The Best Diabetes Friendly Overnight Oats Recipes According to a Dietitian
Diabetes-friendly meal-prepping doesn’t get any easier (or more delicious) than overnight oats! Perfect for a nutritious grab-and-go breakfast that will energize your morning and keep your blood sugar steady. Try one of these 14 diabetic overnight oats recipes for a filling, healthy start to your day!
There’s a lot to love about overnight oats, especially for people with diabetes! Oatmeal, with its soluble fiber and low glycemic index, is a perfect way to control blood sugar while enjoying a hearty meal. Read on to discover why overnight oats are a dietitian’s favorite breakfast for managing diabetes.
Benefits of Overnight Oats For Diabetes
Breakfast can be a challenge for people with diabetes. But starting your day with a balanced meal – one with plenty of complex carbohydrates, protein, and fat – is a great way to help manage your blood sugars. And overnight oats check all the boxes!
Packed with protein. Adequate protein is important to ensure a filling breakfast that will keep you satisfied for hours to come. These overnight oats recipes use protein-rich ingredients like milk, nuts and seeds, protein powder, Greek yogurt or cottage cheese to boost the protein content of your breakfast. This helps blunt the digestion of carbs and promote steady, balanced blood sugar levels throughout the morning.
Filled with fiber-rich carbs. Oats are one of my favorite blood sugar-reducing foods. They are a fabulous source of whole grains and fiber (both soluble and insoluble!), which helps control blood sugar, reduce cholesterol levels, and promote regularity. The fiber content of oats can also help you stay full for longer, as it leads to higher levels of satiety. While oats are composed of mostly carbohydrates, these are complex carbs that are slowly digestible and are intertwined with protein, fiber, and other beneficial nutrients. When combined with additional sources of protein and healthy fats, they make a very blood-sugar friendly breakfast.
The ultimate meal prep. One of the main benefits of overnight oats is their convenience. Prep a few jars at the beginning of the week and keep them in the fridge for busy weekday mornings. Best part of going to bed is knowing you have a blood-sugar friendly breakfast ready to go!
Easily customizable. Whether you’re gluten-free, vegan, dairy-free, have allergies or diabetes, there’s a substitution that you can make without sacrificing quality. Overnight oats are a recipe that can be tailored to any dietary restriction.
How to Make Diabetic Overnight Oats
Most overnight oats recipes are based on the same few ingredients that can help you better manage your blood sugar in the morning—and throughout the day. Let’s break down this breakfast and why it’s such a great choice for people with diabetes.
- Oats: Old-fashioned or rolled oats work best for overnight oats as they contribute a more chewy texture. Most recipes call for one half cup of oats, which contains about 27 grams of carbohydrates and 4 grams of fiber. You can adjust the portion size to best fit your carbohydrate needs.
- Milk of choice: For the most protein, I recommend dairy milk or soy milk. Keep in mind, cow’s milk does contribute to the overall carbohydrate content. Use unsweetened almond milk or water for a low carb option.
- Chia seeds: These little nutrition powerhouses are packed with fiber and healthy fats. Thanks to all the soluble fiber, they absorb a ton of liquid to form a gel that thickens these overnight oats.
- Protein (optional): I love adding protein powder or plain Greek yogurt to overnight oats for a balanced breakfast that keeps me fuller for longer. Feel free to use any flavor of protein powder you typically enjoy best.
- Sweeteners (optional): A touch of maple syrup, your favorite blood-sugar friendly sweetener, chopped dates, or even a mashed banana can sweeten your overnight oats.
- Toppings & mix-ins: Any slivered or chopped nuts and seeds are great for healthy fats and crunch. Hemp seeds and nut butters are perfect for a boost of protein. For a little flavor, add a dash of vanilla extract, cinnamon, or cocoa powder! The possibilities are endless.
