I know porridge isn’t exactly an exciting breakfast but it is an excellent one.  If you pick up a packet of rolled oats and compare the ingredients to just about any other cereal you will see a startling difference.  Rolled oats contain just – rolled oats.  Nothing else.   They are also the cheapest cereal you can buy at around $2 for 750g of rolled oats.

Rolled oats are high in fibre, have no added sugar, are helpful at reducing LDL (bad) cholesterol levels and are a good filling, warming way to start your morning. I soak my oats overnight in a small amount of water (just enough to dampen), which makes them creamier when you cook them the next day.

You can add various things to your rolled oats to jazz them up a bit.  Here are some suggestions:

• Measure half and half rolled oats and oat bran
• Add a spoonful of wheatgerm for a nutty flavour
• Add a spoonful of ground flaxseed or L.S.A. for extra fibre
• Add frozen berries, 1/3 of a banana, ¼ peaches in juice or some slices of ripe pear to sweeten your porridge
• Top with up to 1 Tbs of Queen Sugar Free maple flavoured syrup
• Make with water and serve with plain or flavoured yoghurt on top
• Instead of milk or yoghurt, make the porridge with water then mix whey powder with water and pour over the cooked porridge as ‘flavoured milk’

Beware of some of the instant oat sachets. Check how much sugar is in each packet when purchasing as some of them contain quite a lot of sugar. These oats are also very finely cut meaning they may not keep you satisfied for as long as the more coarsely cut rolled oats do.

A yoghurt I like is the Yoplus Trim. It only comes in a 1 kilo tub and a serving size is 150g.  It is unsweetened but not at all sour and it is nice and creamy. It is lovely over fresh chopped fruit or you could use it in smoothies.

You could also make your own Tzaziki with it by adding grated cucumber and seasoning, then serving with raw vegetable sticks.