Overnight Oats
Serves 1 (contains approx 200 kcal)
The Ingredients
- 30g porridge oats
- 100ml low-fat milk (1.5% fat)
- 30g Greek-style natural yoghurt (3% fat)
- 30g mixed berries (fresh or frozen) or preferred chopped fruit, such as banana, apple or pineapple
The Method
Mix all the oats with the milk and yoghurt in a bowl or Tupperware container. Cover with clingfilm or a lid. Chill for at least 3 hours or overnight is best to soften the oats before eating.
Give the oat mixture a good stir and fold in the berries or fruit, then transfer to a bowl to serve.
Get Ahead
These oats can be made in larger batches and stored up to 3 days in the fridge without adding the berries or fruit until ready to serve as it will discolour. Alternatively, freeze in individual containers once they have been allowed to soften to use at a later date. Thaw the frozen containers overnight in the fridge or microwave once on high for 1-2 minutes, then fold in the berries or fruit. Bring a spoon if transporting.
Honey Nut Porridge
Serves 1 (contains approx 250 kcal)
The Ingredients
- 30g porridge oats
- 150ml low fat milk (1.5% fat)
- ½ tsp ground cinnamon (2.5g - optional)
- 1 tbsp chopped pecan or walnuts (15g)
- 1 tsp honey (5g)
- 1 tsp flax seeds (5g - optional)
The Method
Place the oats in a saucepan with the milk and place on the hob over a medium heat. Cook for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally with a wooden spoon until thickened and creamy. Stir in the cinnamon, if using.
Transfer to a bowl and sprinkle over the nuts, then drizzle with the honey and scatter over the flax seeds, if using to serve.
Prepare Ahead
If you steep the porridge oats in the milk overnight in the fridge it makes them lovely and soft so that they cook much quicker. They can also be made the night before and reheated gently in a saucepan on the hob.
Cereal with Milk
Serves 1 (contains approx 200 kcal)
The Ingredients2 wholewheat biscuits (such as Weetabix)
- 150ml low-fat milk (1.5% fat)
- 10 blueberries (optional)
The Method
Put the wholewheat biscuits in a bowl and pour over the milk. The milk can also be heated in the microwave or in a saucepan on the hob if you would prefer it warm. Scatter over the blueberries, if using to serve.
Poached Eggs & Toast
Serves 1 (contains approx 270 kcal)
The Ingredients
- 2 tsp white wine vinegar (10g - optional)
- 2 eggs
- 1 slice wholemeal bread
- 1 tsp butter (5g)
- sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
The Method
- Bring a large saucepan of water to a bare simmer over a medium heat with the vinegar, if using – it helps the white of the egg to firm up faster. The water needs to be at least 5cm deep to give the poached eggs a good shape.
- Break each egg into the water where it is bubbling in the centre. Repeat with the other egg and then carefully move the pan to the edge of the heat and simmer gently for 3 minutes until the whites look set.
- Meanwhile, toast the bread and spread with the butter. Place on a plate.
- Remove each poached egg from the saucepan with a slotted spoon and drain well on a plate lined with kitchen paper, then put on the toast. Season with a little salt, if using and some freshly ground black pepper to serve.
Prepare Ahead
Poached eggs can be prepared up to 3 days in advance, as they will sit in the fridge in a bowl of cold water. When ready to use, bring a large pan of water to the boil. Add the poached eggs and cook for 1-2 minutes until completely warmed through then drain as before to use.
Scrambled Eggs & Toast
Serves 1 (contains approx 275 kcal)
The Ingredients
- 2 eggs
- 1 tbsp low fat milk (15g - 1.5% fat)
- 1 slice wholemeal bread
- 1 tsp butter (5g)
- sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
The Method
- Heat a saucepan over a medium heat.
- Meanwhile, Break the eggs into a bowl and add the milk and season with a little salt, if using and some freshly ground black pepper. Beat with a fork.