14 Diabetes-Friendly Oatmeal Recipes to Start Your Day
If you’re ready to grab a mason jar and switch up your morning routine, here are 14 of the best overnight oats recipes for diabetes. In addition to being delicious, each one highlights complex carbs, protein and sticks to heart-healthy fats, so you know they’ll work in a diabetes-friendly eating pattern.
Chocolate Peanut Butter Overnight Oats | Erin Palinski-Wade
Creamy avocados and crunchy peanut butter are the secret to these thick, pudding-like overnight oats. Adding diced avocado provides a good source of heart-healthy fats and fiber to boost satiety while helping to balance blood sugar. Did I mention you get to eat chocolate pudding for breakfast?
Calories: 366 Carbs: 36g Protein: 12g Fat: 22g Fiber: ?g
Easy PCOS Overnight Oats | Alyssa Pacheco, RD
This basic overnight oats recipe is the perfect base for any variation of overnight oats. From apple pie to almond joy, you’ll love to start your day with these oats. They are high in fiber to balance blood sugars and contain antioxidants that lower inflammation common in PCOS and diabetes.
Calories: 309 Carbs: 38g Protein: 19g Fat: 9g Fiber: 8g
High Protein Overnight Oats | Nourished by Nic
Turn basic overnight oats into a satiating breakfast with high-protein overnight oats! Ready in 5 minutes and filled with 25 grams of protein, they’re great for meal prep and keeping you fueled and full all morning long. This recipe uses vanilla protein powder for a boost of protein and a bit of extra sweetness, so no added sugar is required.
No protein powder? No problem! You can increase the protein by using soy or cow’s milk, cottage cheese, hemp hearts or peanut butter.
Calories: 402 Carbs: 49g Protein: 25g Fat: 12g Fiber: 8g
Overnight Oats With Water | Kelsey P. RD
Water, chia seeds, and yogurt pair for an astoundingly creamy, dairy-free overnight oats recipe that adds plenty of flavor without spiking blood sugar. This vegan, dairy-free alternative works great for those with lactose intolerance. And since it’s lower in calories than milk-based overnight oats, it can be a better choice for those working to lower their intake of saturated fat and calories.
While these oats are lower in protein, they do have 7 grams of filling fiber. You can increase the protein (and creaminess) with a scoop of protein powder, soy milk or nut butter! Just keep in mind, milk adds a lot of flavor so using a sweetener or sugar-free alternative is recommended.
Calories: 275 Carbs: 49g Protein: 11g Fat: 5g Fiber: 7g
Cookie Dough Overnight Oats | Bucket List Tummy
Don’t we all love an edible cookie dough recipe? These chocolate chip cookie dough overnight oats feature a blend of vanilla protein powder, PB2, chocolate chips, and vanilla greek yogurt for the cookie dough flavor.
PB2 powdered peanut butter contains dramatically fewer calories than traditional peanut butter since most of the calorie-rich fats have been removed. It’s also a good source of protein, which can help regulate appetite, making it a good option for anyone looking to reduce their calorie or fat intake.
Calories: 390 Carbs: 42g Protein: 23g Fat: 8g Fiber: 5g
No Added Sugar Overnight Oats | Zest Nutrition
No sugar added, high-protein oatmeal? It’s not only possible, it’s beyond delicious. You won’t even miss the sugar in these overnight oats, thanks to the addition of dates. While dates do have natural sugar, they’re also high in fiber, vitamins, and minerals, making them a great sweetener choice for diabetes-friendly breakfast.
Tiramisu Overnight Oats | Nourished by Nic
Indulgent, chocolaty, creamy, AND a caffeine boost? I can’t think of a better way to start your morning. These high protein tiramisu overnight oats feature brewed black coffee, a rich source of antioxidants and important micronutrients that help offset the impact of caffeine on blood sugar. If you’re concerned about the caffeine, you can always use a decaffeinated variety.
