It can be a struggle to fit cooking into a busy schedule, and many people are on the lookout for simple, inexpensive meal options. But some companies take advantage of this, overcharging for convenience while creating unnecessary waste. 

One Redditor pointed out an egregious example they spotted at their local store.

What's happening?

The original poster shared a photo of these overnight oats in the r/AntiConsumption subreddit. "This is just awful — 'overnight oats' in a plastic container," they said.

The photo shows a pre-packaged "Oats Overnight Shake" with instructions to "just add water and refrigerate." It is packaged as a small serving of dry oats and flavorings in a disposable single-serving plastic bottle.

"These things are about 1/3 filled with oats and flavoring and you're meant to pour in water and fridge overnight, consume and then discard the plastic bottle," said the original poster. "Completely terrible that this even exists." 

The problem, of course, is not the concept of overnight oats. This is a simple no-cook dish with inexpensive ingredients that can be a great solution for people on the go. But commenters were quick to point out that selling it as a single-serving product in plastic packaging eliminates many of its benefits.

"They're literally charging you $2-5 for something that takes maybe 70 cents and under two minutes of prep," said one user.

Why is this product important?

Wasteful products like this single-serving overnight oats bottle cost consumers an incredible amount of money. You can make the same thing at home with just a few seconds more effort to measure a scoop of oats, but for a fraction of the price. Plus, when you make it yourself, you can customize your flavorings and toppings according to your own preferences.

Meanwhile, disposable plastic bottles are unhealthy because they produce microplastics that get into the food. After your meal, they need to be disposed of, and they often end up as litter or take up space in a landfill. Both options result in more microplastic pollution in the environment. 

Do you think America has a plastic waste problem? Definitely 👍 Only in some areas 🫤 Not really 👎 I'm not sure 🤷 Click your choice to see results and speak your mind.

Is Oats Overnight doing anything about this?

While the plastic bottles are available in stores, Oats Overnight also sells its products in smaller pouches via a subscription service, to be prepared in a reusable cup. This produces slightly less plastic waste, but it is still not an eco-friendly option.

Unfortunately, the company has not posted any other information about any steps it is taking to protect the environment.

What can I do to reduce waste and save money?

The comments in the thread were full of recipes for overnight oats at a much lower price point than the disposable, single-serving version.

"Instant or quick oats and any kind of liquid at a 1:3 ratio," said one user. "I usually use a protein shake bottle, some kind of milk, give it a good shake, and it comes out to a chunky smoothie consistency the next AM. From there, add whatever you want. … My favorite combos: Chocolate milk + almonds flakes, chocolate milk + bananas + chia seeds + hazelnuts, milk + vanilla syrup + almonds."

Get TCD's free newsletters for easy tips to save more, waste less, and make smarter choices — and earn up to $5,000 toward clean upgrades in TCD's exclusive Rewards Club.