Best thing to have for breakfast?

C14N

I made myself out a daily diet and for a while I've been sticking to it fairly well for about 2 months. I always get at least 1 gram of protein per pound, I eat stuff like chocolate, crisps and biscuits sparingly and all my carbs are brown now (rice, pasta and bread). I also get at least 4 a day of fruit and veg (could be better, I know).

The only thing I'm not so sure about is what I should have for breakfast. I eat two eggs every morning (I just cook them in the microwave and put some seasoning and butter on them) for protein and for a while I've been eating Alpen in the morning too with them as well as some orange juice and cod liver oil.

It's just that I'm not really sure how good Alpen actually is. I've searched around here for threads like this and everyone is always pushing porridge as the best cereal to eat. The problem with that is that I would sooner eat my left hand than a bowl of porridge, I find the stuff so repulsive that I can barely be in the same room as it. I tried eating the sugar free version of Alpen and it wasn't very nice either.

So should I get something else? Is there anything else better? I got a bag of Kelkin granola recently and it's delicious but searching for granola online most people seem to regard it as the worst cereal to ever come upon the earth. I just want something decent that will do more good than harm, I don't think not getting the absolute best cereal is going to do detrimental harm to my body.

gavtron

what's wrong with the eggs? Or are you just bored with them?

Try adding bacon!

C14N

gavtron wrote: »

what's wrong with the eggs? Or are you just bored with them?

Try adding bacon!

The eggs are fine, I like them. It's just that I feel like I should be getting something with some carbohydrates in for breakfast too. I need the eggs for the protein anyway so I was always keeping them.

cosbloodymick

C14N wrote: »

I made myself out a daily diet and for a while I've been sticking to it fairly well for about 2 months. I always get at least 1 gram of protein per pound, I eat stuff like chocolate, crisps and biscuits sparingly and all my carbs are brown now (rice, pasta and bread). I also get at least 4 a day of fruit and veg (could be better, I know).

The only thing I'm not so sure about is what I should have for breakfast. I eat two eggs every morning (I just cook them in the microwave and put some seasoning and butter on them) for protein and for a while I've been eating Alpen in the morning too with them as well as some orange juice and cod liver oil.

It's just that I'm not really sure how good Alpen actually is. I've searched around here for threads like this and everyone is always pushing porridge as the best cereal to eat. The problem with that is that I would sooner eat my left hand than a bowl of porridge, I find the stuff so repulsive that I can barely be in the same room as it. I tried eating the sugar free version of Alpen and it wasn't very nice either.

So should I get something else? Is there anything else better? I got a bag of Kelkin granola recently and it's delicious but searching for granola online most people seem to regard it as the worst cereal to ever come upon the earth. I just want something decent that will do more good than harm, I don't think not getting the absolute best cereal is going to do detrimental harm to my body.

If you can't stick porridge try whole earth muesli, its lovely soaked overnight in milk.

Butterface

I just have 3 scrambled eggs every morning, keeps me going til lunch.

GreeBo

Normal alpen is full of sugar, the end of every bowl is crazy sweet.

I used to not like porridge, but now I put some maple syrup in there and its grand, or some brown sugar on top.
could you mix in a little jam, to spice it up?

How about weetabix/shredded wheat if you are looking for a cereal?

tattykitty

How about a sliced banana with natural yoghurt and some nuts/seeds? Add a drizzle of honey if you need a sweetener.

Or if you are desperate for sweet cereal and have some free time at the weekend you could make your own granola? Very easy and not loaded with additives like the stuff in the supermarkets. It's just 250g porridge oats, 70g honey, a tbsp olive oil, splash of vanilla extract if you have it - mix well, lay out on a baking tray and bake until crunchy and golden. Once it's cooked you can add anything you like to it - nuts, seeds, coconut flakes, dried or fresh fruit - and serve with either milk or yoghurt. I like mine with cinnamon, milled flaxseed, sliced banana and natural yoghurt. Yum.

cosmic

I tried so hard to like porridge but it just never happened. Then I discovered oat bran. It's so delicious. The texture is so smooth and it has a lovely natural sweetness to it. It's also higher in protein and fibre. I eat mine with some mashed banana and cinnamon in.

doctorwhogirl

Another one for the oat bran. I'd live off it if I could

C14N

GreeBo wrote: »

Normal alpen is full of sugar, the end of every bowl is crazy sweet.

I used to not like porridge, but now I put some maple syrup in there and its grand, or some brown sugar on top.
could you mix in a little jam, to spice it up?

It's not the taste of porridge that puts me off as much as the fact that it's basically a bowl of warm mush. I don't like to even look at it.

I'm not too worried about the sugar content, especially since I tend to leave the sweet dregs behind. The box says a 45g serving has 10% GDA (10g) of sugar but I'm not sure how accurate those GDA figures are.

GreeBo wrote: »

How about weetabix/shredded wheat if you are looking for a cereal?

I have eaten these in the past but I only eat it after putting on a fairly good helping of sugar from a bowl so I'm not sure if it's really much better

cosmic wrote: »

I tried so hard to like porridge but it just never happened. Then I discovered oat bran. It's so delicious. The texture is so smooth and it has a lovely natural sweetness to it. It's also higher in protein and fibre. I eat mine with some mashed banana and cinnamon in.

