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So, I posted a thread a while back about cutting right back on refined carbs and sugar in my diet. It's going fairly well. I'm not having any sugar cravings, I feel great, I'm not hungry. I'm enjoying my food and I've slowly lost 10lbs so far without really trying or dieting as such.
I need to expand my breakfast repertoire a bit though. I really enjoy porridge and eat it most mornings at this time of year. I used to have honey, golden syrup or maple syrup on it. Since I've stopped refined sugar I've been adding a few blueberries, raspberries or a handful of frozen blackberries (I picked a few kilos in September). I've also tried something my daughter put me on to which sounded absolutely gipping until I tried it! A big dollop of peanut butter (100% nut, no palm oil etc). I really enjoy it, and I feel full for yonks afterwards with no desire to snack before lunch.
Inspire me. What else with no refined sugar works for you? Fructose, in the form of whole fruit is OK.
Honey would be the obvious answer.
Honey would be the obvious answer.
I wish it was, we keep bees and have kilos and kilos of it! The sugar in honey is as calorific as table sugar and not really any healthier. It does have a few other things in it which might be beneficial, but the actual sugar content is nutritionaly pretty much the same as Tate and Lyle. Same goes for Agave and a few others marketed as healthier sugars. Zoe did a really interesting podcast on it. I still have it, as a very occasional treat but don't want to have it every day.
I enjoy chopped apricots and banana
I make my porridge with organic oats, chia seeds, a load of flax seed and water. I heat it for a few minutes then let it fester for as long as I can wait (at least 10 minutes, sometimes much longer). I add more water if needed and reheat. Then mix in some cinnamon and a sprinkle of raw oats. Favourite meal of the day!
My first course is Greek yoghurt with berries and shelled hemp seed sprinkled on.
Then coffee... obvs 🙂
Edit... and a smoothie: Half an avocado, spinach leaves, pinch of sprouting broccoli, pinch of ginger and almond milk.
And some fish oil first.
It's no wonder I've gained a few KG... lol
Just visited a friend and they made porridge with loads of seeds and stuff, but also a dollop of cottage cheese. Sounds grim but it was really nice.
^^^great suggestions, will try them. Although Stanley, you're not selling it with "fester"! 🙂 Also a fan of Greek yoghurt (full fat) and the coffee is a given!
Turmeric and raisins
Cinammon again with raisins
Also a fan of Greek yoghurt
Overnight oats? I make mine with a vanilla pod and whatever soft fruit I have lying around as a topping.
Overnight oats? I make mine with a vanilla pod and whatever soft fruit I have lying around as a topping.
That's what I make, using apple juice as a sweetener.
I'm just about to prepare my daily breakfast of overnight oats with aforementioned peanut butter and a handful of sultanas.
I used to have a pre-prepared mix of sultanas, shredded coconut, dried apricot, etc, etc but I haven't got around to it for ages.
Porridge with peanut butter and banana for me!
Cinammon again with raisins
+1 preferably sweet cinnamon (not that it is sweet as such, has that kind of warmth to it like Dentyne if you remember it)
I tend to add pumpkin seeds, sunflower seeds, chia seeds and flax. I do make my porridge with milk though which obviously has some sweetness. I've just bought some pistachio nut butter, pecan butter and macadamia butter due to not being able to eat peanuts, cashews, brazils etc - I'm not allergic . Not added to porridge yet but tried the pistachio on it's own and it tastes great! All of them are expensive though.
For other sweetness I would add various dried fruits and/or a fresh banana.
Cinnamon perhaps too for some other flavour.
Desiccated coconut?
Some great suggestions here thanks! My porridge is going to be well and truly pimped up!
+1 for desiccated coconut. Add half way through cooking to soften it and draw out the flavour. Cooking with full fat milk can naturally sweeten porridge.
Banana (sliced), dates (sliced), ginger (sliced) + seeds. Cook, enjoy
Another thing to note, that even when making a sweet porridge, a pinch of salt goes a long way to enhance the natural flavour of oats
Store jumbo oats dry with vanilla pod. Morning a few dry cranberries, Oats and milk/water, add nutmeg and cinnamon. Microwave.
Topping, toasted pumpkin seeds, chia, toasted skin on almonds, walnuts, blueberries, honey. Yoghurt for the win.
To prevent boredom swap out whatever fruit you have, rhubarb, pear, banana so far.
Best thing is it's slow release so only get hungry a few hours later.
Peeled and finely chopped raw eating apple, sultanas, cinnamon and/or little bit of Demerara sugar.
Greek yoghurt. Dried fruit like raisins, dates, figs etc. Fresh fruit like pears, apple, banana etc. Even tinned fruit will do, like peaches. You can also sprinkle in chopped nuts and seeds.
Have you tried different types of porridge oats? I prefer the jumbo type to the more refined oats from the likes of Quakers.
I was also going to suggest greek yoghurt.
Any combination of dried fruit and nuts you like - raid the home baking aisle. Think that's probably been covered.
One slightly leftfield combination I've recently added to rotation is chopped dates and finely chopped crystallised ginger.
Cocoa powder is good too. I often combine it with orange essence (find it with the vanilla essence, again, home baking aisle, other essences are available) which also lifts cranberry, raspberries, etc. (spoonful of marmalade also good for adding orange flavour, but is mostly sugar).
Well I just put whisky on mine this morning. Awesome.
Spoonful on top, I'm now off to throw some hammers
I stayed in a posh B&B once where they put Bailey's on it! Very nice for an occasional treat!
Ha, yeah that's where I got the whisky trick! Fancy B and B, they just slapped it on top and said yeah, what of it?!
Never looked back