Porridge is one of the most nutritious foods available. For starters, it's an excellent source of carbohydrates for energy and fibre to aid digestion. In fact, one bowl of porridge provides more fibre than a slice of wholemeal bread — one reason to swap your morning toast for some oats from time to time.
The Bottom Line
Oatmeal's high fiber content and prebiotic qualities may benefit your body in more ways than one. Making oatmeal a regular part of your menu can potentially lower your disease risk, help your gut health thrive, make bowel movements easier and keep you feeling fuller for longer.
Is porridge better with milk or water? Porridge can be made with milk or water, it just depends on what you prefer. Using water will lower the calories in the dish, while milk will make it creamier. We like to use both for the perfect consistency and taste.
Superfood oats – the secret ingredient in porridge
Oat flakes are easily digestible and have a positive influence on our intestinal flora. Oats also contain important nutrients such as the vitamins B1 and B6, as well as zinc, iron and magnesium. Oats are therefore a real superfood when it comes to nutrients.
With so many types of oats, how do you know which to choose? Honestly, not, all oats are healthy. But if you want to get technical, Oat Groats remain the healthiest because they're the purest form of the whole oat you can eat. They're the least processed and contain the most nutrition.
Oats contain a unique type of fibre that nourishes and restores healthy gut bacteria. This makes oats a great food to eat every day and they are especially suited to breakfast – porridges, muesli or a smoothie with oats.
Porridge is incredibly nutritious
Porridge is one of the most nutritious foods available. For starters, it's an excellent source of carbohydrates for energy and fibre to aid digestion.
Oatmeal is a staple in many bodybuilders' diets as it provides the slow-releasing carbs necessary for sustained energy during workouts. Adding peanut butter and banana to the mix takes this meal to another level. Both ingredients are excellent sources of protein, critical for muscle recovery and growth.
BHF dietitian Victoria Taylor says: Porridge is a healthy, nutritious way to start the day. However, there is much debate about which oats are the best to use and which cooking method is healthiest. There are many varieties of porridge oats, including rolled, quick and instant.
Porridge is our top choice for a heart healthy breakfast – when it is made with low-fat milk or water and unsweetened. All porridge oats are wholegrains and they all contain a soluble fibre called beta-glucan, which can help lower your cholesterol level if you have 3g or more of it daily, as part of a healthy diet.
Porridge made from rolled oats, steel cut oats etc. is much better for you. Oats are a whole grain and have many proven health benefits. Be careful to avoid 'instant oats', and products with added ingredients such as sugars etc.
Weet-Bix is a good source of B vitamins including B1 (thiamin), B2 (riboflavin) and B3 (niacin) for energy, as part of a balanced diet. Weet-Bix is high in folate! This B vitamin helps support healthy blood cells and immune system, fights fatigue and maintains a healthy mind, in combination with a balanced diet.
Because of its antioxidant, satiating, immune-activating nutrients, porridge is an optimal base for a healthy breakfast or dinner. Porridge is rich in complex carbohydrates, which are digested comparatively slow by the human organism.
With wide-ranging benefits from lowering cholesterol to supporting weight-loss, one might start to believe that this humble breakfast bowl indeed possesses superpowers. Some of the more commonly known health benefits of porridge include: Loaded with vitamins and minerals such as zinc, iron, magnesium and B vitamins.
You can have oatmeal three times a day as it is considered a healthy whole grain food. Add nutritious toppings for a well rounded meal, and the oatmeal diet is very much helpful to stay fuller and lose weight.
Porridge does not reduce belly fat by itself. The only thing that will reduce fat is a calorie deficit, but even this will not reduce belly fat alone.
Although porridge is good for you and your health, you need to make sure you have a reasonable amount in your bowl. You should not deviate from the recommended 50 grams of oatmeal per serving if you want to get slim.
Oats contain a small amount of protein, but adding a protein powder to your porridge is the best way to transform your breakfast into a nutritionally complete meal.
Eggs = More Protein
On the hand, oatmeal is a carb-rich food and does provide some protein to our body. According to USDA, a breakfast with 2 medium eggs will yield approximately 13g Protein and 1.1g Carbs whereas a bowl of oatmeal will give you 2.4 g Protein and 12g Carbs.
Overall, oats are a low-risk, high-reward food. However, despite their numerous health benefits, there are a few things to keep in mind if you're new to the oat game. Oats are high in soluble fiber, which is good for digestion, but it may also cause bloating, increased gas, and abdominal cramps for some people.
The oatmeal diet and other fad diets can be dangerous. Also, they are usually ineffective for long-term weight loss. While oatmeal can be a beneficial part of the diet, it is not healthful as a sole source of nutrients.
Surprisingly, oatmeal is a type of porridge. Though all oatmeal is considered porridge, the term porridge does not always refer to oatmeal. Still, the two words are often used interchangeably, which can be confusing. Unlike porridge, oatmeal is always made from rolled, ground, or flattened oats.
But the main difference between porridge and oatmeal is that porridge is made with a variety of whole grains, cereal or legumes, and oatmeal is made with oats (either rolled, flattened or ground).