Delicious oats 

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

1. Preheat the oven to 160C / 325F / gas mark 3
2. Roughly chop the mixed nuts
3. Place the oats, flakes (if you are using them) and mixed nuts onto a baking tray, toast in the oven for 10 minutes
4. Mix the toasted ingredients with your dried fruit. Allow your muesli to cool before storing in an airtight container.

Serve

1. Simply add milk or yoghurt
2. 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

1. Pre-heat the oven to 160C / 325F / gas mark 3
2. Put the honey and oil into a small pan and bring to a simmer then immediately remove it from the heat
3. Place the oats in a bowl and pour on the warm honey mixture and stir it all together
4. Line two baking trays with parchment then divide the oat mixture equally between them
5. Bake for 20-30 minutes, stirring regularly, until the oats are golden
6. When the oats have cooled mix in the seeds and coconut and mix thoroughly
7. 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

1. Place the oats and water into a pan and bring it up to the boil.
2. Reduce the head and gently simmer the porridge until it starts to thicken.
3. 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

1. Place the oats, water, milk and grated apple into a pan and bring to the boil
2. Reduce the heat and gently simmer, stirring the porridge until it starts to thicken
3. 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

1. Place the oats, water, milk and grated apple into a pan and bring to the boil
2. Reduce the heat and gently simmer, stirring the porridge until it starts to thicken
3. Stir in the cinnamon, nutmeg and honey
4. Pour into bowls and sprinkle the flaked almonds on top

Information provided by Bump and Beyond Nutrition