lemon blueberry overnight oats

Breakfast has never been my strong suit. I never liked to eat first thing in the morning, but once I get going I often forget to. Once I had kids, it was worse. Instinctively, moms put their kids before themselves, and breakfast was no exception - the kids would be fully fed, cleaned up, and the kitchen tidied before I'd have my first bite around 10am, four hours after I'd woken up.

But we need breakfast! We need protein, and energy, and healthy fats, and fresh ingredients, and we need them before ten in the morning. A couple of months ago Vega sent us some of their vanilla protein powder to experiment with and we've loved adding it to smoothies, and that's what I use in this recipe, too.

I've recently written about how I'm doing my best to workout daily and how taking care of myself almost felt wrong, as if moms were supposed to be exhausted all the time. This fits in with that post too, in a way. Donuts can be breakfast sometimes (#yolo and yeehaw!), but starting most days with a great, healthy breakfast early in the morning, before you care for your kids? That shouldn't feel like you're abandoning your mom ship, it should feel like you're steering it well.

The easiest way for me to care well for my body at breakfast time is to have something ready made waiting for me so I can eat before the kids wake up. Usually quick breakfasts are carb heavy and/or full of sugar, and I'm glad to say these overnight oats are neither. My friend Morgan shared her overnight oats recipe on Instagram last month and I decided to alter it a bit, adding some coconut cream, lemon zest, and fresh blueberries. It is so refreshing and delicious! And filling. I usually eat one when I first get up at 6-ish and then I can care for the kids on a full stomach.

LEMON BLUEBERRY OVERNIGHT OATS (makes enough for the week!)

Mix dry ingredients together:

• 2 cups oats
• 1/4 cup chia seeds
• 1/4 cup hemp hearts
• 1/4 cup Vega vanilla protein powder 
• 1/4 cup shredded coconut 

Then add...

• zest of half a lemon 
• 4 cups of milk (almond milk, cow's milk, etc)
• 1/4 cup coconut cream
• fresh blueberries

Pour into individual ingredients for the week and refrigerate. They'll be done in 12 hours, but they get better every day!