Hello!
The other day, I received the following question from a reader:
How filled up does your Oats In a Jar get? I made it a while ago, but my oats barely made it 1/3 of the way up to jar. I found it so inconvenient that I ended up just pouring it back into a bowl. Sad day.
That is a sad day! Oats In a Jar are one of my favorite breakfasts, so I’ll let you guys in on my secret recipe for Super Fluffy Oats In a Jar. (It’s actually not a secret at all. I just made it up this morning.)
Super Fluffy Oats In A Jar
Ingredients:
- 1/4 cup rolled oats
- 1 ripe banana
- 3/4 cup milk of your choice (I used hemp milk)
- 3/4 cup liquid egg whites
- 1 tbsp ground flaxseed meal
Directions:
- Combine together oats, milk, egg whites, banana, and ground flax; blend well.
- In a medium saucepan, warm the mixture on the stove, stirring frequently, until it thickens and reaches the desired consistency; this should only take a few minutes.
- Pour Super Fluffy Oats in an almost-empty nut butter jar and enjoy with your favorite toppings.
Serves 1
Delicious! Check out the fluffiness!
After lunch, I ran some errands and then headed to NuVal for a few hours of work.
Lunch
Once again, my lunch was split up into two parts. I ate the first part while working away at NuVal: plain Greek yogurt + fresh raspberries + homemade granola.
Back at home, I created a surprisingly amazing quinoa salad. I was so hungry, I just threw together a bunch of ingredients that I thought would taste good together. The end result: outstanding!
Cheesy, Crunchy Quinoa Salad
Ingredients:
- I cup cooked quinoa
- 2 large handfuls of arugula
- 1/4 cup shredded full-flavored, stinky cheese (I used Parmigiano Reggiano)
- 2 tbsp sunflower seeds
- 1 tsp truffle oil
Directions:
- Combine quinoa and arugula in a microwave-safe bowl and microwave for 60 seconds until the arugula wilts.
- Remove quinoa from microwave and stir in cheese, sunflower seeds, and truffle oil.
- Serve warm or cold.
Serves 1
Off to the park to let the pug spaz-out!
See ya!
P.S. Adorable website for the wrinkly dog lovers: http://fyeahwrinklydogs.tumblr.com/ Please note its name. LOL!
{ 66 comments… read them below or add one }
I can’t imagine only eating 1/4 cup of oats in the morning. I must be a hungry hungry hippo because I typically use 3/4 cup!
Mmmm, quinoa salad sounds wonderful (then again, everything with parm is pretty darn wonderful)
I’ve never added an egg to oats before. I’m going to have to try it.
That quinoa salad sure looks great!
Wow, your oats are SO fluffy! I’ve been using chia seeds + extra water for the fluff factor, but mine don’t look anywhere near as voluminous as yours. I’m going to use your method tomorrow morning!
My overnight oats in a jar always fill up the entire jar but never my hot oats. I’ll have to try your recipe!
My overnight oats never fills up the jar! Can you share your “recipe” for that one?
@Leah: I usually do 1/2 cup oats, 1/2 cup milk, 1/2 cup yogurt, tsp chia seeds, 1/2 scoop protein powder, 1/2 banana sliced, and cinnamon. I think the key is the banana, if you slice it thickly it will take up more room and it still tastes the same!
I’ve never heard parm referred to as a stinky cheese before. Stilton? Sure. Limburger? Absolutely. Camembert? Okay. But parm reg is usually quite mellow and nutty. Sure it hasn’t turned?
@Sam: that’s what I was thinking, too. I’m not a huge stinky cheese person. Parm is not at all stinky!
@Charliss: @Sam: I used Parmigiano Reggiano, which is pretty stinky!
@Tina: Sorry, Parmigiano Reggiano is what I meant by “parm reg” above, but okay! Still have never heard or experienced that, but maybe there are different scales of stink
@Sam: Def stinky, I would agree!
That website was way cute! I have a boxer puppy right now- Neeka is super cute and the sweetest thing ever!
Do you ever find that bananas over power other flavors in oats sometimes?
@Carrie Purchase: Yep, sometimes. It just depends how ripe the banana is!
I JUST had a quinoa salad and it was aaahhhhmazing. Different ingredients from yours, but I sure do love quinoa!
Have fun at the park
Looove fluffy oats. I’ve always been afraid to add egg because I’m scared it’ll taste weird, so I usually add extra milk or pumpkin.
