Effective Pre-Workout: Crunchy Overnight Oats

In an earlier article we described a protein pancake recipe. Today we describe another delicious version of normally boring oats: crunchy overnight oats.

Oats are quite high in energy and carbs. So, they are ideal as a pre-workout meal or breakfast before a more intense workout. Oats are slowly digested, which allows to keep energy levels up for longer. They are also high in fiber, which helps regulate blood glucose during exercise.

With a bit of preparation they are easy to make. Here is how:

Ingredients

These are the ingredients for one serving. It is a good sized serving for hungry warriors.

• 40-50g of oats
• 20g vanilla protein powder. This is our favorite protein powder from our affiliated partner Myprotein.
• About 15-20ml of water
• 20ml of sugar free almond milk
• Third of a banana (30g)
• Teaspoon of butter

Create your toppings as you like. We love to use any combination of the following:

• 20g of blueberries
• 10-20g of nuts like walnuts or almonds
• 10-20g of crunchy peanut butter 
• 1 dash of cinnamon
• A couple of small dark chocolate pieces
• Squirt of maple syrup or honey

Directions

1. On the night before, take the biggest part of your oats (80-90%) and leave them soaked in water in a bowl overnight. Hence "overnight oats" ;)
2. The next morning or when you start preparing your oats, first carefully mix the almond milk with the protein powder. Use for example a shaker and shake it well.
3. Put a small pot on your stove on low flame. Add the soaked oats and the almond milk with the protein powder.
4. Cut the banana into small pieces. Squash it with a fork until you have a mash (like baby food). Add this to the pot of oats, too.
5. At the same time heat up a pan with butter. Once, this is hot add the rest of your oats. This is how we create the crunchiness.
6. Make sure that the pot on low flame cooks your oats slowly otherwise they dry out too much. Keep stiring both the pot and the pan.
7. As soon as the oats have reached your preferred consistency, put them in a bowl. And immediately add the crunchy oats on top.
8. Lastly, add any toppings as you wish. A combination of the ones listed by us work very well but feel free to add whatever you fancy.   

Macro Split

The nutrition facts below (split of macro nutrients) are estimations and will vary based on the exact products you use as ingredients and the toppings you choose. The following is a good approximation related to the amounts outlined in this recipe:

• Total calories: 305
• Protein: 30g
• Carbs: 42g
• (Fiber: 8g)
• Fat: 8g

Our crunchy overnight oats are very well suited as a pre-workout meal. They are nutrient rich and will keep you satiated for a while, which you'll need especially for a high intensity workout. Let us know what you think or share your own experiences or recipes in the comments section.