods signal for your body to turn off hunger messages. In other words, it lets you know that you’re full.

2. Carbs – While we need protein as a building block for many components in our bodies, we need carbs for energy. Preferably, I recommend including more high fiber carbohydrates in your diet because fiber is more filling than simple carbs. (For a full primer on carbs, read this!)

3. Healthy fats – Fat is also filling because it’s digested slowly, so it’s an important part of a balanced breakfast. Even more, fat is satisfying and flavorful. In these overnight oats, SunButter is a great source of unsaturated fats, which are traditionally deemed the “healthier fat.” You can learn more about the different types of fats in this post.

When you combine protein, (high fiber) carbs, and healthy fats, you’ll stay full and satisfied all morning long!

OK, so now that we know what to include in a balanced breakfast, what’s in these overnight oats?

This is what you need to make these SunButter and Jelly Overnight Oats:

Oats – Numerous studies tout the benefits of eating more whole grains, and breakfast is the perfect opportunity to do so! Oats are a breakfast superstar because they contain fiber (about 3g per half cup dry). Honestly, this is probably not enough fiber on their own to keep you full all morning long, which is why I combine oats with the rest of the ingredients…

Chia seeds – These tiny black seeds (that all too easily get stuck in your teeth) are a nutritious superstar! They contain healthy fats, fiber, and protein – 3 macronutrients we need. Chia seeds absorb 9 times their weight in liquid, so they help add a pudding-like consistency to overnight oats without a total chia pudding texture. If you’re not a fan of chia pudding though, don’t fret – the texture of OOs is totally different. Definitely creamier!

Greek yogurt – For a protein punch and added creaminess, I used Greek yogurt in these SunButter and Jelly Overnight Oats. You could skip the yogurt and use milk instead of water, but the added protein will hold you over until lunch. If you’re dairy free, you can always use a dairy free yogurt that’s coconut-, soy-, or nut-based (if you’re not allergic to those).

SunButter – Obviously these SunButter and Jelly Overnight Oats have SUNBUTTER! If you haven’t tried sunflower seed butter before, this is a great recipe to dip your toes into this nut butter alternative. Made from sunflower seeds, SunButter has healthy fats and some protein, plus vitamins and minerals. Pick up a jar and try it out!!

Chia jam – You can use any jam or jelly you like for this recipe, but why not use chia jam for extra fiber and healthy fats?

Save time, money, and your sanity and try this back to school breakfast your kids will LOVE…