Chocolate Overnight Oats with Chia Seeds & Warm Strawberry Vanilla Compote + My Favorite Heart Healthy Foods

These Chocolate Overnight Oats with Chia Seeds & Warm Strawberry Vanilla Compote {gluten free, vegan, low FODMAP} are the ultimate healthy “dessert for breakfast” treat!

You can thank my Aunt Judy, my daughter SiSi, and Raymond Reddington for these scrumptious, heart healthy Chocolate Overnight Oats with Chia Seeds & Warm Strawberry Vanilla Compote. Mmmm….

First My Aunt Judy…

She’s the best! And, she’s also one of my biggest Spicy RD fans who shares my blog posts with all of her friends. Thank You!!! She recently emailed me asking if I had any recommendations for heart healthy foods to help lower cholesterol…

Hi EA,

Do you have any recommendations on how to lower cholesterol via food intake versus medication? Or do you know a good website I can visit that addresses this?

THANKS

PS  Glad you had fun skiing.  And we loved the thank you notes from the kids. ♥

So, for you, Aunt Judy, here’s a list of some of my favorite heart healthy foods to help lower cholesterol & for overall heart health.

• OATS.  They’re a good source of beta-glucans, a type of soluble fiber which helps lower LDL cholesterol. As a bonus, oats are a prebiotic food with resistant starch {like in my Happy Belly Brownie Bites with Green Banana Flour}, to help feed a healthy gut microbiome!
  • Try It!–> Oatmeal Peanut Butter Chia Breakfast Cookies
• BEANS, LENTILS, & LEGUMES. Another great source of soluble fiber. Tip–> Eating 5-10 grams of soluble fiber each day can reduce LDL Cholesterol by ~5%.
  • Try It!–> Black Bean Walnut Brownies
• CHIA SEEDS. Although studies on lowering cholesterol with chia seeds are mixed, they are a good plant-source of omega-3 fatty acids which may help lower triglycerides, decrease the risk of arrhythmias {abnormal heartbeats}, & lower blood pressure.
  • Try It!–> Ginger Matcha Green Tea Infused Chia Pudding
• NUTS. They contain antioxidant rich vitamin E and phytochemicals, along with arginine, a nonessetial amino acid that helps keep arterial walls nice and pliable. Aim for 5+ ounces of nuts per week-an amount that has been linked to a 35-50 % decrease in heart disease incidence and death.
  • Try It–> Mexican Chocolate Almond Butter
• STRAWBERRIES, CITRUS, APPLES. Rich in pectins, another type of soluble fiber that helps lower LDL cholesterol, strawberries, citrus fruits, and apples are all on my list of favorite heart healthy foods!
  • Try It!–> https://www.eastewart.com/recipes-and-nutrition/citruslove-cara-cara-orange-salsa-fresca/

For more heart healthy foods, check out this list of 11 foods that lower cholesterol + a list of foods to cut back on too!

Second, my sweet daughter SiSi…

She just finished her week long experiment following a vegan diet, based on a bet she made with her Grandpa Gil, who didn’t think she would stick to it. Grandpa Gil, if you’re reading this, it’s time to pay up!

And, while she doesn’t plan on staying on a vegan diet at this time, {she would like to try and follow a vegetarian or “flexitarian” diet}, she did discover some new vegan foods she really enjoys, including veggie burgers, almond milk, Hail Merry Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Bites {who can blame her!}, and this dairy-free, probiotic rich So Delicious Coconut Milk Yogurt that I incorporated deliciously into these Chocolate Overnight Night Oats with Chia Seeds, along with one of her all-time favorite fruits-strawberries!

And, last but not least, Raymond Reddington…

If you have NO CLUE whatsoever who Raymond Reddington is, you clearly have never watched The Blacklist, one of my current binge shows on Netflix. Raymond, played by James Spader, is a former government agent, turned criminal, who turns himself into the FBI after 20 years to help them catch other “impossible to catch” criminals. Of course there’s more to the plot line than this, so if you’re into Crime/FBI shows, you should definitely check it out!

As to the reason why Raymond Reddington is my last inspiration for these Chocolate Overnight Oats with Chia Seeds, it’s simply because I was watching The Blacklist last night, right before bed, when I suddenly had the urge to run to the kitchen and make them.

I am SO glad that I did.

So, here’s the heart healthy recipe for you Aunt Judy, SiSi, and Raymond.

And, for the rest of you too.

Enjoy!!!

Chocolate Overnight Oats with Chia Seeds & Warm Strawberry Vanilla Compote {Gluten Free, Vegan, Low FODMAP}

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Chocolate Overnight Oats with Chia Seeds & Warm Strawberry Vanilla Compote

These Chocolate Overnight Oats with Chia Seeds & Warm Strawberry Vanilla Compote {gluten free, vegan, low FODMAP} are the ultimate healthy "dessert for breakfast" treat!

Course Breakfast, Brunch

Cuisine American, Gluten Free, Low FODMAP, Vegan

Prep Time 5 minutes

Cook Time 5 minutes

Total Time 10 minutes

Servings 1 serving

Author EA Stewart | The Spicy RD

Ingredients

• 1/3 cup oats {Use 1/4 cup for Low FODMAP version & certified gluten free if needed}
• 1 container {5.3 oz} So Delicious Chocolate Coconut Yogurt or your favorite chocolate yogurt
• 1/2 cup unsweetened organic soy milk or other *milk* of choice
• 1 tablespoon chia seeds
• 1/8 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup frozen {thawed} or fresh strawberries
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• 1 teaspoon pure maple syrup
• 1 pinch of salt
• Cacao Nibs optional, for serving

Instructions

Make The Oats

1. Place oats, yogurt, milk, chia seeds, and salt in a glass jar or bowl. Set in refrigerator overnight, or for 3-4 hours, until oats are softened. If using frozen strawberries, place them in the refrigerator too, and allow to thaw overnight, or defrost them in the microwave before making the compote.

Make the Warm Strawberry Vanilla Compote

1. Heat a saucepan over medium heat. Add thawed strawberries and saute for ~ 1minute, then mash with a fork or potato masher. Stir in maple syrup and vanilla, and cook for an additional 1-2 minutes.

To Serve

1. Top the overnight oats with the strawberry compote, and sprinkle cacao nibs on top if desired.

Recipe Notes

You can make several jars of oats ahead of time, and keep them in the refrigerator, well covered, for up to 3 days before serving. In addition, you can make the strawberry compote ahead of time, store it in the refrigerator, and heat it up in the microwave before serving.

Let’s chat! What are your favorite heart healthy foods? Have you tried overnight oats before? If so, what are your favorite toppings to put on them? Have you watched The Blacklist? Any favorite “binge worthy shows” you recommend???

If you enjoyed this post & recipe I’d love for you to share it! Thanks so much for your support in helping me spread the word that healthy IS delicious!

Does your diet need a DELICIOUS re-boot? Click here to learn more about my nutrition coaching services and healthy cooking classes!

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