After reading my friend Rachel's blog on slimming food swaps, I was inspired to share with the public my ideas for one of the healthiest breakfasts out there - porridge.
Ahh porridge, the student's best breakfast friend. A healthy, filling, yummy start to your day which doesn't eat into your budget (unless you are GF). I feel as if the porridge craze has really kicked off lately, at least at my uni, as everyone seems to be eating it! Those long hard days slogging in the library are made that little bit better when they are started with a warm, filled, snuggly (there is no better word...) belly, and it often means you won't even need a snack before lunch time, which is perfect for all of us who are trying to fit into our summer clothes again...
But after a few days of your standard porridge + milk combo it slowly gets less and less exciting. So here are a few tips on how to give your porridge the scrummy make over it deserves.
First of all here is how to make a speedy perfect pot of porridge:
Place however many oats you would like (I go for 30g but I use a small bowl) into your bowl and just cover with milk (skimmed if you are being healthy). Give it a quick stir and then put it in the microwave on high for 1 min. Take out and stir again. If it is a little stodgy add a tiny splash of milk and mix in until it is the right consistency. If it is a little runny then put it in the microwave for a little longer. Easy.
1. Add some berries
Oh no! I hear you say, but berries are so expensive and I am just a poor student! Alas, all is not lost. Just check out the frozen section of your larger supermarkets and you will be sure so stumble across a huge range of frozen fruits. I am personally a fan of blueberries, as they add a sweet, but not too sweet, flavour to my porridge and are a superfood so superhealthy! Simply pop your berries in the fridge the night before to defrost and sprinkle them on your porridge after cooking in the morning. I like mixing mine in too so that it all tastes like blueberries, however it does make your porridge go green so is not very pretty...
2. Jazzy bananas
As another easy healthy porridge topping (as opposed to the classic honey/golden syrup/cup of sugar...) place some sliced banana on top of your porridge after cooking, sprinkle, and I mean sprinkle - or it wont be healthy - a teeny bit of brown sugar on top. Whack it under the grill for a couple of mins until it goes golden and dig in. Yum.
3. Apple and cinnamon (and maybe some raisins)
This one requires a little bit more effort as you actually have to stand and stir your porridge at the hob, but I think we can handle it. For this one you will need about 25g of oats (or less than usual), 100ml of milk (or a tad more milk than usual), a small apple cut into chunks and some cinnamon. Throw your oats, milk and a tsp of cinnamon (I love cinnamon, for some people this will be outrageously too much) into a saucepan on a medium heat and stir until almost all the milk has been absorbed. Then chuck in your apple pieces and stir until the rest of the milk has been absorbed and the apples have started to soften. If you are feeling a little devilish or not on a diet, put in a few raisins or dried fruit and give one last stir. Serve up and eat.
4. Trendy bananas
Not to be confused with Jazzy bananas, Trendy bananas will remind you of something like banana bread, aka is delish. Put the same amount of oats and milk into a pan as in the 3rd recipe, and add in half of a chopped banana and a little bit of cinnamon (I really do love it). Stir the mixture until all the milk has been absorbed and the bananas have gone completely mushy and have been combined in the mixture. Spoon the mixture into your favourite bowl and put the other half of the banana on top and maybe even if you are feeling a little bit decadent add some brown sugar. This recipe can easily be combined with Jazzy bananas to make the Ultimate Banana Porridge.
5. Choco-porridge
Now I know this doesn't sound healthy but it is surprisingly not so bad! And is very easy to make into a super-unhealthy-choca-mocha-mania-breakfast if you are that way inclined. For the basic and healthy choco-porridge, you put your standard portion of oats and milk into a bowl and add a teaspoon of cocoa powder. Mix in and put in the oven along the lines of the Perfect Porridge recipe et voila! healthy choco-porridge! For those of you who aren't trying to be slimmy, other exciting things which can be added are:
Nutella: Mix in a teaspoon after cooking
Chocolate chips: Throw some in before cooking to melt them or afterwards for crunch
Melted chocolate bar: The ultimate treat, stir in after cooking.
So there you go 5 yummy healthy ways to eat your porridge to get you through those long hard days of revision!
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