Overnight Peanut Butter Protein Oats (GF/DF-Adaptable)
Image courtesy of Zoe Francois
Who knew that eating enough protein for breakfast could change not just your whole day, but your weight and your health?
That’s a bold claim, but it’s turned out to be quite true.
People who eat a protein-rich breakfast make more nutritious, lower-calorie food choices all day long, without having to expend much willpower.
And that’s good news because the truth is, we’re terrible at fighting our brains. It’s exhausting! Who wants to spend their entire day resisting cravings?
Not me.
Most people abandon their New Year’s resolutions by the second Friday in January, known as Quitter’s Friday, for just this reason. We need our brainpower and discipline for our work, for parenting, for relationships, for conflict resolution, for planning our next bold moves.
It’s one thing to spend brainpower on finding nutritious food – do that, for survival and health and all those good things – but to spend it on resisting eating too much? What a waste, especially because it just doesn’t need to be that way.
So, how do you turn off energy-stealing cravings and food thoughts so your brain can focus on doing cool shit with your life?
Like maybe writing a book? Or taking a dance class? Or going on a trip with your kids? Or hiking with your partner? Or recording your grandparents telling their life stories? Or learning to sketch? Or learning Italian – and then going to Italy?
Or how about learning to cook simple, healthy meals instead of resisting or regretting eating things you wish you weren’t?
Here are some suggestions for turning down your appetite and food thoughts and getting your brain back for what actually lights you up:
- Eat a protein-rich breakfast that includes fiber, some carbs, and colorful veggies and/or fruit too
- Do it again for lunch
- If you enjoy an afternoon snack, do it again but in half
- Then do it again for dinner
- When you cook, make double so you have lunch or dinner for the next day
- Batch cook a protein or two on the weekend especially for the meals that trip you up (if breakfast is a struggle for you, make these Overnight Oats)
I meet with badass midlife women every day to map out personalized plans for eating enough protein and nutrients per meal to be full enough to naturally start to lose weight.
As you can imagine, lots of barriers come up that have nothing to do with food: picky kids, health challenges, food sensitivities, travel for work, aging parents, divorce, moving, retirement, getting married, new jobs, perimenopause, cancer recovery, gut health, autoimmunity, depression.
It is my honor to problem-solve together and come up with delicious solutions that match my clients’ schedules, cooking skills, food preferences, fitness goals, and desired outcomes and then send them on their way to live big lives without cravings or confusion. The plans we create are much more than a diet – they’re a lifestyle.
If you’re not following me on Instagram, make sure that you are. I post lots of tips every day, especially in my stories.
Image courtesy of Zoe Francois
If you love these overnight oats, I have a whole printable PDF of 30 Grams of Protein Breakfast recipes available for free here.
And if you’d like to begin your own customized journey, for all the meals, for all the days, you can work with me here (or try a one-hour Power Hour session here).
I wish you all the best in 2025 – LFG!
xoxo Stephanie
Overnight Peanut Butter Protein Oats
Serves 4
Note: as the name suggests, make the oats the night (or day) before you plan to serve them. They can be eaten up to 3 days after making them. For flavor variations, blend berries or ripe peaches into the yogurt mixture and use almond butter and a little almond extract (then top with the same berries and/or
peaches). In the winter, top with sautéed apples or other warm fruit seasoned with cinnamon.
For the oats:
1 1/3 cups Greek yogurt
1 1/3 cups milk (dairy or non-dairy)
1/4 cup peanut butter (or other nut or seed butter)
1/4 – 1/2 cup maple syrup
4 scoops collagen peptides (optional)
1/8 teaspoons salt
1 1/3 cups old fashioned rolled oats
3 teaspoons chia seeds
Toppings:
Peanuts (or other nuts or seeds)
Banana slices
Make the oats:
1. Add yogurt, milk, peanut butter, maple syrup, collagen, and salt to the bowl
of a blender. Blend on medium-high speed until smooth.
2. Add oats and chia seeds to the yogurt mixture and just stir with a spoon (no
need to blend it).
3. Pour oat mixture into a large glass container with an airtight lid. Refrigerate
overnight.
4. To serve, spoon into bowls (or jars for on-the-go) and top with peanuts and
banana slices.
Per serving without toppings: 315 calories, 28 grams protein, 11 grams fat, 40 grams net carbs, 6 grams fiber