GUT FRIENDLY CREAMY PORRIDGE

This is my go to breakfast at the moment and who would have thought a humble little porridge could be healthy on so many levels. Keep reading to find out more about the nutritional benefits of porridge plus my current go-to breakfast recipe.

What is porridge? 

First things first, what actually is porridge? Technically, it’s soaked grains (most commonly oats) that are boiled and soaked in milk or water. Different toppings can be added to porridge including honey, sugar, or fruit. It tends to have a thick and creamy consistency and is a popular breakfast food in the United Kingdom. There are many variations around the world on this recipe though and you might know it as congee from countries within Asia where it is a savoury dish. 

Is porridge good for you? 

The cheat version of porridge these days is quick oats cooked in some milk in the microwave and whilst not it’s not terrible, there are definitely ways you can pimp up your porridge to make it pack much more of a nutritional punch! Porridge using steel cut or even rolled oats is a great choice for breakfast as oats are a complex carbohydrate meaning they release energy slowly so will keep you feeling fuller for longer and are also a great source of fibre.  

We know how important fibre is after my article on it here (it was also a preventative tip for my bowel cancer post on instagram recently) so in my favourite recipe I am sharing here, pairing rolled oats with flaxseeds, walnuts and pomegranate is the ultimate fibre hit. Oats are also a good source of beta-glucan to help lower raised cholesterol. Pomegranate itself is an amazing food being high in polyphenols and vitamin C (good for gut health, anti-ageing and reducing cholesterol). Walnuts and flaxseeds are great for omega-3 fatty acids (I personally eat them both daily).

Healthy Porridge Toppings:

To top it off I make the porridge extra creamy by adding kefir on top (I love The Culture Co). Kefir is a great source of probiotics but there's a tip to having it with porridge to maximise these probiotic benefits - don’t mix it in while the porridge is cooking! Heat can kill off the beneficial bacteria so it’s best to cook your porridge low and slow and then I pour the kefir on top, rather than mixing it through to get the most probiotic benefits.

Oatmeal vs porridge

There is a bit of confusion on the internet over the difference between oatmeal and porridge. Put simply, oatmeal is made from only oats, whereas porridge can actually be made from either oats, grains, cereals or even legumes.

How to make porridge?

Serves 1

Ingredients

1/3 cup rolled oats (use quinoa or millet flakes for gluten free)
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1 tablespoon ground flaxseeds
1/2 teaspoon manuka honey (optional)
1/2 cup milk (any kind but I like coconut milk)
1/3 cup probiotic yoghurt/kefir
1 tablespoon chopped walnuts
1 tablespoon pomegranate arils (and any juice)

Directions

Place the oats, cinnamon, flaxseeds, honey and milk in a small saucepan on low heat. Stir regularly until thickened to your liking (avoid temptation to increase heat and shorten cooking time as the lower the temperature the better to get the benefits of the kefir).

Spoon into a bowl and top with yoghurt/kefir, walnuts and pomegranate.

*If you want to make this recipe as an on-the-go or take to work option simply combine the oats, cinnamon, flaxseeds, and milk in a jar and the kefir, walnuts and pomegranate in a separate jar and leave in the fridge overnight. The next day just add some water and cook on a stove top OR add a bit of boiled water to the oat mixture until softened and warm, then top with kefir mix.

Looking for more nutritious breakfast recipes? Check out my collection here.