Oat Cuisine

Oats make a perfectly wholesome and nutritious breakfast. Cheap and extremely versatile, you can add them to thicken smoothies, make a warming porridge, or soak them overnight for a quick grab-n-go breakfast. Oats are rich in fibre – a particular one called beta-glucan – which takes much longer for our bodies to digest and therefore releases energy slowly, keeping you feeling satisfied for longer.  They also have a very low glycemic index meaning they are a carbohydrate with very little natural sugars. This also means that you won’t crave sugar half-way through the morning.

I often add chia seeds to my porridge, smoothies and overnight oats as a) they are seriously good for you – loaded with nutrients that are excellent for brain function and general wellbeing and b) you can buy them cheaply in bulk on Amazon. They also swell when added to liquid, which really fills you up.

Here are three of my favourite oat-based breakfast recipes – but remember all the flavours can be swapped around; if you don’t have raspberries, use strawberries – if you don’t like banana, use yogurt or avocado. The possibilities and combinations are limitless!

See Sample Recipes at: www.cookfirst.co.uk/breakfast