When I first moved out, my diet wasn’t great for a few months. Despite always being someone who eats breakfast in the morning, I was always starving by midday, making me hangry and likely to overindulge come lunch time. It didn’t help that my first flat was right above a fried chicken shop. Mmm, those mozzarella dippers…
I went on a health kick and embarked on a very calorie-restrictive diet for around 6 months. I was eating 1200 calories a day because that’s what MyFitnessPal told me to do, and never accounted for extra exercise because I didn’t realise I should be.
Without fail, I would have a bowl of porridge oats (I wasn’t with Michael at that point so not gluten-free) made with only water, topped with a banana and EXACTLY 80g of frozen summer fruits. It was 245 calories. Yes, healthy ingredients, but no, not filling enough. There must have been minimal amounts of protein in that breakfast bowl, so no wonder I was ravenous by 12pm.
I got fed up of my stomach rumbling in my lectures and stumbled across a few breakfast recipes online. I found a recipe for gluten-free quinoa porridge by Chocolate Covered Katie. This became my new banana berry porridge. Bye-bye, rumbly tummy.
I am such a breakfast person. I have been lazy on the weekends and sometimes skipped breakfast, only to feel weak by 11am, and even after my lunch, I’ll be playing catch-up the whole day because I’ll still not feel full. I need a big ol’ breakfast bowl in the morning to get me started. I’m not someone who can have a protein smoothie and be on my way. Maybe you can! But please try this out regardless, because it’s delicious!
In the past few years, I’ve tweaked the recipe slightly to amp up its nutrient density, making it even more satiating. I have a big appetite! There is almost 15g of protein in a serving of this recipe – dang!
It’s also packed full of fibre, which goes to show that bread is not the only source of fibre in one’s diet, as much as many people might worry when they go gluten-free. Making sure you have a wide, varied diet is crucial and it’s so much fun trying these new combos!
Coconut Superfood Quinoa Porridge
Ingredients
- 1 cup / 180g quinoa, uncooked
- 2.5 cups / 625ml water
- 2 cups / 500ml milk (I used Alpro coconut drink)
- 1 tsp cinnamon
- 1 tbsp chia seeds
- 1 tbsp ground flaxseed
- 1 tbsp maple syrup (or your sweetener of choice)
- Optional toppings: banana, crushed nuts, dessicated coconut, popped amaranth, jam, berries
Instructions
- Prepare quinoa according to the "How to Cook Quinoa" (recipe link above), adjusting water measurements in line with this recipe.
- When the water has all been absorbed, pour in the milk and add cinnamon. Bring to the boil again. Turn to medium-low but don't cover. Cook for a further 30 minutes.
- Make sure you stir every so often. The mixture will form a skin if left unattended for too long but just mix it back in.
- When the mixture resembles a creamy porridge substance, remove from the heat. Add the chia seeds and ground flaxseed and sweetener.
- Top with anything you like! I used banana, dessicated coconut, and pecan nuts.
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