Want a Recipe for the Milk Challenge – Try Overnight Oats

This month we’re working on reducing single-use plastics from milk and milk alternatives. The strategy I’m personally using is to make my own plant-based milks. Particularly my favorite milk alternative, hemp milk! I use it a lot to make my overnight oats. A relative recently gifted me their unused Nutr pitcher, and the local bulk food store carries hemp hearts. So, with these two things, I am ready to try making my own plastic-free hemp milk!

A bit about this month’s plastic-free milk challenge

This month we are focusing on finding “plastic-free” milk bottle alternatives. This is so we can cut down on the single-use plastics of milk jugs and cartons. Including those shelf stable milk containers, which are aseptic containers. Aseptic containers are lined with paper, aluminum, and plastic. All these different material layers mean they can’t be recycled by regular recycling facilities.

I also have a little bit of lactose intolerance and can’t drink regular milk. Otherwise, I would just buy milk in the glass bottles for my plastic-free option. Hence, the reasons I’m making my own plant-based milk to cut down on single-use plastics this month.

To learn more about “plastic-free” milk and the different strategies you can use to reduce single-use plastics, please read my previous article.

Overnight Oats are quick and easy for breakfast

My breakfast go-to’s are overnight oats and kefir. Neither really has any plastic-free alternatives unless you make them yourself (please see my previous article about plastic-free milk options). I used to make my own kefir, and I hope to start up again in the next few months, but right now I’m going to just focus on making plant-milks. Hemp milk is my preferred dairy alternative for overnight oats but feel free to use whatever milk or milk alternative is your favorite.

Overnight Oats Recipe –

This recipe will make one jar (pint-sized), or one large mug of overnight oats. I like mine with a bit more liquid. If you like your oats thicker, just decrease the amount of liquid in the recipe.

Ingredients:

• 1/4 cup quick-cooking rolled oats. Quick-cooking oats absorb the liquid better in my opinion but feel free to use the type of oats you prefer.
• 1/2 Tbsp ground flax seed
• 1 Tbsp chia seeds
• 3/4 Tbsp sugar of choice
• 2 Tbsp salted sunflower seeds
• 2 Tbsp powdered protein of choice (I use unflavored whey protein)
• 1/2 freeze-dried or fresh fruit. I usually use 2 types of fruit.
  • Note: If you’re using freeze-dried fruit it will absorb more of the liquid and you may need to add an additional 2 Tbsp of milk if you want thinner oats.
• 1 cup milk or milk alternative

Directions:

• Add all ingredients to a jar or large mug.
• Stir well and cover jar with lid.
• Place jar in the refrigerator and let it sit for about 8 hours. I’ve only ever eaten these the next day so I don’t know if they can go with a shorter soak time or not.

If you are interested in freeze-dried fruits I recommend checking out Thrive Life Foods* (affiliate link). Trust me, it can be very handy to keep FD fruits in your pantry for snacking and quick meals.

Some freeze-dried fruit options that Thrive Life has available are:

• Strawberries, blueberries, cranberries, raspberries, blackberries, fuji apples, Granny Smith apples, bananas, pineapple, peaches, mango, dragon fruit, and coconut bites!