We all know the health benefits of porridge by now and as we become more fitness conscious we seek food that can fuel our mind and bodies.
A while back, I decided to cut out sugar completely from my coffee which took me a little over 3 weeks to get used to. From there, I decided that if I don't need to put sugar in something, I won't. My sister was the one who introduced me to naturally sweetened porridge and I havn't looked back since. Granted, there are a few more ingredients, but I prefer it as porridge can be a bit mundane on its own. I add mashed banana to the porridge whilst cooking and then grated apple at the end which gives an amazing texture and sweetness.
You will see that I have limited measurements as I think porridge is a personal taste that you tweak to suit your preferences. This version is also lactose free as I am loving coconut milk at the moment! Of course you can substitute the ingredients to other alternatives: fresh berries, dried blueberries etc.
Ingredients:
· Porridge oats (gluten free if preferred)
· 1 mashed banana
· handful of dried raisins/cranberries (or both if you like it extra sweet)
· handful of desiccated coconut
· coconut milk
· 1 tablespoon of ground flax seeds
· 1 small apple grated
· pinch of cinnamon (optional)
· nuts to garnish such as almonds or hazelnuts
Method:
1. Mash the banana and add to a small pan along with the oats, dried fruit, desiccated coconut and coconut milk.
2. Cook on a low heat until oats are cooked through to your liking.
3. While the oats are cooking, grate the apple and add to the porridge at the end of its cooking time. Stir well and add the flaxseeds and nuts or fresh berries if using.