Breakfast cereals et al

[Callum91]

I never knew porridge was so popular. Used to like it with loads of milk and a bit of sugar. Hate it with salt. Can't be bothered with it at all now. Very occasionly eat Fruit n Fibre. Tesco's own brand is rubbish.

Porridge sales rocketed after the financial shit storm of 2008, granola/muesli sales fell, sugary cereal sales fell. I bet nutritional levels rose, too.

 

[kittyP]

I do quite like porridge. I have never had it with salt but I have much more of a savoury tooth so I think I'll try it when it gets a bit colder.
For lunch though. Couldn't be arsed with the faff in the morning.

 

[Callum91]

I do quite like porridge. I have never had it with salt but I have much more of a savoury tooth so I think I'll try it when it gets a bit colder.
For lunch though. Couldn't be arsed with the faff in the morning.

I add salt once it starts to bubble (roughly 10 mins on the smallest heat on the hob) then finish with some Stevia/sugar/whatever sweetener you choose.

 

[wtfftw]

30g oats + water + microwave = 110kcal (ish)

Sometimes with salt or pepper or a square of dark chocolate.

 

[Callum91]

I also never knew Alpen had skimmed milk powder and whey powder as ingredients. It's nutrition must be pretty dire without them.

 

[Greebo]

I also never knew Alpen had skimmed milk powder and whey powder as ingredients. It's nutrition must be pretty dire without them.

It still contains nuts, dried fruit, and grains. So, protein, dietary fibre, the relatively less harmful types of fat (from the nuts), slow release carbohydrates (as long as you get the no added sugar version), antioxidants, minerals, and some vitamins.

 

[Callum91]

It still contains nuts, dried fruit, and grains. So, protein, dietary fibre, the relatively less harmful types of fat (from the nuts), slow release carbohydrates (as long as you get the no added sugar version), antioxidants, minerals, and some vitamins.

Nuts and fruit only make up around 15% of the product though. No wonder Alpen is so dusty.

 

[Thora]

If I have cereal it is usually shreddies, weetabix or porridge/readybrek. I put a spoonful of sugar on it though.

Generally prefer toast with hummus or cheese for breakfast though.

 

[Callum91]

If I have cereal it is usually shreddies, weetabix or porridge/readybrek. I put a spoonful of sugar on it though.

Generally prefer toast with hummus or cheese for breakfast though.

Readybrek isn't so bad, surprisingly (for a cereal mostly targeting the children's market). The secret to it's smoothness is just oat flour I think, could make your own at home.

 

[Frances Lengel]

I also never knew Alpen had skimmed milk powder and whey powder as ingredients. It's nutrition must be pretty dire without them.

All cereals would be the nutritional equivalent of sawdust if they weren't fortified I reckon. Plus they make for a completely joyless breakfast experience.

 

[Callum91]

All cereals would be the nutritional equivalent of sawdust if they weren't fortified I reckon. Plus they make for a completely joyless breakfast experience.

Plain oats aren't so bad but I agree with you. Flavour has to factor in the process somewhere.

 

[Sapphireblue]

i love an oaty granola-type cereal with dried fruit and almonds. a decent portion is too many calories so it's not an every day option.

also quite like porridge, which is too much faff for every day despite being much better nutrionally/calorie-wise.

tend to just have a cereal bar for breakfast on week-days, toast or other bread-based stuff for a treat at the weekend.

 

[mr steev]

I have weetabix and honey or cornflakes and banana.
Porridge in the winter, half milk half water, with honey

 

[spanglechick]

i don't habitually have any cereals now, because they trigger binges. all of them are carbtastic and the free-form portion sizing that most enable just lead to danger.

and anyway, i'm so much hungrier if i have cereal than if i don't. that even includes 'slow release' carbs llike porridge oats (eaten cold with milk, fwiw. can't bear cooked porridge. it's stretchy and pappy).

if i buy cereal now, it's with the essential knowledge that i'm enabling myself to do crazy-eating. a pack will last two days, max.

i'm similar with bread.

 

[Hellsbells]

2 days - wow, that would require alot of control for me. I can't manage more than an a few hours!

Cereals are evil food for me. I can only ever eat them now if someone else stays over and brings with them an exact portion for 1 and no more.

 

[Callum91]

The suggested serving size for most cereals is just laughable. 30g?! What planet are they living on? Most people must pour themselves at least 120g+, making their traffic light system on the box utterly redundant.

 

[Hellsbells]

30g is like 1 spoonful :-( Riddiculous.

 

[Callum91]

I would highly recommend adding a conservative dessert spoon of Green & Black's cocoa powder to oatbran muesli mixed with all bran cereal then stirring it all into some Greek yogurt. It's my new breakfast. Shit ton of protein, calcium, loads of fibre, beta glucan from oatbran, sweetness and vitamins from the dried fruits in the muesli and antioxidants (and a wonderful bitter dark chocolate taste) from the cocoa powder. A heavenly creamy, crunchy, fruity sweet chocolate lovers nutrition packed breakfast.

