And 6 Healthy Breakfast Recipes you Just Have to Try!

Eating a healthy breakfast. Is it really as important as we’ve always been told? The short answer is yes.

What we eat for breakfast sets us up for the day, and nourishes our bodies after around 10 hours without food, so it’s incredibly important not to skip it – make sure it’s packed with good stuff, too! A healthy breakfast should contain lots of fibre to help keep us feeling full until lunch. Porridge is a great choice – it’s made from oats, which are not only rich in fibre, but are also wonderfully versatile and can be easily made with different toppings or milks to keep things interesting.

The Keys to a Healthy Breakfast

As a nutritional counselor, the question of what makes a healthy breakfast is one I get on a regular basis from friends and family. I always say that it depends what your morning routine looks like.

As a child, my mom often made me porridge for breakfast, and this is a routine I took to university with me and eventually on into adult life. It fits the perfect breakfast mold of being inexpensive, filling, healthy and delicious, and it’s a great way to warm up on winter mornings. Oats are a great source of fiber and also have a low Glycemic Index (GI), which means porridge keeps you feeling full until lunch. In summer, I switch to a lovely muesli (see recipe) which works in the same way.

Breakfast in a Hurry

Another question I get is how to make a healthy breakfast when you are in a rush or on the go. For this, I would always recommend a breakfast smoothie.

Breakfast Eggcellence

Breakfast Drinks

Whatever you usually have for breakfast, try to make it healthy. After all, your body has (usually!) been fasting for at least 10 hours when breakfast rolls around, so it deserves something good inside it to get you set up for the day.

Muesli Topped with Pears and Sour Cherries

A delicious, healthy muesli you can make the night before

Serves 2

Ingredients

• 100 g oats
• 2 tablespoons white chia seeds
• 1 tablespoon pumpkin seeds
• 350 ml milk, of your choice (I use almond or coconut)
• maple syrup, to taste
• a dash of all-natural vanilla extract
• a squeeze of lemon juice
• 2 ripe pears
• 1 pinch of ground cinnamon
• a small handful of dried sour cherries, or cranberries

Instructions

Weekday breakfasts for me are usually two bleary minutes before I run out of the door. If you take time over breakfast, good for you. I certainly do when time is on my side. When it’s not, I get clever and make this super quick muesli the night before.

I add chia seeds because they give a rich creaminess – if you don’t want to add chia, just don’t add as much milk.

1. The night before, put the oats, chia seeds and pumpkin seeds into a bowl or container, pour over the milk, and add the maple syrup, vanilla and lemon juice. Mix well, then cover and pop into the fridge overnight.
2. In the morning, chop the pears into little chunks, sprinkle over the cinnamon and add the sour cherries and either layer them up with the oats and seeds in a glass or bowl, or just run out of the door with everything in a little container.

A note on Chia Seeds: these amazing little seeds boost the nutritional value of the breakfast tenfold. They look a bit like poppy seeds and come in a variety of colours: black, white and grey. I use the white ones here. You’ll find them in health food shops and in big supermarkets beside the nuts and seeds. Chia seeds were the food of choice of Aztec and Mayan warriors, and a single tablespoon would keep them going for 24 hours. They are high in protein, so they’re perfect for breakfast time. I use them in smoothies and in baking.

Porridge, lots of ways

A Wonderfully Comforting Breakfast!

Serves 4

Basic Porridge (Base Recipe)

Ingredients

• 160 g rolled oats
• 600 ml milk, organic soya milk or water
• sea salt

Instructions

1. Place the oats and the milk or water in a large pan over a medium heat.
2. Add a tiny pinch of salt and stir with a wooden spoon.
3. Bring to a steady simmer for 5 to 6 minutes, stirring as often as you can to give you a smooth creamy porridge – if you like your porridge runnier, simply add a splash more milk or water until you’ve got the consistency you like.

Blackberry and Apple Porridge 

Ingredients

• 1x basic porridge recipe
• 1 apple
• 2-3 tablespoons runny honey, to taste
• 100 g blackberries or other berries

Instructions

1. Pull off the apple stalk, then use a box grater to coarsely grate it onto a chopping board (core and all).
2. Stir the grated apple and most of the honey through the porridge for the last few minutes of cooking.
3. Squash in most of the blackberries, then serve with the remaining scattered on top and the remaining honey drizzled over.

