“Porridge” was the best large-scale category I could come up with for these. If you’re in the UK or in another country where the word “porridge” has a specific meaning, please forgive the abuse of terminology.

As fall and winter approach, I personally enjoy a good bowl of hot porridge/cereal/meal of some kind. Contrary to popular belief, complex carbohydrates are not your enemy. In fact, after consulting a nutritionist and trainer, I’ve increased my complex carbohydrate intake and experienced an increase in appetite and a decrease in body fat. Extremely low-carbohydrate diets do help with short term weight loss and glucose control, and can be cycled in as needed. However, carbohydrates are your body’s main source of energy, and denying your body that energy may put you at risk for eating too few calories, which hampers weight loss long term. For those interested in my personal anecdote, see the remarks following these recipes. Obviously, every person is in charge of his or her body, and different things work better for different people. If you’re looking for a way to boost your fiber and complex carbohydrate intake, the best time to do it is at breakfast, and these recipes are some of the best nutritionally. No real kitchen skill is required for these, and they come together pretty fast in the mornings.

Hot Oatmeal with Egg (Serves 1)

Try to find glyphosate-free oats. Several brands, including Quaker, have been found to contain glyphosate. I can’t really recommend a brand, since the audience is so diverse. What I have locally may not be available elsewhere. I can find glyphosate-free oats at Costco for about $1/lb, so the price shouldn’t be too bad.

The recipe is designed for 1, so it’s easy to scale as needed. I budget one egg per person for a nice, thick oatmeal.

Ingredients

  • 1/2 c. old-fashioned rolled oats
  • 1 c. water
  • 1 egg
  • various toppings: brown sugar, cinnamon, butter, pecans, fruit/berries to taste

Equipment

  • pot

Instructions

  1. Put the oats and water into the pot and heat on medium-low heat.
  2. Bring to a soft boil fairly slowly. You want to give the oats time to soak up the water.
  3. Boil until the oats become soft and porridge-like (about 5-10 minutes).
  4. Right before you’re going to pull the oatmeal off the stove, crack your egg into the pot, stirring frequently to mix it into the oatmeal. You should see the oatmeal getting thick and creamy.
  5. Top with your favorite goodies and enjoy.

Overnight Oatmeal with Milk and Yogurt

If you have to run out quickly in the mornings, this oatmeal version has a decent amount of protein, melds overnight, and lasts for a week in the refrigerator. Make up a big batch and scoop some into a jar to take with you in the mornings on the way to work. These work great for kids too.

Again, I’ve given a recipe for a serving. Scale as needed.

Ingredients

  • 1/2 c. old-fashioned rolled oats
  • 1/2 c. yogurt
  • 1/2-1 c. milk (add more milk for thinner oatmeal)
  • various toppings: brown sugar, cinnamon, butter, pecans, fruit/berries to taste

Equipment

  • jar/bowl

Instructions

  1. Combine all ingredients in a bowl or storage container the night before you want to eat it. Place in the refrigerator for 8-12 hours.
  2. Spoon into a bowl or to-go container with your favorite toppings and enjoy.

Buckwheat “Groatmeal”

Buckwheat groats are a delightful nutty alternative to oats. A porridge made from these won’t be as creamy as oatmeal, and I like making this when I want to feel more like I’m chewing something. Buckwheat groats do contain more protein than oatmeal. I find these a bit more filling as well. I don’t find adding the egg to this porridge to help with additional creaminess; it doesn’t quite cook the same. However, feel free to add it if you like. I just scramble some eggs on the side when I make this dish.

The recipe below is for a serving of hot “groatmeal”:

Ingredients

  • 1/2 c. buckwheat groats
  • 1 c. water
  • egg (optional)
  • various toppings: brown sugar, cinnamon, butter, pecans, fruit/berries to taste

Equipment

  • pot

Instructions

  1. Combine the groats and water in a pot.
  2. Bring to a soft boil and cook for about 10-15 minutes. The groats won’t meld/melt together the water oatmeal will, and there will still be a little crunch to them when you eat it. This is normal.
  3. Add the egg towards the end of the cooking time as with oatmeal if desired.
  4. Top with your favorite toppings and enjoy

Remarks

As a personal anecdote, I’ve always been pretty athletic (competitive swimming and lifting), and had been having trouble with energy levels and losing the last bit of stubborn body fat. I had been lower-carb for years and had moderate success, but my swims would go much more poorly on the days I had few carbohydrates. I began working about a month ago with a trainer and nutritionist, who explained that I had been under-eating for years and my body was converting everything it could to fat for storage. He put me on a much higher carbohydrate plan (245 g. complex carbohydrates daily, 110-130 g. protein, 50-60 g. fat). I was extremely nervous about increasing my food intake this way, but after 2 weeks my appetite had increased, my bloated feeling decreased, and I had lost body fat while building muscle and maintaining higher energy levels. It’s been a month on this plan now, and I do feel and look better than before.

I should note that in addition to the nutrition plan, my lifting workouts have increased significantly, as have my PRs. I swim 3 times weekly, doing about 3500-4000 yards each time in addition to the lifting workouts. It’s possible that this approach is more useful for women than men, and I don’t think it applies to people who are quite overweight to start. I only add this anecdote to counter the incessant “carbs are bad” messaging. If you’re struggling with energy levels or feeling sluggish, consider that you really do need more carbohydrates.