National Porridge Week runs from 4 – 10 October
It looks like the weather got the memo about National Porridge Week, with temperatures dropping just in time! We’ve all been told that breakfast is the most important meal of the day, but with schools back it can be hard to make time. To celebrate the momentous week, Flahavan’s have teamed up with trainer Karl Henry and dietitian Aveen Bannon. Check out some delicious and speedy recipes below, as well as six benefits of keeping your diet nice and oaty.
Karl Henry’s tropical overnight oats
“I sometimes enjoy a refreshing jar of chilled overnight oats from a kilner jar when I’m on the go – this is my current go-to recipe”
Serves 3 | Takes Min. 2 hours
Ingredients:
150g Flahavan’s Organic Oats
300ml Low Fat Super Milk (or milk of your choice)
Chopped mango and pineapple pieces
Unsweetened flaked coconuts
2 tsp honey
Method:
1. Place the oats in a large glass jar.
2. Add the milk, enough to just cover the oats.
3. Cover with a lid and leave in the fridge overnight.
4. The next morning, remove oats from the fridge and pour into 3 glasses layering with the mango and pineapple pieces and topping with flaked coconut and a drizzle of honey.
Aveen Bannon’s chocolate porridge
“Oats are one of the foods that are delicious, versatile and extremely nutritious. My kids love this chocolate porridge recipe and sure chocolate brings out the kid in all of us!”
Serves: 4 | Prep time: 5 minutes
Ingredients:
160g or 2 cups of Flahavan’s Progress Oatlets
20g or 1 tbsp of cocoa powder
750-800mls or 3.5 cups of milk
1 cup of raspberries
1. Method:
2. Mix oats with cocoa powder together.
3. Place milk in a saucepan.
4. Stir oat mix into milk.
5. Bring to the boil and add the raspberries.
6. Continue to simmer for 3-4 minutes until milk is absorbed and fruit softened.
7. Serve with some sliced banana or berries, enjoy just on its own or sweeten with a little golden syrup.
Aveen Bannon shares six benefits of oats
Oats are one of the foods that are delicious, versatile and extremely nutritious! Oats first made health history in 1997 when they became the first food with an FDA health claim label which was that eating soluble fibre from oats could help lower the risk of Heart disease.
Heart Health:
And 20 years later the evidence to support that claim is stronger than ever! So there is a fibre in oats called beta gluten that forms a gel like structure and helps the body excrete cholesterol. Research shows that 3g of beta glucan a day can help reduce total cholesterol by 5% and LDL ‘bad’ cholesterol by 10%. A 40 g serving of oats will provide you with 2g of beta glucan.
Digestive Health:
Fibre is not only good for the heart but also for our digestive health. Adults need approx 25-35g of fibre per day. Fibre is like a natural sweeping brush for the gut and helps the body eliminate waste. Starting the day with a high fibre breakfast can be a great way to help regulate the bowel. Oats are a naturally high fibre food and one bowl of porridge will provide approx. 4g of fibre.
Healthy weight :
Oats help you feel fuller for longer. The reason is because they are high in fibre, contain protein and are considered a low Glycemic Index (GI) food which basically means they don’t cause a rapid spike to your blood sugar levels. The energy from oats is released slowly into the gut helping you feel satisfied for longer.
Blood Pressure:
New research indicates that the antioxidant avenathramide, which is present in oats, may help reduce blood pressure when eaten.
Benefit of breakfast:
The right breakfast can really help set you up for the day. Breakfast as it implies breaks the fast from overnight and is the first meal of the day so a perfect opportunity to provide your body with good nutrition. We know that those who eat a healthy breakfast tend to be leaner, reduce their risk of type 2 diabetes and have better digestive health. Also research has shown that kids who eat a healthy breakfast perform better academically. So no excuses!
