Is porridge healthy? With these tips you can have a power breakfast

Delicious, easy to prepare and food bloggers and athletes swear by it: porridge . Nowadays, porridge is available in all kinds of variations: cold as overnight oats, baked, with berries or fruit compote, with cinnamon or vanilla...

Something that is spooned so much must also be a healthy breakfast, right? Can – but doesn’t have to. 

1. Benefits: That's why porridge is healthy
2. Healthy vs. unhealthy: It all depends on the ingredients
3. You should avoid these mistakes when preparing
4. Is porridge a healthy breakfast for every day?
5. Porridge recipes and porridge variations for your breakfast
6. Conclusion: How healthy is porridge

Benefits: That's why porridge is healthy

And that's exactly why it's so difficult to give a general assessment of how healthy porridge is or how many nutrients and calories it has. But one thing is certain: the basic ingredients can definitely be considered healthy.

Why? Porridge is traditionally prepared with oat flakes as the base. 

oatmeal

• are rich in protein, fiber and contain many vitamins and minerals. Fiber ensures that digestion is stimulated, that blood sugar levels do not rise and fall rapidly after eating and that you feel full for a long time.

• contain vitamin B1 and magnesium, which support normal muscle activity and promote muscle building and regeneration.

• provide beta-glucan - a fiber that has been proven to have a positive impact on cholesterol levels. 

In contrast to a classic breakfast of rolls with jam or breakfast cereal, porridge keeps you full for a long time and provides more vegetable protein and long-chain carbohydrates, which provide the body with energy for many hours. 

Milk and plant-based milk

Liquid is the second component of porridge.

Cow's milk naturally provides a pleasant sweetness and a lot of creaminess and is also rich in calcium, protein and vitamin D.

But plant-based drink is also ideal for conjuring up a creamy porridge: rice drink is naturally sweet, oat milk contains extra fiber and soy or pea drinks are rich in plant-based protein. Nut drinks such as almond, cashew, hazelnut or coconut drink make the porridge full-bodied and provide a nutty, spicy taste. Plus: Vitamins and calcium are now added to plant-based milk alternatives, so they are in no way inferior to cow's milk.

If you only prepare your porridge with water, you have to dig a little deeper into your bag of tricks and spices so that the porridge is not only healthy and filling, but also tastes good.

Healthy vs. unhealthy: It all depends on the ingredients

Millet, buckwheat, rice and soy flakes or quinoa are also ideal for a healthy porridge for breakfast. The advantages: Lots of vegetable protein, fiber and complex carbohydrates, which only cause blood sugar levels to rise slowly. There is an extra portion of vitamins and minerals such as iron, magnesium and B vitamins on top. 

Depending on which milk or plant-based drink you use, you can sneak a few extra nutrients into your breakfast. Soy and pea drinks are rich in protein and perfect for a fitness porridge after a strenuous workout. Be careful with plant-based drinks that contain added sugar.

A teaspoon of chia or linseed in or on the porridge provides valuable omega-3 fatty acids that the body cannot produce itself.

Fresh fruits as a topping are rich in vitamins and also make the breakfast porridge colorful.

Nuts and nut butter in or on the porridge provide extra energy and healthy fats, lots of vitamin E and magnesium.

You should avoid these mistakes when preparing 

If you want to be on the safe side that the oatmeal breakfast porridge is actually healthy, you should note the following no-gos.

1. Sweeten porridge with refined table sugar

The white granulated sugar has been highly processed and no longer contains any valuable nutrients other than simple carbohydrates. Better: coconut blossom syrup, date syrup or maple syrup, which still contain minerals. Chocolate lovers can mix a tea or tablespoon of baking cocoa into the porridge without feeling guilty and top it with cocoa nibs or two pieces of dark chocolate with a high cocoa content.

2. Too much of a good thing

Too much porridge, too many toppings (sad but true) or too much sweetness can quickly turn porridge into a sugar or calorie trap. That's why: 50 to 70 g of grain is usually enough to fill you up. Toppings are a must, but use them sparingly: a handful of fresh fruit, a teaspoon of nut butter and a teaspoon of cacao nibs, coconut flakes or similar are ideal.

3. Porridge as a ready-made product

Instant porridge is practical when things have to be done quickly. However, convenience products often turn out to be real sugar bombs. Therefore: Be sure to check the ingredients list. Sugar, additives, aromas and flavor enhancers have no place in a good porridge.

Tip: Have you tried our Easy Porridge made from gluten-free oat flakes? Including fruit, spices, seeds and superfoods, the frozen porridge is the perfect solution for stressful mornings.

Is porridge a healthy breakfast for every day?

Absolutely! However, breakfast doesn’t always have to – and shouldn’t – look the same. Vary with types of grains, toppings and spices and create a delicious porridge variation every morning. 

Porridge recipes and porridge variations for your breakfast

There are many porridge recipes , here are some of our favorites.

1. The Basic Recipe for Porridge

Let's start with the basic porridge recipe : Oat flakes are cooked in milk or water or plant-based drink and sweetener of your choice to make a creamy porridge. Vary the porridge with spelt flakes or other types of grain, refine it with spices as you wish (everything from anise to cinnamon is allowed), sweeten with maple, agave or date syrup and top it all off with fresh fruit, nuts and any other extras you like.

2. Porridge Variations

How about a classic berry porridge with vanilla , a gluten-free buckwheat porridge with apple or a cinnamon millet porridge with strawberry-rhubarb compote ?

For those who like something a little more unusual: How does Bounty porridge with chocolate and coconut or chocolate porridge with zucchini sound? Breakfast is ready!

3. Overnight oats, porridge from the oven and pancakes

Porridge also tastes great as overnight oats or as a baked version, aka baked oats, for breakfast.

And if you want something special: fluffy porridge pancakes with mango and coconut . Hmmm… :)

Conclusion: How healthy is porridge

Porridge lives up to its reputation as a healthy breakfast. When preparing, be careful not to use refined table sugar or escalate the toppings. Instead, sweeten the breakfast porridge with natural sweetening alternatives such as date, rice or maple syrup and supplement the porridge with fresh fruit, a few nuts or a teaspoon of nut butter and a few chia seeds or ground flax seeds.

The popular porridge is clearly a healthy breakfast option for every day. Remember: the more variety you add to the bowl, the better.