That looks great Tina! Good hearty breakfast!
I made OIAJ for the first time last week with the remaining sunbutter. It was so delicious:) Thanks for this recipe!
delish!
have fun at the park with murphy
I neeeeed to try your super fluffy oats! They look so good every time you show them!
Hah! That wrinkly dog site is fabulous… I love the post with Hugh Laurie and his Pug that says “Hugh Laurie has a pug. that means every person should have a pug. ” Too cute (Plus, I have a thing for Hugh Laurie
)
@Sarah: LOL!
Granola is next up on my list of items to make! Yummy! I am loving the granola called “Love Crunch” right now!!
@Ann @ Turbo Teacher: That “Love Crunch” is outstanding!! YUM!
I’ve noticed that my 1/2 cup of oats doesn’t fill up the peanut butter jar either but then I just pile on the toppings!
I think it may depend on the size of the peanut butter jar…. we only use 2.5 lb jars and I’m sure they won’t fill it. A one lb jar may work well.
Those are definitely some fluffy oats, look yummy!!
WOW! I’ve never added the egg BEFORE cooking, I always add my egg whites just as I finish up cooking oats on the stove. Going to have to try this out!!
Your oats always look so fluffy! The egg whites really do something! I must try it. That quinoa salad sounds great.
I would really like to lose weight but the thought of dieting is awful to me. I am always hungry and miserable. When you were losing weight were you hungry a lot? Do you feel that part of dieting is just dealing with hunger and denying yourself?
@Lisa: Look into volumetrics!
@Lisa: I got hungry at times, but I’ve always been an eater, so I eat when I’m hungry. Plus, when I was losing weight, it wasn’t a “diet” for me. I was making long-term, permanent lifestyle changes, so being hungry and denying myself just wasn’t going to work for me!
Jessica’s idea about volumetrics is a good one. I like to load up with salads and lots of low-cal veggies and fruit. Additionally, check out the make-up of your meals and snacks. Is there protein, healthy fats, and fiberous carbs? A combination of nutrients really helps to satisfy me. Also, check out this post I wrote just last week for Health.com about planning healthy, satisfying meals: http://weightloss.health.com/2012/02/14/plan-healthy-meals/
Hope this helps!
@Tina: Thanks a lot! Started the “Fitday” today
oh my gosh. I need to make those oats – so fluffy! I have a peanut butter jar ready to become OIAJ…
Wow, those are some seriously fluffy oats! Have you tried anything similar with steel cut oats?
I love the idea of egg whites in them for added protein and fluffiness. I can’t wait to try them.
@Laura Jane @ Recovering Chocoholic: I haven’t, but I bet it’d work if you soaked them overnight and then heated them together with the egg whites, milk, etc. in the morning. Check out this post about the overnight steel cut oats: http://carrotsncake.com/2011/12/the-dirty-dozen.html
Oats look yummy! Have fun at the park!
That quinoa looks so simple but delicious!!
I like to add about 2/3 of a sliced banana and a big handful of blueberries to my oats in a jar and then it fill is right up!
ahhh thank you for telling me the trick because I also rarely ever made oats in a jar because mine always looked so pathetic!!! i dont have any flax so I am hoping the Chia can work the same but my gosh, i always wanted to make these because they are convienient for on the go, but the small serving just totally turned me off! so thanks
GREAT healthy eating day for you! I LOVE plain greek yogurt, so much cleaner tasting. :=)
Wanted to show you this…
http://www.videofy.me/m2wy8lzm/406826
Pug and kitty video…so cute lol
@Joss: LOL! Murphy snores JUST like that!
Loved the website, so funny!
The oatmeal jar looks wonderful!!! I do the same thing but I never thought of using 1/2 cup of egg whites. I usually add greek yogurt. I’m going to try your way!!
Mmmm, looks like 2 good recipes! I’ve gotta get on the egg whites in oats bandwagon to up the protein!
@Hilary: @Jennifer @ Peanut Butter and Peppers: Egg whites are great and they really don’t taste too “eggy” if you add a banana or some other flavor. Let me know what you think!
My trick is to let my oats soak in chia seeds over night – my oats are SUPER fluffy!!
@chelsey @ clean eating chelsey: Me too! They pretty much double in size!
never had quinoa like this-great recipe idea!
Oh man does that Quinoa looks good!
