Raise The Rouf Health Introduction
During last week’s topic, we discussed the importance of feeing the “good” bacteria in our gut. One of the food sources for our good bacteria is resistance starch (RS), which connects well with the theme for today’s recipe, overnight oats!
What are Resistance Starches?
RS is a uniquely chemically structured form of starch. In RS, the chemical bonds are packed very tight together, and as a result, our body struggles to digest it very well. Furthermore, much of the RS bypasses are small intestine, making it’s way into the large intestine, acting as food for our good gut bacteria!
Common starches, such as rice, pasta, and potatoes are great examples. When we cook these foods, they all absorb water. When we let them cool, they lose that water and become a lot more solidified. Think of your soft warm rice vs. hard cold rice. That’s the magic of becoming a resistance starch.
What are the Best Sources?
Cooked and cooled Starches, like rice, pasta, barley, and potatoes all contain a few grams of RS per 1 cup serving.
Greener Bananas: When green, bananas contain loads of RS. As they ripen, the RS turns more and more into regular starch and sugar. For bananas that are mostly yellow with a tad bit of green yet, they contain about 5g of RS!
Beans (especially white) + Lentils: ~5-7g/cup
Overnight Oats! A one cup serving of overnight oats packs ~17g of RS! Whether you’re using steel cut or rolled oats, RS is going to be high!
Check out the Cabral Concept Podcast to reference these amounts and hear more about RS! This is a great daily podcast that gives lots of useful information!
The Power of Overnight Oats
Cooked and cooled oats are one of the highest sources of RS, providing around 17 grams per 1 cup serving. This, along with so many different flavor combinations and such an time-friendly preparation, overnight oats deserve a shot in your weekly routine!
Base Ingredients: Oats (typically 1/4-1/2 cup depending on your nutritional needs), Milk of Choice (~1/2 cup; as always, adjust to your needs and liking!), Dash of Cinnamon, Pinch of Salt, Vanilla Extract, Honey/Maple Syrup (1/2-1 tbsp, depending on desired sweetness and other fruits added)
Add-Ons: Greek Yogurt, Protein Powder, Fruit of Choice, Cacao Powder, Pumpkin, Nuts/Seeds of Choice (Walnuts, Almonds, Pumpkin Seeds, Chia Seeds, Cashews, etc.)
- With the fall season upon us, a flavor I’ve had on repeat is pumpkin spice, which combines pumpkin, pumpkin spice, apple, almond butter, and pumpkin seeds added onto “the base.”
- I also like to add some Greek yogurt or protein powder to any flavor to boost the protein to help with muscle growth and recovery!
Here’s how to put it together!
- Grab a sealable container, add all of your ingredients of choice, and place in the fridge for the week ahead! It’s really that easy! Prep as many as you’d like for the week ahead. These are perfect for busy schedules, while also packing protein, fiber, RS, giving you a satiating meal and long lasting energy to go out and win the day!
- Note: If using steel cut oats, I like to cook them in a pot first for a few minutes to soften them up slightly. Otherwise, it may be a bit to chewy and touch on the stomach. If using rolled oats, simply put them in your container/jar raw. The milk will absorb the oats and it will solidify as it cools!
- Some ingredients, such as fruit, sometimes work better when you add them as a topping right before eating (rather than including them in the mixture in the beginning). This is more personal preference than anything, so play around with different combos and what you enjoy most!
Flavor Combinations:
- Cacao
- Banana Walnut
- Pumpkin Spice
- Carrot Cake
- Lemon Blueberry Coconut
- Almond Raspberry
- Strawberry Cheesecake
- There really is no wrong way to do overnight oats! The world is your oyster. Get creative, experiment, make it fun, and nourish your body in the process!
Closing
As discussed last week, maintaining a healthy gut plays such a huge role in our overall health, more than it gets credit for. Getting adequate RS in our diet provides fuel for our good bacteria, so they can continue to thrive and outnumber the “bad guys.” Overnight oats are such a great option to fit the jam-packed schedules that so many of us have. Easy to prep, customizable, nutritious,. and delicious, stock your fridge with these for your next work week! Let me know how it goes for you and/or what flavors you tried! Additionally, please feel free to share these post with anyone you think it could benefit. Reach out with any questions you may have!
Have a great weekend and start to a brand new month. We’re 75% through 2026. Continue winning the days and see how much growth you can make before the end of 2026!
