Power Porridge

Poor porridge, it's been getting a lot of bad rep recently in the social media sphere. Positioning it like the worst breakfast you can have for your blood sugar balance. I want to reposition it as a great breakfast to have, and invite you to think again when you hear strong opinions on social media. 

Whole oats are rich in antioxidants, contain vitamins and minerals and soluble fibre called beta-glucans, which has various benefits, from slowing down gastric emptying to being a good fuel source for our microbiome bacteria. They use these types of fibres to produce short-chain fatty acids, which are the substances that exert anti-inflammatory, immune regulating and blood sugar balancing properties.

With that said, adding protein, fat and more fibre to your porridge will make it more nutritious and keep you full for longer. Here is my recipe:

Ingredients:

• 40g of whole oats

• Milk of your choice

• 2 tbsp of chia seeds

• Handful of nuts

• 1 tbsp of sunflower & pumpkin seeds

• 1 tsp of organic cocoa powder (I use Naturya)/ or cinnamon

• 80g (approx) of frozen berries

• 2 tsp of pomegranate seeds

• 1 heaped tsp of your favourite nut butter

Optional for extra protein:

• 1 tbsp of hemp seeds, or

• 1 tbsp of collagen powder (I like the collagen peptides from Hunter & Gatherer), or

• 1 tbsp of protein powder (I am fan of the Organic Protein Company)

Method:

In a bowl, mix the chia seeds with some milk, while you cook the porridge, so they can expand.

Put the oats and milk in a pan and heat them up. Once they start boiling, lower down the heat, and add the cocoa powder (if you are using cinnamon you can add it at the end). Keep stirring until the cocoa is dissolved, and then add the berries and keep stirring for 2-3 min and remove it from the stove. 

Add the cooked porridge into the bowl with the chia seeds. Top up with the nuts, seeds, pomegranate and nut butter and enjoy.