Oats are really good for you during pregnancy. Firstly, they are a complex carbohydrate which means they will keep you fuller for longer. But they are also full of fibre, iron, B vitamins and loads of other nutrients which are good for you and your baby. Try one of these delicious recipes and kick-start your day with a nutritious breakfast:
- Homemade Muesli
- Homemade Granola
- Quick and easy porridge
- Very berry porridge
- Apple and cinnamon porridge
Muesli
Make a large batch of muesli and store it in an airtight container for a quick, nutrient-packed breakfast.
Ingredients
- 200 grams of jumbo porridge oats
- 100 grams of mixed nuts – choose a mix of nuts that you like, such as flaked almonds, chopped hazelnuts, pecans, chopped brazil nuts, chopped walnuts or flaked coconut
- 50 grams of mixed seeds – choose a variety of seeds, such as sunflower seeds, pumpkin seeds, flax seeds, hemp or sesame seeds
- 100 grams of dried fruit – such as raisins, currants, sultanas, chopped apricots or cranberries
Optional extras:
Include other flakes, such as rye, buckwheat, barley, millet, rice, quinoa, amaranth flakes, or wheat germ
If you are following a gluten-free diet only use buckwheat, millet, rice, quinoa or amaranth
Method
- Preheat the oven to 160C / 325F / gas mark 3
- Roughly chop the mixed nuts
- Place the oats, flakes (if you are using them) and mixed nuts onto a baking tray, toast in the oven for 10 minutes
- Mix the toasted ingredients with your dried fruit. Allow your muesli to cool before storing in an airtight container.
Serve
- Simply add milk or yoghurt
- Top with fresh fruit, such as banana, blueberries or strawberries
Tip: Soak your muesli overnight in milk, yoghurt or fruit juice, for easier digestion.
Granola
Ingredients
- 500 grams of jumbo oats
- 75 grams of pumpkin seeds
- 75 grams of sunflower seeds
- 4 tablespoons sesame seeds
- 4 tablespoons poppy seeds
- 50 grams of dried coconut
- 150 grams of honey
- 100 ml coconut oil
Method
- Pre-heat the oven to 160C / 325F / gas mark 3
- Put the honey and oil into a small pan and bring to a simmer then immediately remove it from the heat
- Place the oats in a bowl and pour on the warm honey mixture and stir it all together
- Line two baking trays with parchment then divide the oat mixture equally between them
- Bake for 20-30 minutes, stirring regularly, until the oats are golden
- When the oats have cooled mix in the seeds and coconut and mix thoroughly
- Place into bowls and serve with milk (or a milk alternative) or yoghurt and top with seasonal fruit.
Tip: you can add in mixed dried fruit
Quick and easy porridge – serves 1
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons of jumbo porridge oats
- 50 ml water
- 1 tablespoon of nuts or seed mix
- A pinch of cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger or a few drops of vanilla essence
Method
- Place the oats and water into a pan and bring it up to the boil.
- Reduce the head and gently simmer the porridge until it starts to thicken.
- When it reaches the desired consistency, pour into bowls and sprinkle the berries and chopped nuts on top.
Very berry porridge – serves 2
Ingredients
- 100 grams of jumbo oats
- 300 ml water
- 300 ml milk (or almond milk or soya milk if you need a dairy-free alternative)
- 1 apple, peeled and grated
- 2 – 3 handfuls of berries, such as blueberries or blackberries (you can use fresh, dried or frozen)
- 1 tablespoon of chopped nuts, such as almonds or brazil nuts
Method
- Place the oats, water, milk and grated apple into a pan and bring to the boil
- Reduce the heat and gently simmer, stirring the porridge until it starts to thicken
- When it reaches the desired consistency, pour into bowls and sprinkle the chopped berries and nuts on top
Apple porridge with cinnamon and nutmeg – serves 2
Ingredients
- 100 grams of jumbo oats
- 300 ml water
- 300 ml milk (or almond milk or soya milk if you need a dairy-free alternative)
- 1 apple peeled and grated
- 1 teaspoon of honey
- 1 teaspoon of cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon of nutmeg
- 1 tablespoon of flaked almonds
Method
- Place the oats, water, milk and grated apple into a pan and bring to the boil
- Reduce the heat and gently simmer, stirring the porridge until it starts to thicken
- Stir in the cinnamon, nutmeg and honey
- Pour into bowls and sprinkle the flaked almonds on top
Information provided by Bump and Beyond Nutrition
