The Meal-Prep Plan to Perfecting Overnight Oats

If you can’t get enough of the hearty grain but can’t be bothered to spend 20 minutes sweating over a hot stove, overnight oats are the answer. You can meal-prep these gems in less than 10 minutes, and it requires zero kitchen skills. As long as you can shake a mason jar (just like you do with a cocktail shaker), you're golden.

Step 1:

Hit up the grocery store.

Five main ingredients and a couple dashes of cinnamon is all. Get in and get out. You'll probably spend more time fighting someone for a parking spot than you will shopping.

Shopping List
3 cups rolled oats
5 cups almond milk
3 bananas
1 1/4 cup blueberries
5 tablespoons chia seeds
5 teaspoons cinnamon

Don't forget the storage containers:
Pick up three small mason jars with lids while you're at it.

Step 2:

Prep everything in 10 minutes.

Just throw everything into a jar, seal it, shake it, cool it, and wake up to a sweet and hearty breakfast.

Ingredients
1/2 cup rolled oats
1 cup almond milk
1/2 banana, mashed slightly
1/4 cup blueberries
1 tablespoon chia seeds
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 tablespoon nut butter (optional)

Directions
Add all ingredients into a mason jar, give it a good shake, then seal with a lid, and leave overnight for up to three days.

Here's the (sort of) caveat.
You need to meal prep three jars on Sunday night and two on Wednesday night. Why? We don't recommend leaving your oats for longer than three days, because they will get super goopy, and we're not into that.

Step 3:

Grab a spoon and dig in.

The only effort you need to put into breakfast in the a.m. is a twist of the mason jar lid (hey, sometimes that's tough, so don't think you're being lazy!). Open the fridge, grab your mason jar, dip your spoon into the kick-ass morning meal, and try to think what life was like before you were so organized.

Step 4:

Become an oat-obsessed pro.

• We'll say it again. Overnight oats can get soggy if they sit too long, which is why we recommend making a second batch on Wednesday.
• You can swap in or add any milk, fruit, nut butter, or spice to the mix. The world is your oatmeal.
• If you follow a gluten-free diet, gluten-free rolled oats are available at many grocery stores or Amazon.
• Wish your oats were warm? Pop them in the nuker.

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