Banana, Walnut and Chia Overnight Oats with Sunflower Seeds
Creamy overnight oats layered with mashed banana, chia, walnuts, and sunflower seeds, warmed gently or eaten straight from the fridge. A make-ahead breakfast built around vitamin B6 and magnesium for the days leading into your period.
Why it works
Banana, sunflower seeds, and fortified oats supply vitamin B6, the cofactor your body uses to synthesize serotonin and other neurotransmitters, which is exactly why B6 has been studied for premenstrual mood and physical symptoms. Chia and walnuts add plant omega-3 (ALA) and magnesium. The whole-grain oats bring steady, fiber-rich carbohydrate to smooth energy through the morning. Here's the honest part: evidence for B6 in PMS is mixed, and the doses used in studies often run higher than any food is going to give you. This bowl supports the pattern. It is not a therapeutic dose, and it was never trying to be.
Reviews suggest vitamin B6 may modestly help some premenstrual symptoms, with evidence that lands mixed and low-to-moderate certainty at best. The whole-grain, seed-and-nut side of the equation rests on steadier ground: that pattern is tied to steadier energy across the board.
Ingredients
- 1 cup rolled oats
- 1 ripe banana, mashed, plus 1/2 banana sliced to serve
- 1.5 cups milk or unsweetened soy milk
- 2 tbsp chia seeds
- 3 tbsp chopped walnuts
- 1 tbsp sunflower seeds
- 1 tsp ground cinnamon
- 1 tsp maple syrup (optional)
- 1/4 tsp vanilla extract
- pinch of fine sea salt
Method
- In a bowl or jar, stir together the rolled oats, chia seeds, cinnamon, salt and half the chopped walnuts.
- Mash the whole banana until smooth and stir it into the milk with the vanilla and the maple syrup if using.
- Pour the banana milk over the oat mixture and stir well so the chia is evenly dispersed with no dry pockets.
- Cover and refrigerate overnight, or at least 4 hours, until thick and creamy; loosen with a splash more milk in the morning if needed.
- Divide between two jars or bowls and top with the sliced banana, remaining walnuts, and the sunflower seeds. Eat it cold, or warm it gently in a saucepan, whichever your morning calls for.
