Good Old Fashioned Porridge with lots of variations
I can just hear what a lot of you are saying…what a recipe for porridge? But it’s so easy!
That’s also what I used to think, but strangely, this is the recipe I get asked about most in my clinics, and it happened again yesterday. Several times!
Many more people are starting to eat porridge for breakfast, which is just wonderful.
Why?
Well too many breakfast cereals (which are usually a very highly processed food) are based on wheat, yet we all get plenty of wheat in our intake already. One thing most people would benefit from is more variety, and having oats for breakfast is a good place to start!
However, most people are using the “packet porridge” – those 90-second-in-the-microwave sachets of porridge – as they are quick and convenient.
What they don’t realise is that most of these sachets are made using finely chopped up oats so they cook faster, which means your body will digest them faster, which is another way of saying that they are high GI (glycemic index).
High GI foods are digested quickly by the body and usually doesn’t keep you full for very long. And if you want good energy levels and to be able to manage your hunger throughout the day, this is not a good way to start!
Not to mention that many packets also come along with added sugar and flavours, which you also don’t want!
When I tell them this, then comes the dilemma – “how do you make porridge?”- “and how to make it quickly?”
So here is my secret…
Soak your oats overnight.
Place your oats in a saucepan and pour boiling water on them before you go to bed. Next morning, add extra water and/or milk, a pinch of salt, bring to the boil over a medium heat, then simmer for 5 minutes. You can go and have your shower, get dressed and when you come back, your porridge will be done. Wholla!
So now I have a question for those of you who already make porridge – what are these?
That’s right, steel cut oats. We have started using them for a bit of a change and we really like them. The porridge is a little more textured than when made with traditional rolled oats, but that’s okay with me!
And for those of you who think porridge is really boring – I have loads of suggestions on how you can ‘spice it up’. Keep reading below…
- 1 cup whole rolled oats
- 1 cup boiling water
- pinch salt
- approx 1 cup your choice of milk
- To Serve:
- Milk
- Honey
- Cinnamon
- Ground linseeds, whole linseeds or chia seeds
- Whatever other toppings you like - see suggestions below
- Place oats into a small saucepan
- Pour over boiling water, cover and leave to soak overnight
- Next morning…
- Add salt and milk, stir through, then place over medium heat and bring to the boil
- Turn heat down and simmer gently for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally
- Serve with extra milk, a little honey and a sprinkling of cinnamon and some seeds
- Porridge can be made ahead of time and kept in the fridge for up to 3 days. You will just need to add more water/milk when reheating (or make it extra-sloppy as it firms up A LOT!)
I like to boost the fibre and omega 3 fat content of my porridge by adding 1 tablespoon of either whole or ground linseeds or chia seeds. Start with that first. If that doesn’t isn’t enough for you, why not try….
- Honey and Walnuts
- Maple syrup and Pecans
- Sticky Date – using those deeelicious Medjool Dates
- Stewed Prunes
- Stewed Apple (and Rhubarb)
- Pear and Hazelnut
- Mixed Berry (use frozen berries at this time of year)
- Raisins and Coconut (this is how I started eating porridge)
- Almond (or peanut) butter and banana
- Chai spiced – see this post (please ignore the awful photos)
So now I’ve shown you mine, how about you share yours. I would love to know – what is your favourite way to eat porridge? Please post in the comments below….
Hi, My favourite add-ins for porridge are 1/4 cup of pumpkin puree and pumpkin pie spice. Add to porridge at the end of the cooking time to warm it up a bit. That is it. 1/4 cup of puree for each person. It’s delish.
Hi Helen. Hey thanks for your delicious suggestion. A quick google tells me pumpkin pie spice includes cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, allspice and cloves – that sounds devine. And I love pumpkin, it would make it a great colour too! Thanks so much for sharing x