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Are Overnight Oats Fattening?

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Whenever you scroll through any nutrition website or food blog featuring oatmeal recipes, you will probably come across overnight oats recipes. But, do overnight oats make you gain weight and are they safe to eat if you are on a weight loss diet?

Are overnight oats fattening? Whole grain oats are not fattening, however overnight oats can be if the mix-ins and toppings used are high in fat. Stick with healthy ingredients and overnight oats can be a hearty and nutritious addition to you regular diet routine. 

Soaked oats have become a breakfast craze in recent times, but they have been a relished food for many centuries. Oatmeal is a nutrient dense food packed with health benefits including reduced cholesterol, stabilized blood sugar and also weight loss

Soaked oats definitely seems to be an appropriate breakfast solution: everything is done by you the night before, and when you wake up in the morning the breakfast is ready to eat for you right in the refrigerator. We all know that oats provide us with lots of benefits, and, for this reason, overnight oats can likewise be quite nutritious.

This guide will discuss the details surrounding overnight oats, what are they, can they make you fat and tips to make reduced fat overnight oats. Follow along for everything you need to know about cutting the fat in overnight oats.

What exactly are overnight oats?

Just like oatmeal, by the term “overnight oats” we actually refer to oats that are soaked overnight in liquid. It is possible to soak them in any kind of milk, yogurt, juice or water; however, almond, coconut, and soy milk are some common dairy free alternatives.

Overnight oaks have proven to be a well-liked breakfast choice since it is possible to assemble all the ingredients the day before, refrigerate, and then your breakfast is ready to eat the very next morning when you wake up. 

Nuts, fruits, and seeds are the most typical add-ins for overnight oats which have become extremely popular thanks to their simplicity of preparation as well as the recipe variations and versatility. In fact, there are unending possibilities and combinations for customization.

Do overnight oats make you gain weight?

In spite of being quite popular, overnight oaks might not prove to be healthy as you might think. Everybody loves them because oats are healthy and soaking is a simple preparation method; you simply need to add some fruits, and that’s all. 

The question that might arise here is how do the overnight oats make you gain weight.

Although overnight oats typically consist of oats, fruits, milk, and nuts, it’s the liquids, mix-ins and toppings that can be responsible for weight gain.

Here, we like to mention that not all individuals love the taste of oats. In case you only add water to it, it will become lumpy, bland, and chewy. 

Individuals who do not like to consume oats might force themselves to consume it because of the incredible benefits provided by it. However, on many occasions, we try to add more fruits, sugar, and high fat items that will help to make it taste better. 

Adding flavorful liquids, mouthwatering add-ins and sweeteners enhances the taste to make a more palatable meal prep. Because of this, overnight oats can make us gain weight in the long run.

Eating raw oats for weight loss

Although oats are whole grains consumed widely around the world, they need to be processed since it is not possible for our body to digest the dry kernels. Processing can turn oat groats into many types of oats, most commonly steel cut oats, rolled oats and quick oats.

One of the most familiar processing variants are rolled oats. Rolled oats are oats kernels that have been steamed, pressed flat with large rollers and then dried to resemble oat flakes.

One can consume the oat flakes either cooked or raw. This suggests that you are able to boil them like when making oatmeal porridge, or you can even consume them cold simply by adding raw oat flakes to smoothies, no bake energy bars and overnight oats.

Raw oats can provide us with lots of health benefits, and one of them is shedding pounds. In fact, higher consumption of oats and other whole-grain cereals is connected with a reduced risk of obesity and weight gain. 

The reason for this is that the soluble fibers present in the raw oats will enable you to feel full for a longer period of time. In this way, you will be consuming less amount of food in the long run which will definitely result in weight loss. 

Thus, it’s safe to say that the consumption of raw oats will help you to slim down pretty fast resulting from a feeling of fullness due to the high fiber content.

Do overnight oats make you fat?

Despite the fact that overnight oats are considered to be a popular breakfast option in many households, following unhealthy recipes can make you fat in the long run.

There are several reasons for this, which might include not be using the right liquid, too much sweeteners and disproportionate amount of toppings. 

In case you are calorie conscious, it will be advisable for you to replace the flavored and whole milk plus sweetened yogurt to an unsweetened, reduced-fat milk, or even use water.

Another reason why overnight oaks can increase your weight is the fact that you might be dressing it excessively with sweetness. You might be adding honey, brown sugar, maple syrup, and other similar items so that your soaked oatmeal experience is more enjoyable. 

It will be a sensible idea to restrict the usage of sweeteners in your oatmeal in case you are hoping to lose weight in the long run. Although the added accouterments will make theme prep more enjoyable, they are not benefiting the fat loss goals.

What about the oatmeal diet?

As the name implies, the oatmeal diet is centered around eating oatmeal. The fundamental concept in this diet is to consume oatmeal for each main course throughout the day. 

The oatmeal diet plan consists of 2 phases which are as follows:

  • 1st phase – Consume oatmeal for 3 meals every single day during the initial week. You should consume only whole oats during this time. Some fruits can be taken along with the oatmeal, but should be kept to a minimum.
  • 2nd phase – Following the first phase, you should consume oatmeal for a couple of meals every single day, with a low-fat and healthy option for other meals.

The oatmeal diet provides you with several health benefits given that oats are actually whole grains and provide us with fiber rich content.

The most significant advantages of consuming oatmeal will be minimizing the risk of colorectal cancer and also heart disease. It can likewise aid in digestion and reduce blood pressure and cholesterol levels.

Tips to Reduced Fat Overnight Oats

Oatmeal is extremely low in calories and consists of only 2 grams of fat, so it is naturally a low fat food. Below, we have mentioned some essential tips for overnight oats that will help you to reduce fat.

  • It is very important to shrink the portion size since it will help in weight reduction. In case you’d like to shed pounds, the only solution for achieving that will be to create a calorie deficit. For that reason, you should go for a 1/2 cup portion of dry oats.
  • It will be advisable for you to opt for old-fashioned rolled oats over steel cut oats or quick oats. Rolled oats are the best type of oats for overnight oats because they have the perfect flake size that get soft and tender while remaining slightly chewy. Steel cut oats are too dense and do not get soft enough, while quick oats become extremely mushy when soaked.
  • Make it a point to soak the oats with low-fat milk, water, unsweetened milk, or plain yogurt without added sugars.
  • Try not to add an excessive amount of honey, sugar, or sweeteners. In fact, it will be better not to add any sweetener whatsoever.
  • Control the portion of nuts, fruits, and other toppings. The add-in quickly increase the caloric content making the oats fall victim to increase levels of fats.
Are overnight oats fattening?

Overnight Oats and Fat: Final Thoughts

Although overnight oats can prove to be quite healthy as compared to other breakfast options, excessive consumption can be detrimental eventually. Oats are a low fat food, however its the mix-ins and toppings that have a direct effect on the fat content.

Reduce the fat within the liquids by using unsweetened, low fat alternatives. Consider substituting for just plain water if calories are at a premium. 

It is important to be careful of what is being put into the jar the night before. Controlling the portion of the calorie-laden, sweet stuff will help to make your overnight oat much healthier in the long run.

Keep the fixings to a minimum, and you can make you overnight oats far less fattening!

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