 

[pogofish]

Readybrek isn't so bad, surprisingly (for a cereal mostly targeting the children's market). The secret to it's smoothness is just oat flour I think, could make your own at home.

Actually its based on the oat-based waste product from a pharmaceutical process - repositioning it as a kids cereal was a masterstroke of production process efficiency!

 

[ViolentPanda]

I do quite like porridge. I have never had it with salt but I have much more of a savoury tooth so I think I'll try it when it gets a bit colder.
For lunch though. Couldn't be arsed with the faff in the morning.

Before I met Greebo, I used to make my porridge with water, and occasionally put a dollop of butter in it, if the weather was particularly nippy.

 

[ViolentPanda]

Before I met Greebo, I used to make my porridge with water, and occasionally put a dollop of butter in it, if the weather was particularly nippy.

E2A: A work colleague back in the day (from Leeds) used to make a double load of porridge, eat half for breakfast, and then fry the (by then set) remains for lunch, along with chopped onion and bacon.

 

[kittyP]

I would highly recommend adding a conservative dessert spoon of Green & Black's cocoa powder to oatbran muesli mixed with all bran cereal then stirring it all into some Greek yogurt. It's my new breakfast. Shit ton of protein, calcium, loads of fibre, beta glucan from oatbran, sweetness and vitamins from the dried fruits in the muesli and antioxidants (and a wonderful bitter dark chocolate taste) from the cocoa powder. A heavenly creamy, crunchy, fruity sweet chocolate lovers nutrition packed breakfast.

Do Green & Blacks make cocoa powder as well as hot chocolate powder or do you just mean that?
That could work in porridge too

 

[Callum91]

Do Green & Blacks make cocoa powder as well as hot chocolate powder or do you just mean that?
That could work in porridge too

They do both cocoa powder for baking/cooking (the one I used) and the stuff you use to make hot cocoa. The nutrition is surprisingly fantastic.

 

[kittyP]

They do both cocoa powder for baking/cooking (the one I used) and the stuff you use to make hot cocoa. The nutrition is surprisingly fantastic.

This pleases me
I am already sold on the powers of dark chocolate and it is much more satisfying in small quantities that other sweet stuffs.
I might have to invest in some powder and porridge oats for the colder months

 

[Callum91]

This pleases me
I am already sold on the powers of dark chocolate and it is much more satisfying in small quantities that other sweet stuffs.
I might have to invest in some powder and porridge oats for the colder months

10g of the stuff is a mere 35 calories and goes a very long way. I'm sat here right now comparing the aroma difference between G&B and Cadbury Bournville. Absolutely no contest, you can barely smell the Bournville and what aroma you do get is more like cocoa/milk powder. The G&B stuff smells just like you cracked open a bar of their chocolate, like some bitter black void of dark goodness. Cook a banana into the porridge (for at least 8 mins on simmer) then add the cocoa. Thank me later.

 

[kittyP]

10g of the stuff is a mere 35 calories and goes a very long way. I'm sat here right now comparing the aroma difference between G&B and Cadbury Bournville. Absolutely no contest, you can barely smell the Bournville and what aroma you do get is more like cocoa/milk powder. The G&B stuff smells just like you cracked open a bar of their chocolate, like some bitter black void of dark goodness. Cook a banana into the porridge (for at least 8 mins on simmer) then add the cocoa. Thank me later.

I think I will thank you indeed good Sir!
Cooooorrr that sounds amazing. I am actually drooling

 

[Callum91]

I think I will thank you indeed good Sir!
Cooooorrr that sounds amazing. I am actually drooling

Half milk (or milk substitute) half water and maybe finish with a few blueberries. Not many breakfasts manage to be healthy, make you feel happy and feel like dessert all in one go.

 

[kittyP]

Half milk (or milk substitute) half water and maybe finish with a few blueberries. Not many breakfasts manage to be healthy, make you feel happy and feel like dessert all in one go.

i think I would be fine without the blueberries and if I make the whole thing with skimmed milk, it would be pretty low fat still.

 

[Callum91]

i think I would be fine without the blueberries and if I make the whole thing with skimmed milk, it would be pretty low fat still.

The blueberries are more to please the eye. Skimmed milk is fine, I use light soy and you can't tell the slightest difference. Chop the banana finely, it has to assimilate totally into the porridge for full flavour/aroma/texture effect.

 

[wtfftw]

Ooh. Callum91
I have G&B powder in the cupboard and blueberries in the freezer. I'm not getting milk in (I now take my earl grey without) but I'll have a play.