Are Overnight Oats Healthy? - My Captain Oats (2024)

Overnight oats have become a popular breakfast option across the world. Everyone swears by their basic bowl of overnight oats, from celebs to culinary bloggers.

For a variety of reasons, this recipe has become a favourite morning treat, and rightly so. Overnight oats have several health benefits that cannot be overstated.

Overnight oats can be customised by adding fruit, nuts, or your favourite spreads and jams. Here are some tasty overnight oatmeal recipes to get your day off to a good start:

• Apple raisin Overnight Oat
• Green Apple Overnight Oats
• Pumpkin Coconut Overnight Oats
• Blueberry Banana Overnight Oats

Let’s take a look at what overnight oats are, what health benefits they offer, and if they’re better than ordinary oats.

They’re essentially a no-cook oatmeal alternative. Simply soak the raw oats in milk instead of heating them on the stovetop or in the microwave.

Because of the soaking procedure, the oats absorb the liquid and become soft enough to be consumed.

Or, you could soak the oats and keep them in the refrigerator for 2 4 hours. However, soaking it overnight is ideal. Hence, the name, overnight oats!

Resistant starch is high in oats. When soaked overnight, the starch in the oats is naturally broken down, allowing more nutrients to be absorbed by the oats. This causes the oatmeal to swell up and absorb the liquid through every pore, making it a healthy and filling breakfast meal on its own.

Additionally, the acid in the oats breaks down overnight, allowing for easier digestion. It’s easier to eat in the morning because of its sloppy texture.

As a result of this, overnight oats help you control type 2 diabetes. This is the most important reason to eat them!

Other benefits include:

Oats include beta-glucan, a soluble fibre that has been shown to lower blood cholesterol levels by boosting the excretion of cholesterol-rich bile.

Oats are also high in antioxidants, and when paired with vitamin C, they can help reduce LDL oxidation, which can lead to heart attacks, strokes, tissue damage, and arterial inflammation.

While overnight oats are a nutritious, convenient, and substantial breakfast alternative, they can also aid in weight loss. When you eat oats, you won’t overeat because they have beta-glucan, which makes you feel full.

Apart from weight reduction, beta-glucan stimulates the release of peptide hormones generated in the stomach in reaction to food, which might help you consume fewer calories throughout the day.

A bowl of overnight oats might help to strengthen your immune system. The inclusion of beta-glucan in oats aids in increasing the activity of our body’s white blood cells (WBCs), which are responsible for defending us from sickness.

Because oats are high in zinc and selenium, they help fight infections. Beta-glucan can help antibiotics work better and speed up wound healing.

Carbohydrates in oats are converted to glucose, which is the energy source for our brains.

Oats are high in fibre and have a low glycemic index (GI), meaning they break down slowly and don’t spike your blood sugar, allowing your brain to reap the benefits for a long time.

Oats are high in vitamin B, which helps to prevent cognitive impairment and memory loss.

Constipation sufferers are advised to consume oatmeal for breakfast on a regular basis.

Because oats include insoluble fibre, they help with bowel movements by bulking up the stool and allowing it to soak up water.

They also make it simpler to move through the colon because they are both soft and substantial, removing any indications of constipation.

The answer is a resounding yes. We know local Malaysian breakfasts such as Roti Canai is a favourite among everyone but eating them every single morning might not be practical.

For instance, Roti Canai is high in starch and fat, not to mention it contains a high amount of sodium and calories (around 300 calories for a single Roti Canai kosong). This makes roti canai an unhealthy breakfast choice.

On the other hand, overnight oats are packed with a variety of nutrients. They are natural and high in nutrients like copper, zinc, iron, magnesium, phosphorus, vitamins, fibre, manganese, and other minerals that help keep your gut healthy and your digestive system running smoothly.

In addition, when overnight oats are left to soak overnight, their nutritious value is preserved as compared to instant oats recipes that are heated on the stove.