Top 4 hot and healthy breakfasts!
Thursday 15 December 2011
The next few weeks promise to be amongst the most enjoyable of the year but also the busiest, as we party and eat our way through to Christmas and New Year.
With the Christmas countdown in full swing, our diaries will be jam packed with things to do – from buying and wrapping the Christmas presents, decorating the Christmas tree, watching the kids in their nativity play and attending festive parties and all the while balancing that with your normal routine; time can be stretched to the limits.
With busier diaries and the weather turning colder it’s even more important to make sure you keep you energy levels up and continue to get all of your nutrients and vitamins. And yet the temptation can be to reach for those mince pies, chocolates, sweets and puddings during this season of excess
However, with a bit of foresight and planning, the silly season doesn’t have to be bad news for your health and wellbeing and that doesn’t mean you have to abstain from all the festive goodies during this time.
And our breakfast tips are particularly relevant to the half of all adults who spend just five minutes - or even less - eating breakfast, according to new research released this month.
And when it comes to the type of breakfast we’re eating, the Weetabix Breakfast Habits Report shows that it’s this week when the nation’s usual refreshing cold breakfast is replaced by a hot dish to get them going in the morning.
The study also reveals that of those who do make time for breakfast at home, almost half eat it on their feet, usually whilst getting ready for work, while eight out of ten are so busy in the morning they eat a so-called ‘deskfast’ at least three times a week.
We’ve found our top 4 hot and healthy breakfasts that are warm, comforting, and perfect for the hectic winter season.
Top 4 hot breakfasts:
Tasty Porridge-
The classic hearty breakfast of oats and either water or milk is perfect for the cold winter mornings! Full of fibre and a multitude of vitamins and perfect as a blank canvas for adding ingredients to, a bowl of hot porridge will set you up for a long day. Plus it releases its energy slowly throughout the day and keeping you fuller for longer, meaning that the 11am snack feeling may not occur!
Simply pile oats into a bowl, top up with boiling water or skimmed milk and microwave for a minute or two until hot. Add ingredients such as mashed banana, dried fruit or honey to pep it up and pop in a small resealable container if you can’t make time to eat it at home.
Poached Eggs-
An egg or two in the morning is a delicious yummy start!! Although scrambling, frying and poaching in a pan take time, there are many new products on the market that make a raw egg into a perfect breakfast within seconds.
The invention of the microwaveable egg poacher is a godsend for those leading busy lives. The clear plastic invention looks more like some sort of Lady Gaga themed bra rather than an egg cooker, but it really does give you the best poached eggs in less than a minute!
Available from most major home department stores including Marks and Spencer and Lakeland and priced around the £5.00 mark, the egg poacher is fab and gives you perfect eggs between 20-40 seconds. Team with a slice of brown or granary toast for a delicious breakfast that will fill you up until lunchtime and provide you with vitamins, protein and selenium which helps to keep your immune system healthy- ideal for the winter months.
Fruit-filled pancakes-
Flour-based pancakes can be seen to be full of carbohydrates, but fill them with a mixture of fruit and you have an amazingly tasty breakfast! Instead of topping with other ingredients, try making them with winter berries such as cranberries and blueberries and top with natural yogurt for something extra special.
Make the batter with flour, egg, baking powder and a touch of sugar and mix with whole berries, then quickly fry for chunky pancakes that are perfect with a cup of coffee or wrapping in foil for an on-the-go healthy treat.
Breakfast wraps-
These may sound a little strange but they are perfect for eating quickly and filling with healthy vegetables and egg, and you can prepare the night before. Scramble eggs with chopped peppers and mushrooms (and if you’re feeling like you really want to treat yourself add some grated cheese) then roll up in a whole-wheat tortilla, wrap in cling film and refrigerate overnight. Then come breakfast-time, unwrap and microwave for 30 seconds and eat while hot.
The egg contains protein; the peppers are packed with vitamin C while mushrooms contain fibre. By wrapping in a tortilla it's a brill way of eating scrambled eggs while you’re walking to work.
By Rebecca Crutchley