I've been trying to replace the usual gimmicky, full of sugar and rubbish type breakfast cereal that I always eat with something a bit more healthy. So... I bought some porridge oats and made some this morning. These would be great as they also have a low GI. Now here's the problem. I can't eat them without putting sugar on them.

Does anyone have any suggestions for something I use to sweeten them a bit? Would brown sugar be better than the white refined sugar? What about honey? That would be more healthy than white sugar wouldn't it?

Pete

I'm lazy and cook my porrige in the microwave and what I do is put raisins in first, then the oats and the milk and then stick them in the microwave - what this does is cooks the raisins in the milk, so that when you stir it up you get the sweet taste - fortunately I actually like the taste of porrige so this is more than sweet enough for me. Failing that you could try mixing in some other frozen/dried fruits, and see what works best, because honey is all fine and well, but it's still really really sugary. Fruit sugars are a lot better. I've always wondered what cooking porrige oats in a low fat milkshake would taste like though... stir in some nesquik!!! (I LOVE nesquik). I'd try it myself, but it's too warm to be eating porrige in the mornings.

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Brown sugar would be better than white refined sugar, as would honey, as it has a low GI. But the best thing would be to put some fruit in it. that will really sweeten it up. If it's still not sweet enough, just persevere. You will get used to it after a week or so. I used to put sugar in my coffee, but then decided to stop doing this. My coffee wasn't sweet enough for about a week or so but I got used to it. Now I can't have any sugar in coffee as it tastes too sweet. I actually really like the Dorset cereals porridge. Their apple and blueberry once is really nice

I like the idea of raisins. I'm going to try some tomorrow.

Also, I think that I should just keep at it. I forgot that I used to take sugar in tea and coffee and stopped that easily enough so this shouldn't be any different.

That's the spirit

Mind over matter!

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Indeed with the raisins! (though I have to admit I still have honey on my weetabix - but that's because I don't have a microwave to cook my porridge in)... best thing is the raisins swell up and become nice n juicy... mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm... tasty!

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Just bought some raisins (its really warm out and I can't go for a run).

Now to my other problem. Salt.

I don't add salt to any of my cooking anymore but I do still have it on chips. Its not so bad though as I only have chips about once a week, but I hate getting the salt out. Any suggestions to get rid of having to have salt on my chips?

Aren't there salt alternatives with low sodium content?

There's nowt wrong with honey in your porridge peeps. A low GI.
I have it with my porridge mixed up with sunflower seeds,pumpkin seeds,a dozen almonds and a few apricots to finish it off.Lovely!!

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FIRST THINGS FIRST

And there are more and more reports about the health benefits of taking honey

Yeah, honey isn't so bad really - but I just think you could replace it with a selection of things, and diversity is better than nowt - plus obviously these fruits, even dried, have vitamins and other things that you just wouldn't get from honey alone, and yeah seeds and nuts are an awesome addition, you can buy these things in quite big whole sale packets and mix and match and it's cheap as chips

There's a low sodium salt caled lo salt heh.

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Am I the only person who just can't abide porridge? Even smothered with cream, fruit and syrup I still can't eat it.

As for the salt thing - lo-salt is pretty good stuff. I'm not sure I'd worry tooooo much about having a bit of salt on chips just once a week, though, if you've pretty much cut it out everywhere else.

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I've recently developed a "thing" for chips... but I never have salt on them and when I do I have to drench them in vinegar too!

I don't think you're the only one who doesn't like porrige - it's the texture thing that gets most people I know who don't like it. I just can't think of anything better than waking up on a cold winters morning and snuggling on the sofa with a nice hot bowl of porrige watching the news before getting dressed and heading off to work.

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I'd have thought the chips would be more damaging than the salt, lol. It'd be very rude to have chips without salt n vinegar though.

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Well that's what I think too!! It's bad... but... it gets to the end of the night, and they only cost like 75p... and I've got a run the next day but I'm already hungry... and... it seems more enticing than toast or something... BUT given that I don't eat anything else that's bad like that (ok this weekend was kinda bad in that I had chinese...) normally, I can't see there being a huge problem having a small portion of chips once a week... maybe I'll grow out of it lol.

Also, as a slightly more off-topic thing, now that I've increased the amount I eat since seeing that I'm not eating nearly enough, I've noticed a marked improvement in my memory, and just last night I was reading some papers, and I actually had some ideas! I'm feeling less like a dunce... And my runs are better... so just eating a few extra bits and bobs here and there has helped a great deal, and starting to use sports drinks in my long runs again, too. Nutrition is mighty important, and starts with a good breakfast! (see how I clawed back the on-topic-ness )

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I used to know lots of people who didn't like porridge, but it seems to have acquired a new-found status as health food and recently everyone I've come across seems to love the stuff.

There are very, very few things I really can't eat, but porridge is most definitely one of them.

Mind you, when I have time to eat more than a quick bowl of Shredded Wheat (which is probably about half the time), I have a home-made smoothie made with fruit, yoghurt, skimmed milk and a tablespoon or two of oatmeal, which I suppose is rather like porridge with fruit, just with everything in different proportions

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