Having oats for breakfast (which is a good source of fibre) is a good way to make sure you are on track to eating enough fibre for the day. High-fibre breakfasts also tend to be more filling compared to low-fibre breakfasts, so you are likely to stay satisfied for longer, and perhaps able to cut out on any snacking you might do before your lunch!
Ingredients for the basic porridge recipe:
50g porridge oats (quick cook oats, jumbo oats or rolled oats)
150ml semi-skimmed milk, or any other milk option / alternative of your choice, or even water if you want a lower calorie breakfast
If you want to us your oats, for example if you want to have a bigger breakfast or make it a brunch, then you can follow the following rules of thumb that suit your preferred porridge consistency:
2:1 fluids to oats ratio, which will make the porridge a nice gooey consistency
3:1 fluids to oats ratio (my preference!), which makes it in-between gooey and runny consistency
4:1 fluids to oats ratio, which will make the porridge a more runny consistency
Cooking instructions
For a creamy porridge, it is best to cook on the hob for a slow and steady approach, bringing the liquid to a boil and then turning the heat down to allow to simmer for 5 minutes.
To cook in the microwave, I would recommend cooking for 1 minute at a time, and stirring in between each minute, until its at your preferred temperature and consistency
This is a basic porridge recipe, which you can then add 2-3 toppings of your preference. Some options and guidance on serving sizes are below:
One medium banana, 1 tablespoon of any nut butter and a sprinkle of some chia seeds
4-5 chopped hazelnuts, 1 tablespoon cocoa nibs, 4-5 chopped dates
8-10 raspberries, 1 tablespoon flaked almonds, 1 teaspoon raspberry jam
1 tablespoon coconut flakes, 1 tablespoon flaked almonds, 1 teaspoon dark chocolate chips
8-10 blueberries, 6-8 chopped walnuts, 1 tablespoon flaxseeds
Just be cautious when adding the topping to your porridge, as this is where you are increasing the calories to the meal without maybe realising it.
Sweeteners to use and how much I recommend to have:
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon (5ml) honey, maple syrup, date syrup or any other syrups such as those that are sugar free
Sprinkle of stevia sugar. Stevia, which is much sweeter than table sugar, is a good substitute. Has no carbohydrates, no artificial ingredients and no calories
Fruit paste/puree such as date paste or apple puree
1 teaspoon Agave syrup
If you have any questions about this blog, please feel free to contact me and hopefully I can help.
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