Calories: 341 Carbs: 47g Protein: 17g Fat: 4g Fiber: 9g
Vanilla Overnight Oats | A Grateful Meal
These Vanilla Overnight Oats are creamy, silky, and have the unique addition of kefir, a probiotic-rich yogurt beverage known to benefit gut health that also helps control blood sugar. Combining probiotic (healthy bacteria from the kefir) and prebiotic foods (fiber from the oats) creates the perfect symbiotic relationship to keep our digestive systems regular and functioning well.
Calories: 262 Carbs: 42g Protein: 9g Fat: 7g Fiber: 4g
Peach Overnight Oats | Haute & Healthy Living
Naturally sweetened with fresh, juicy peaches and warm spices, this combo is packed with flavor, vitamin C, and vitamin A. Chia seeds thicken the overnight oats, while walnuts provide crunch with a healthy dose of fiber and omega-3 fats. Each serving has 39 grams of net carbs thanks to the 11 grams of fiber. And while it’s not necessarily a low-carb option, it is packed with whole food ingredients, healthy fats, and 15 grams of plant protein. If needed, you can cut down on carbs even more by reducing the serving size.
Calories: 329 Carbs: 50g Protein: 15g Fat: 9g Fiber: 11g
Pumpkin Pie Overnight Oats | Lexi Cole, RD, CCMS
Free from nuts and gluten, this overnight oats recipe is bursting with pumpkin flavor. It’s low in sugar, but still delicious as it’s sweetened with a touch of maple syrup. The creamy base is from pumpkin puree and the pepitas add fiber, antioxidants, omega-3 fatty acids and steady energy throughout the day.
Overnight Oats for Weight Loss | Summer Yule, MS, RDN
Need a healthy breakfast idea that will help you in losing weight? Try adding this weight loss overnight oats recipe to your menu. Using low-fat and non-fat dairy, fresh fruit, and sugar-free maple syrup make these oats low in calories with a big volume. One serving contains 25 grams of protein along with fiber and good fats for balanced blood sugar and satiety. If you struggle with portion control, prepping these ahead of time in separate mason jars is a great way to stick to the portion size.
Calories: 318 Carbs: 47g Protein: 25g Fat: 4g Fiber: 6g
Lemon Cheesecake Overnight Oats | It’s A Flavorful Life
Tangy lemon curd, creamy yogurt and whipped cream cheese create these delicious lemon cheesecake overnight oats. Greek yogurt is the primary source of protein that gives some staying power to this meal, while lemon curd replaces the need for sweeteners. Despite how much they may taste like dessert, this combination of nutrients slows down the digestive process, keeping us fuller for longer and our blood sugar stable.
Calories: 302 Carbs: 32g Protein: 14g Fat: 11g
Cinnamon Overnight Oats with Apple | Katie Pfeffer-Scanlan MS, RD
The combination of apples, cinnamon, and maple syrup provides all the great flavors and aromas of fall. But the benefits don’t stop there! Cinnamon has been shown to improve insulin sensitivity and post-meal blood glucose levels, making it a great addition to overnight oats. Apples also provide a nutrition boost since they are rich in fiber and antioxidants and may offer anti-inflammatory properties.
With less than 300 calories per serving, this low-calorie breakfast is a great option to help you reach your weight loss goals.
Calories: 289 Carbs: 44g Protein: 12g Fat: 4g
High Protein Overnight Oats (6 Ways) | Haute & Healthy Living
These mason jar overnight oats with protein powder use simple ingredients for a satisfying grab-and-go breakfast to help you stay on track with your healthy eating goals. The best part is, they’re shelf-stable, perfectly measured out and portion-controlled with six different flavor options, so breakfast will never get boring. Just add milk or water when you’re ready to eat!
Calories: 390 Carbs: 42g Protein: 27g Fat: 16g Fiber: 8g
The bottom line:
Oats can easily fit into a diabetes meal plan, especially if you choose one of the best diabetic overnight oats recipes from this list. Be mindful of the portion size and what kind of milk you soak the oats in to most effectively manage your blood sugars.
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