Porridge is king of superfoods

There was a time when porridge was so hot that horn spoons were used instead of metal ones when served as they did not transfer the intense heat to the mouth. And there was a time when porridge, as we know it, created from oats, was a semi-liquid dish created from cereals that were the mainstay of the medieval diet. Its origins can be traced right back to the days of Apicius, the Roman gourmet from the first century who enjoyed a porridge created from barley and several different pulses and leafy vegetables. This mix was flavoured with herbs and a fish sauce and garnished with cabbage leaves. Now we use fresh fruits as a garnish and flavour it with a pinch of salt, or maple syrup, sugar or golden syrup.

Those who know and love the warming effect that a bowl of porridge can have on their bodies, particularly on a bitterly cold day, don’t need reminding of its health-giving properties. Because it takes some considerable time for the body to digest it, a dish of porridge releases its energy more slowly than many foods. This keeps you feeling fuller for longer and provides the unmistakable porridge glow that enthusiasts know so well.

This gradual release of energy, is able to keep you full until lunch, and helps to keep blood sugar levels stable for far longer than any other foods eaten in the morning. In other words, porridge oats are packed full of goodness and contain: B Vitamins (B1, B5, B6) and Vitamin E. As Vitamin B6 encourages the brain to produce Serotonin, which is associated with feelings of wellbeing, it is thought to help fight depression.

A single porridge serving usually contains at least half of the daily intake of zinc and also contains iron, fibre, carbohydrate, riboflavin, calcium, magnesium folic acid and potassium. It’s no wonder, therefore, that porridge is now considered the king of superfoods and has the highest protein content of any cereal.

It’s certainly an ideal New Year food for those who have decided to go on a diet in 2015. As the feeling of being full during the morning helps you avoid reaching for snacks before lunch, it makes dieting easier.

To make a sizeable bowl of morning porridge you only need about 30 grams of porridge oats and you can really keep the calories down by making it with water or skimmed milk — served with a teaspoon of sugar will only contain about 200 calories. This also means it’s cheap to make and, despite popular misconceptions, porridge is delicious, especially when served with fresh fruit.

As oats provide a natural source of fibre they have been proven to help reduce cholesterol because this soluble fibre (beta-glucan) acts like a sponge in the intestines and absorbs and eliminates cholesterol-rich bile acids.

So how do we serve it these days to dispel that myth that porridge is just a gloopy and rather tasteless sludge? Well, honey still tops the list of possible flavourings, although Lyle’s Golden Syrup, which is equally good and now produced in a new pouring pack with a flip cap and non-drip top to make break-fast hassle free, adds a positive taste.

Whilst you can follow a recipe, one of the delightful things about this amazing dish is that you can make up your own recipes, adjusting the ratio of oats to water, or milk to fruit, to suit your own taste as its texture is a very personal thing. It is thought by some that the longer you cook your porridge the tastier it is, and that leaving the oats to soak into your chosen liquid overnight speeds up cooking time in the morning.

Fruity: Porridge and stewed plums

One thing that is thought to notice-ably improve the taste of porridge is toasting the oats before cooking them — again the result is down to personal taste.

Leaving it to stand for five minutes after it’s cooked enhances the flavour too. The perfect porridge should be creamy in texture, an effect achieved by lots of stirring, but with enough chewy bite to keep it interesting.

The perfect porridge is made by mixing together 25g of pinhead oatmeal and 25g of medium oatmeal and cooking with 200ml water and 100ml whole milk. A generous pinch of salt will help bring out the flavour and golden syrup or honey, chopped dates, bananas, apple pieces or blueberries will do the rest. You make it by first heating up a dry frying pan to which the oatmeal is added and gently roasted until fragrant. Again how long you leave the oats to roast is up to you, it is a matter of trial and error. Add the milk and water and stir slowly until you obtain the consistency you prefer, adding the salt towards the end.

By placing a pack of porridge oats into your shopping basket this year you are adding instant insulation to your system... who can ask for more?

Happy New Year.