IKEA everyday rituals

All set for tomorrow

Roy and Ivo swapped their busy careers for slow living, but it hasn’t stopped their evening ritual of preparing breakfast ahead.

Each evening before they go to bed, Roy and Ivo head to the kitchen and prepare overnight oats. First they mix the oats in a bowl, together with seeds. In goes the milk, followed by a quick stir, then into the fridge. Voila! In the morning they can look forward to a bowl of yummy oats, ready for the finishing touch – their toppings of choice. Living in the French countryside, the couple grow much of their own produce, so fresh nuts, fruits and berries are easy to acquire... just as long as they can get to them before the birds!

A man pours milk into a jar over overnight oats. He is in the kitchen, surrounded by jars and kitchen utensils.

As global nomads, the Dutch-born couple have lived everywhere, including Serbia, where their make-ahead breakfast ritual began. At the time, the pair had busy, but desk-bound jobs. Ivo worked as a project manager, while Roy worked in interior design. “We became more conscious of the fact that eating healthily also helps keep us healthy and feeling good. That’s where it started.”

Today, their lives couldn’t be more different, although they’ve managed to hold onto their morning tradition. Three years ago, they decided to realise a shared dream and moved to the French countryside. They found a longère – a traditional, rustic French house in Brittany, and began converting it into holiday rentals, known as gîtes.

A hand spoons overnight oats ingredients into a jar. The ingredients are collected together on a wooden table.

Make-ahead morning

The pace of rural life may be slower, but a lot more physically demanding, making the first meal of the day even more important. “Since we moved here, we do a lot of things for ourselves, so there’s lots of physical work,” explains Roy. “Because we’re working with construction we really feel the need to take a break to eat. You need to refuel.” The slow release energy of oats and protein packed nuts are just what they need to power up, ready for the new day ahead.

“It’s a beautiful environment here," says Ivo. "We really love it from a nature and a people perspective. It has been a bit of a change, but it's a fantastic life." Roy agrees. "Instead of travelling around the world and meeting different cultures and people, now the people come to us and we hear all the different stories!"

Ivo stands in the kitchen preparing the breakfast tray in front of the kitchen window.
Roy and Ivo sit at the table outside to enjoy a healthy breakfast of juice, coffee and overnight oats.

  • Roy and Ivo's favourite overnight oats recipe

  • For the night-before base:

    1 cup oats

    1 cup milk

    ½ cup Greek yogurt

    2 tbsp chia seeds

    2 tbsp honey

    Roy puts his prepared overnight oats into the fridge.

  • Stir everything well, and divide equally between two bowls. Refrigerate overnight.

    A hand reaches into the fridge. It is holding a jar filled with overnight oats ingredients.

  • Morning topping:

    ½ cup of diced apples

    2 tbsp chopped walnuts or MUNSBIT nuts

    4 tsp maple syrup

    ½ tsp cinnamon

  • Stir in the topping mix and enjoy!