Start the day right

Enjoy these easy-to-prepare breakfasts to keep you fuelled until lunchtime

Porridge

with grated apple

That old saying about an apple a day keeping the doctor away has truth to it. Apples are packed with health-promoting nutrients, including fibre, which helps lower blood fats, manage blood sugar and keep your good gut bacteria happy.

SERVES 2 PREP 10 mins

COOK 5 mins EASY V

VEGAN FIBRE 1 OF 5-A-DAY

85g porridge oats

½ tsp ground cinnamon, plus extra to serve (optional)

250ml fortified soya milk, plus 4 tbsp to serve

2 small apples, preferably red 15g raisins

7-8 walnut halves, about 15g broken

1 Tip the oats and cinnamon into a non-stick pan and pour in 150ml water and the 250ml soya milk. Put the pan over a gentle heat and once bubbling leave to simmer for 5 mins stirring frequently (as soya milk has a tendency to stick) until the porridge has thickened.

2 While the porridge cooks, grate the apples, including the skin. Hold the apple with the stalk facing up and coarsely grate until you reach the core, then turn and grate again, continuing to grate and turn until you are just left with the cores.

3 Serve the porridge with the apple, raisins and nuts on top and sprinkle over extra cinnamon, if you like. Stir through the extra soya milk to loosen

GOOD TO KNOW vegan • healthy fibre 1 of 5-a-day PER SERVING 333 kcals • fat 12g • saturates 2g carbs 43g • sugars 14g fibre 6g • protein 11g salt 0.02g

Smoky mushroom & potato hash with oaty thins

The biscuity ‘thins’ here offer a great contrast in texture to the hash and eggs and also pack in cholesterol-busting oats. They’re ideal, too, if you’re trying to go wheat-free.

SERVES 2 PREP 15 mins

COOK 50 mins EASY V

100g porridge oats

70ml fortified soya milk

½ tsp baking powder

For the hash

2 medium potatoes (275g), unpeeled, cut into slim wedges

2 tbsp rapeseed oil

160g mushrooms, thickly sliced

1 red onion, roughly chopped

1 tsp smoked paprika

4 vine tomatoes, halved

2 eggs

1 Tip the oats and soya milk into a bowl and blitz using a hand blender to break down the oats to a less coarse texture. Leave for 10 mins to soak.

2 Meanwhile boil the potatoes for 5 mins, then drain. Heat the oil in a large non-stick frying pan over a medium heat and cook the mushrooms, onion and paprika for a few minutes until softened. Tip in the potatoes and cook for 10 mins, turning the mixture over every now and then. Stir in the tomatoes and leave to cook for 5 mins.

3 The oaty mixture should be very stiff by now. Work in the baking powder and halve the mixture. With wet hands press out half on a plastic chopping board to make a thin disc, like a pancake, then carefully lift it off with a palette knife and cook in a dry non-stick frying pan for 2 mins on each side. Repeat with the other half of the mixture. While the second one cooks, push the potato mixture to the side in the other pan, break in the eggs and cook until the whites are set and the yolks are runny. Serve the oat thins topped with the hash and eggs.

21g

Crunchy peanut butter & banana pots

For great texture and flavour, peanut butter and banana is always going to be a winning combo. Plus, bananas are a useful source of potassium, which is helpful if you have high blood pressure. Also, eating fermented foods, like yogurt, is good for gut health.

MAKES 6 PREP 10 mins plus cooling and overnight chilling COOK 5 mins EASY V

300g porridge oats

2 tsp cinnamon, plus extra for sprinkling

2 medium bananas, finely chopped

80g crunchy peanut butter

500g pot fortified soya yogurt for a few minutes, then stir in 6 tbsp of the soya yogurt.

2 Beat the peanut butter into the remaining yogurt until well combined. Divide half the oat mixture into the base of six glass tumblers and spoon in half of the the nutty yogurt. Top with the rest of the oat mixture, then the remaining yogurt mixture to create clear layers. Will keep covered and chilled for up to four days.

3 To serve, dust generously with cinnamon.

GOOD TO KNOW vegan • healthy • fibre •

PER SERVING 356 kcals • fat 13g • saturates 2g

• carbs 43g • sugars 8g • fibre 7g • protein 13g

• salt 0.33g

• salt 0.58g

1 Tip the oats and cinnamon into a large pan. Pour in 1.3 litres water, then bring to the boil and cook over a low heat until the oats are cooked and the mixture has thickened. Stir in the chopped bananas, cook for 1 min, then remove the pan from the heat. Leave to cool