Banana, Almond & Cinnamon Porridge 

Ingredients

• 1x basic porridge recipe
• 2 ripe bananas
• 30 g flaked almonds
• ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 2 tablespoons poppy seeds
• 2-3 tablespoons maple syrup or runny honey, to taste

Instructions

1. Peel, then slice the bananas on a chopping board (I like to cut mine at an angle).
2. Add the almonds to a small non-stick frying pan over a medium heat (there’s no need for oil) for 3 to 4 minutes, or until lightly golden, stirring occasionally.
3. Stir the cinnamon, poppy seeds and most of the maple syrup or honey through the porridge.
4. Serve with the bananas and toasted almonds on top and the remaining syrup or honey drizzled over.

Apple, Maple Syrup & Pecan Porridge 

Ingredients

• 1 apple
• 30 g pecans
• 2-3 tablespoons maple syrup, to taste

Instructions

1. Pull off the apple stalk, then use a box grater to coarsely grate it onto a chopping board (core and all).
2. Snap the pecans up into little pieces, then add them to a small non-stick frying pan over a medium heat (there’s no need for oil) for 3 to 4 minutes, or until lightly golden, stirring occasionally.
3. Stir the grated apple and most of the maple syrup through the porridge for the last few minutes of cooking.
4. Serve with the toasted pecans on top and the remaining maple syrup drizzled over.

Breakfast Smoothie

Here’s one recipe I love! It’s simple to make, super nutritious and yummy.

Serves 1

Ingredients

• 1 banana, peeled
• 150g low-fat natural yogurt or soya yogurt
• 100ml of semi-skimmed milk or dairy-free milk
• 1 tbsp peanut butter
• 1 tbsp chia seeds
• ½ tsp cinnamon (or to taste)

Instructions

Simply whizz all the ingredients together in a blender and drink right away!

As ever, remember that a balanced diet and healthy lifestyle will play a massive role in keeping your whole body in tip-top condition – these tips are specifically for all you super-sporty foodies who may require a little extra of the good stuff.

South American-Style Brunch

Fresh & Zingy with a Bold Chilli Kick!

Serves 6

Ingredients

• 200 g quinoa
• 1 long fresh red chilli
• 1 fresh jalapeno chilli
• 1 ripe tomato
• 200 g ripe cherry tomatoes
• 2 spring onions
• olive oil
• 1 pinch of cumin seeds
• 1 x 400 g tin of black beans or black-eyed beans
• 2 tablespoons white wine vinegar
• 1 pinch of golden caster sugar
• extra virgin olive oil
• ½ a lemon
• 6 large free-range eggs
• 1 ripe avocado
• ½ a bunch of fresh mint
• ½ a bunch of fresh coriander
• hot chilli sauce

Instructions

1. Cook the quinoa according to the packet instructions, with a good pinch of sea salt.
2. Meanwhile, trim and finely slice all the chillies, slice the tomato, quarter the cherry tomatoes and trim and finely slice the spring onions.
3. Heat a good lug of olive oil in a frying pan over a high heat, add the cumin seeds and fry for around 30 seconds.
4. Drain and add the beans, followed by a pinch of salt and continue cooking for 5 to 8 minutes, or until crisp all over.
5. While the beans are cooking, place the sliced chillies into a bowl with the vinegar, sugar and a pinch of salt, then put aside.
6. Drain the quinoa well, then drizzle over a little extra virgin olive oil and the lemon juice and season lightly. Spread it out on a tray and leave aside to cool slightly.
7. Transfer the cooked beans to a bowl, wipe the pan clean and return to a medium heat with a splash of olive oil. Once hot, crack in the eggs and fry to your liking – for lovely, runny eggs, you only need a couple of minutes.
8. Transfer the quinoa to a large serving platter, layer the eggs on top and spoon over the crispy beans.
9. Halve and destone the avocado, then scoop out and dot over the flesh. Scatter the tomatoes, spring onions and chillies on top, then drizzle over a little of the pickling juice.
10. Pick and roughly chop the mint and coriander leaves and sprinkle on top, then add a drizzle of extra virgin olive and serve with plenty of hot chilli sauce.