Porridge Passion

Last week I wrote about eating healthily.  For me, that definitely includes breakfast as the most important meal of the day, and one where you can eat something sweet without paying a heavy price 😉

And, as the weather turns colder, porridge is a great option.

Oats are a fabulous source of heart-healthy fibre, as well as a host of vitamins and anti-oxidants.  They are slow release, leaving you feeling fuller longer.  In fact, studies show that people who eat porridge for breakfast, compared to sugared corn flakes, go on to eat between 31% and 50% less at lunch!

As a busy and sometimes stressed and forgetful mother-of-two, though, I’ve had some trouble with porridge.  Preparing it, putting it on the stove, then getting distracted by the kids fighting, or by a smelly nappy, or whatever, only to come back to a burnt pan and porridge that is good only for the bin.

Raising this dilemma, friends came up with a number of solutions.

Preparing the porridge the night before and just reheating it was one.  However, I’m tired at night and don’t really feel like making porridge, whereas I’m always fairly fresh in the morning (well, for a couple of hours, depending on how much sleep the little ones let me get).

Plus, I like to cook fruit into my porridge.  Firstly, because I don’t use milk, sugar, cream or honey, so the fruit gives it an extra sweet creaminess that is delicious.  Secondly, as it’s a way to get a good start on my “five a day“.  I’m a little uncertain, though, about leaving cooked fruit standing overnight. 

Another suggestion was to cook it in the microwave.  I’ve long been wary of using the microwave for anything much, however, this article changed my mind, looking at scientific studies on microwave use.  Of course, they might have been paid for by microwave companies, but I don’t think so 🙂

As you can see here, my first attempt at adapting my favourite porridge recipe to the microwave did not go well…

Undaunted, I took some more advice and tried again 🙂  Here is a photo recipe for my new favourite winter breakfast:

I add in pineapple and pear (about 300g total, and you can use any fruit that cooks well – apple, plum, apricot etc), pour on 55g of oats (I like doing 35g of jumbo rolled oats with 20g of the more milled oats, for a slightly textured but still creamy porridge), add boiling water to just slightly more than cover the lot.  Stick it in the microwave at 850 watts for two and a half minutes, stir, then another two and a half minutes.  Add fresh grapes and a seed mix (or walnuts or other nuts).  Yum!

So, I’ve shown you mine… What’s your favourite winter breakfast?