Glad the pug got to have some fun
Today is my one year adoptiversary with my puggle/puginese and he has just been the greatest thing in my life. Pugs rule! (and all other pets too)
@Alex @ Raw Recovery: Agreed!
I swear by chias for volumes oats!
i’ve had a bag of quinoa in my cupboard for months and never done anything with it, i really should get it out soon!
My problem with OIAJ is that I can never fit all of my oatmeal into the jar – I have to put some of it in a bowl haha.
What kind of Greek yogurt is that? It doesn’t look familiar!
Wowww the oats are so fluffy, need to try that!!
Love that website, hilarious!
just made the OIAJ. SOOOOO DELICIOUS AND FLUFFY-i might have to OD on nut butter just to make this again soon =)
I actually JUST made oats in my PB jar this morning and thought about this exact situation.
I make instant oats alot (because it’s quicker and I can do it at work) and I don’t like my oats super runny, so I had gotten in the habit of not putting a lot of water/milk in them. Less water meant my oats were not runny, but not volumous either. Unforunately I had forggotten that once out of the microwave for about 30 seconds, oats start to stiffen even more. Add that to the fact that the nut butter also makes them thicken up and my oats got way TOO thick.
Today I put about twice as much water/milk as I normally do and watched them carefully in the microwave. Once they got just past the “runny” consistensity, I poured them into my nut butter jar and stirred. Once the nut butter was incorporated and the oats were able to sit for about 30 seconds, I had TWICE as many oats and a perfect consistensy!
Hope this helps!
Tina, have you changed your posting schedule in the past couple of months? I feel like I used to come to your blog in the morning and there was new content, but now when I come it’s the same post from the previous day with the new post going up later in the day. Which is fine! I’m not complaining! I love reading your blog any time of day!!!
I’m just curious if I missed something along the way.
By the way, in these last pictures I noticed how big Murphy is! Is he big for a pug? I am in the process of getting a dog and was thinking about a pug. However, I live in an apartment and am thinking a pug might be too big for my smaller space. Either way, love that pug face!
I just cooked up the oats n eggs recipe as my dinner – didn’t have the peanut butter jar but it is good anyways – that stuff is super filling! love it!
I eat oatmeal every morning but it never filled me up until I started using 1/4 cup oat bran with 1/4 cup oats with 1/2 cup water and 1/2 cup almond/coconut milk. The oat bran makes the oatmeal very thick and creamy. I always add an apple that I cut up and cook with lots of cinnamon and of course 1 Tbs. of peanut butter. I buy bulk organic oat bran that’s only 60 calories per 1/4 cup and along with the other ingredients I can have an extremely filling breakfast for a modest amount of calories. I sympathize with the above reader who is just starting trying to lose weight. I have a huge appetite but by counting calories I have lost 34 pds since April 2011. I use myfitnesspal.com and exercise 6 days a week. I also find that eating almost the same thing everyday really helps me so I too eat a huge salad almost everyday for lunch. That way I can splurge a little on weekends, b/c I too am addicted to sugar, I love cakes, brownies and desserts so much that I think I will always have a heard time fighting those temptations but keeping them out of the house is one way I keep on track. I too use greek yogurt and fruit as my “dessert” daily.
your healthy eating has inspired me! I have two kids, a four year old little girl who is 4, after I had her at age 21, my body bounced back immediately! I also just had a little boy who was born 4.5 months ago who weighed in at nearly 9lbs! My body is not bouncing back so quickly. Some say I’m lucky as I do not have one single stretch mark but I’m hovering around 135lbs when I’m used to being 120lbs. I’ve recently started a blog about the funny things that happen to me everyday because of my kids, I would love for you to leave some tips for healthy eating on my blog! twonamestwokids.wordpress.com
Just tried eggs whisked into oats for the first time today…amazing! I couldn’t really taste anything ‘eggy’, but they were so rich and creamy!
I tried eat OIAJ once, but I had the same problem. It didn’t even fill 1/4 of the jar. I like my oats SUPER thick and that makes them quite small. In a bowl for me it is!
So surprised by the question!!!
My OIAJ usually spill over the top of my PB making a big (and tasty) mess the night before breakfast is even served!
That salad looks delicious! I got two bottles of truffle oil in my stocking this year, and I’ve been trying to find the right vehicle for it. The quinoa would be a nice base, and the arugula gives it great color.
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