- Add the butter to the heated saucepan and swirl it around so that the base and sides are lightly coated with it. Add the egg mixture and using a wooden spoon, start stirring quickly, making sure that you are getting right into the corners of the pan to prevent it from sticking.
- Cook for 1-2 minutes until three-quarters of the egg mixture is firm and a quarter is still liquid. Remove the pan from heat, as they will continue to cook.
- Meanwhile, toast the bread and cut in half on the diagonal. Spoon over the scrambled eggs to serve.
Soft-Boiled Egg with Soldiers
Serves 1 (contains approx 270 kcal)
The Ingredients
- 2 eggs
- 1 slice wholemeal bread
- 1 tsp butter (5g)
- sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
The Method
Bring a saucepan of water to the boil over a medium heat. Gently lower in the eggs into the boiling water and cook for 6 minutes.
Meanwhile, toast the bread and spread with the butter, then cut into soldiers.
Carefully lift the eggs out with a spoon or tongs if you have one and put into eggcups. Crack off the tops and season with a little salt, if using and some freshly ground black pepper. Put on a plate with the toast soldiers alongside to serve.
Berry and Chai Seed Smoothie
Serves 1 (contains approx 230 kcal)
The Ingredients
- 125g frozen or fresh berries (use a mixture or one type)
- 1 mandarin (or 70g tinned in own juice which has been drained)
- 2 small carrots
- 10g baby spinach leaves
- 60g Greek style natural yoghurt (4 tbsp - 3% fat)
- 90ml almond milk (6 tbsp in total)
- 2 tsp chai seeds (10g)
- large handful of ice cubes
The Method
- If using frozen berries FSAI (Food Safety Authority of Ireland) now recommends to boil them first in a saucepan of boiling water for 1 minute before draining and using. Then put them into a NutriBullet or similar blender (liquidizer). If you are using fresh berries then there is no need to cook them first.
- If using a fresh mandarin peel off the skin and separate into segments. Add the mandarin to the berries.
- Peel the carrots and roughly chop – you’ll need 80g in total and add to the fruit with the spinach, yoghurt, almond milk, and chai seeds. Add the ice and blend in bursts until smooth. Pour into a tall glass to serve.
Prepare Ahead
Layer up vegetables and fruit in goblet of your blender overnight in the fridge and then add in the ice along with almond milk just before blending.
Porridge Bread
Makes 675g loaf or 12 slices (approx 220 kcal per slice) each slice each with ¼ tsp of butter = breakfast portion
The Ingredients
- 500ml carton natural yoghurt (3% fat)
- 1 large egg
- 2 tbsp olive oil (30g), little extra (¼ tsp) to grease
- 2 x 500ml cartons porridge oats (375g)
- 2 tsp bicarbonate of soda (10g)
- ¼ tsp salt (1.25g)
- 3 tbsp softened butter, to serve (45g – optional)
The Method
- Preheat the oven to 200C (400F), gas mark 4. Put the yoghurt in a bowl, scraping it all out. Then rinse out the yoghurt carton and you will have no need to use scales for this clever bread.
- Make a well in the centre of the yoghurt and add the egg and oil. Stir until mixed. Then use the carton to measure out 2 cartons of the oats and mix them in with the bicarbonate of soda and salt.
- Lightly oil a 675g loaf tin and tip in the oat mixture. Bake in the centre of the oven for 45 minutes until golden brown. Go around the sides with a table knife to loosen out the bread and tip out on to the work surface.
- Return the loaf to the oven and put straight on the oven shelf without any tin or baking sheet for another 5 minutes to dry the crust out. Leave the cooked loaf to cool down completely on a wire rack and then cut into 16 even-sized slices and spread each one with a ¼ teaspoon of butter, if liked to serve.
Prepare Ahead
This loaf keeps well for up to 3 days unsliced wrapped in tin foil and is excellent toasted or to use in lunch boxes.
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