Breakfast is the most important meal of the day, or so we’ve been told. In my opinion they’re all pretty important, but breakfast is the easiest meal to get stuck in a rut with. Having this extra time at home has meant I’ve become a little more adventurous with my morning nutritional hit. Move over rushed, burnt toast with the dregs of marmalade from a sticky jar slapped on top - there is a more substantial breakfast companion in town. The old trusted oats.

“Why do a whole thing on oats?”, I telepathically hear you cry through the invisible internet waves, zipping across the global sphere. Well, there are lots of great reasons to get more oats into your diet, and they are a lot more versatile than sloppy porridge (though, I am a pretty big fan of sloppy porridge with a lovely nutty topping). Most importantly, they’re packed with lots of goodness and complex carbohydrates that will keep you fuller for longer.

A few things things to know about oats:

They’re rich in fiber, protein, carbohydrates and antioxidants that can improve blood sugar control (read more)

They contain a soluble fibre called beta-glucan that may increase good bacteria in the digestive tract (read more)

They can lower cholesterol levels (read more)

Combined with lots of other nutritious foods, oats are great to have as part of your regular diet! So here are two of my favorite, flavoursome oaty recipes:

MONDAY MORNING OVERNIGHT OATS

Start your week with some nutritious overnight oats straight out of the fridge. Monday morning can be the hardest day to get out of bed, and I am no stranger to the snooze button. Preparing some oats the night before can ensure you get the stuff you need to start your day without making any compromises. It’s also quite helpful to make them in jam jars, so you can slip your breakfast into your bag and enjoy it at the desk, if you are really short on time.

Serves 1 person

Prep time: 10mins

Ingredients

50g oats
60ml plant based milk (I think unsweetened coconut or almond milk are great!)
1 big dolap of greek yogurt (or non-dairy based yogurt)
1 tbsp linseeds or chia seeds
Vanilla extract
Honey
Topping of your choice (I’ve gone for blueberries and pan toasted almonds)

Method

Pour the ingredients into a bowl and stir through.
Decant mixture into your preferred breakfast bowl or jam jar. Cover, and place in the fridge overnight.
In the morning, pull your oats out of the fridge and give them a stir. Add your chosen topping, and enjoy!

There are many variations on this recipe, so you can be really playful and experiment.

LAZY SUNDAY MORNING OAT PANCAKES

Serves 2 people

Prep time: 10mins - 30mins

Cooking time: 10mins

Ingredients

100g oats
100ml unsweetened coconut milk (but you could use any other type of non-dairy, or dairy milk)
50g plain flour
1 tbsp baking powder
1 egg
2 tbsp coconut oil (or butter)
1 ripe banana
Frozen mixed berries - I used approx 125g of mixed raspberries, blackberries and blackcurrants
1 tbsp of golden caster sugar (or honey)
Pinch of salt

Method

Pour the oats and milk into a mixing bowl and leave to soak for 30 minutes. If you don’t have 30 minutes spare, you can get away with 10 minutes.
Meanwhile, melt 1 tbsp of the coconut oil in a pan, and mash ½ of the banana with a fork in a small bowl (save the other half for later).
Once your oats are adequately soaked, add the melted oil, baking powder, mashed banana, sugar, egg and salt to the bowl and give the mixture a good stir through.
Add the flour, and stir. You want the consistency to be a thick runny batter - if it seems too thin just add a bit more flour.
Put a non-stick frying pan on a medium heat and add the remaining tbsp of oil. Once melted, make sure the bottom of the pan is coated. Using a ladle, pour the batter into the pan, making several round pancakes. Size is key with the pancakes, you want them all to be around the same size. Try to fill your ladle to the same level each time.
Once the pancakes start to bubble, give your pan a shake, if the pancakes slide, flip them over, but if they stick, give them another minute or so. It usually takes 2 to 5 minutes each side depending on the size of pancake.
Put a pan on a high heat, and add the frozen berries. Heat through until you start to see a nice amount of berry juice, this should only take less than 1 minute once the pan has heated. Take off the heat and leave in the pan for the fruit to continue to defrost.
Pile your pancakes up, then decorate with a few banana slices and a pile of berries on top.

It’s a killer lazy Sunday breakfast or brunch! Feel free to play with the toppings, and batter additions. If you do get playful, I’d recommend keeping equal measurements of oats and milk, and using a small amount of saturated fat (butter or coconut oil), but other than this, get creative!

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By Anna Poole

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