Oatmeal, porridge, gröt, in our household this dish has a lot of names.

It is a favourite for breakfast, occasionally for lunch if someone isn’t feeling great, a definite for an evening snack for the kids, and it has appeared as a quick supper when we don’t have a huge appetite.
Porridge is one of those dishes that is super versatile, low in cost, high in fibre, and is easily to eat and enjoy by people of all ages.

With a 13 year daughter that is vegan, and because our family does eat a lot of plant-based meals, I need to be mindful that we are getting enough protein in each day. And having an 11 year old son that eats like an elephant, the meals need to be filling.

“So what are the best combinations for porridge that can fulfil all of these requirements” you ask?
Let me share our three favourite with you. My hope is that I will inspire you to be creative so that you can come up with your own favourite. 🙂
• Peanut butter and banana porridge
• Blueberry, coconut & pumpkin seed porridge
• Apple almond spice porridge
• Egg porridge

Peanut butter and banana porridge

My dad worked at Best Foods that made Skippy peanut butter. He used to bring buckets full of it
home from the factory. Today I wouldn’t eat it if you paid me. It is full of sugar and palm oil, and it
barely even tastes like peanuts. For this recipe, and for any time of nut butter that you will buy in
the future, make sure that it is raw – nuts, salt – that’s it. When possible I recommend buying
organic peanut butter, as peanuts are one of the most heavily treated plants with pesticides.
Per portion of porridge: 1 tbsp PB, 1 medium banana sliced

Blueberry, coconut & pumpkin seed porridge

These berries are full of antioxidants that help the body fight off disease and inflammation in the
body. A little coconut just tastes good with the mix, and pumpkin seeds add not only protein, they
can provide you with a substantial quantity of healthy fats, magnesium, antioxidants and zinc.
They are little powerhouses quite simply!
Per portion of porridge: 1 dl blueberries (preferably wild), 1 tbsp coconut, 1-2 tbsp pumpkin seeds

Apple almond spice porridge
This is like eating an apple pie. Yum! With a vegan child, and the fact that I have a milk protein
allergy, we drink either oat or almond milk at home. I cook the porridge in almond milk to get the
added calcium, vitamins and minerals, and almond milk also adds a little protein. Feel free to use
dairy milk instead. Slice an apple into small pieces, sprinkle in cinnamon, cardamom and nutmeg
to your liking (we are cinnamon addicts in this house!) and cook your porridge until creamy. Add 2
tbsp of chopped almonds and an extra sprinkle of spice (if wanted) and enjoy!

Egg porridge
I know that this sounds rather weird, and not very tasty, but adding an egg to your porridge
makes it so creamy, and you get the added benefit of the protein. Once your porridge is cooking,
crack an egg into it and mix really well until blended. I stir continually to ensure that it becomes
creamy and doesn’t just get boiled egg chunks. You can do this with any of the above recipes, or
just cook as is and top with unsweetened apple sauce, low sugar lingons, etc.

Happy eating!