What brands of oat bran are there in the supermarket? And do you put it in a bowl and eat it like a regular cereal?

tattykitty wrote: »

How about a sliced banana with natural yoghurt and some nuts/seeds? Add a drizzle of honey if you need a sweetener.

You mean to have this as a substitute for a cereal? Does it still give all the appropriate carbs and fibre and so on? It sounds quite nice.

tattykitty wrote: »

Or if you are desperate for sweet cereal and have some free time at the weekend you could make your own granola? Very easy and not loaded with additives like the stuff in the supermarkets.

I would like to do that but I don't have the time, at least not now (I'm in college and have exams coming up shortly). I don't think the granola I have is too bad for additives though, the bag says there's no added salt, preservatives, artificial flavours or colours. A bowl has 9g of sugar but looking through the ingredients, that seeps to be from a mix of unrefined cane sugar and raisins. Is 9g still too much?

cosmic

C14N wrote: »

What brands of oat bran are there in the supermarket? And do you put it in a bowl and eat it like a regular cereal?

I use the Odlums one and prepare it like porridge. I soak it overnight (this isn't necessary but I find it's softer and more fluffy if you do it) in water (30g oat bran to 1 cup water). Then I boil it up like porridge and add in mashed banana and cinnamon when plating up. It's so so good. It gets me out of bed in the mornings!

gavtron

C14N wrote: »

The eggs are fine, I like them. It's just that I feel like I should be getting something with some carbohydrates in for breakfast too. I need the eggs for the protein anyway so I was always keeping them.

Just out of curiosity, why do you think you need some carbs for breakfast?

You could make an omlette and add some vegetable/potato to it!

And bacon, did i mention bacon?

doctorwhogirl

cosmic wrote: »

I use the Odlums one and prepare it like porridge. I soak it overnight (this isn't necessary but I find it's softer and more fluffy if you do it) in water (30g oat bran to 1 cup water). Then I boil it up like porridge and add in mashed banana and cinnamon when plating up. It's so so good. It gets me out of bed in the mornings!

Ooooh, I must soak mine.

Do you add more water in when you cook it the next day? I do mine in milk so would I soak it in milk?

Seriously love oat bran. I've upped my breakfast to 40g because 30g just wasn't enough of the tasty goodness

C14N

gavtron wrote: »

Just out of curiosity, why do you think you need some carbs for breakfast?

You could make an omlette and add some vegetable/potato to it!

And bacon, did i mention bacon?

Both because I try to eat a certain amount of carbs every day and because it just seems good to get a bit of energy in the morning. I know there's some energy in the eggs but 15g of protein isn't much compared to the carbs in a bowl of cereal.

rubadub

C14N wrote: »

It's not the taste of porridge that puts me off as much as the fact that it's basically a bowl of warm mush. I don't like to even look at it.

You can make pancakes with porridge oats, egg & milk.

Old post here about it with peoples recipes.
http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=2055002535

tmc86

tattykitty wrote: »

How about a sliced banana with natural yoghurt and some nuts/seeds? Add a drizzle of honey if you need a sweetener.

+1

Depending on what type of diet you're on and what your objectives are then carbs for breakfast may or may not be a necessity.

e.g. I do a 7km run before work 3 times a week and then come home and have my scrambled eggs (with pepper and a splash of milk no butter/salt) and natual yoghurt, nuts and honey.

Your glycogen levels are low in the morning therefore its a great time to burn fat then I go for a higher protein and low carb breakfast.

Plus if you're getting enough good sleep then you shouldn't really need carbs for breakfast - you're just awake so you should have energy. Just have a coffee/green tea to kick start your day if you feel sluggish/low energy!

Personally I'd also cut out the orange juice as they can be high in sugar too but that's just me I don't drink fruit juices often.

Emeraldy Pebbles

tmc86 wrote: »

+
e.g. I do a 7km run before work 3 times a week and then come home and have my scrambled eggs (with pepper and a splash of milk no butter/salt) and natual yoghurt, nuts and honey.

Isn't butter the key ingredient that makes them scrambled? Just milk and no butter would just be an omelette.

tmc86

Emeraldy Pebbles wrote: »

Isn't butter the key ingredient that makes them scrambled? Just milk and no butter would just be an omelette.

Heat is the key ingredient to scramble and I find the best come from a very low heat and continous stirring! I just whisk the eggs with a splash of milk and some cracked pepper and put in a saucepan on a very low heat and keep stirring until they scramble.

I'll use a bit of butter for an omlette but only to grease the pan so it doesn't stick.

opus

cosmic wrote: »

I tried so hard to like porridge but it just never happened. Then I discovered oat bran. It's so delicious. The texture is so smooth and it has a lovely natural sweetness to it. It's also higher in protein and fibre. I eat mine with some mashed banana and cinnamon in.

Have a scan through this forum every few weeks but haven't posted before. Read about the oat bran a while back & must admit I've replaced normal porridge with it as well.

My normal breakfast is a bowl of porridge (oat bran) with cinnamon & a sprinkle of seeds, slice of rye bread with almond butter, cup of green tea & a kiwi fruit (cause I really like them). Sometimes replace the porridge with a two egg omelette or even half an avocado.

Tombo2001

Surprised at people saying they eat eggs every morning......and in some cases a lot of them (I would consider 3 a lot)...

Is there a view on that? I would have thought eating eggs every day might have risks, but I've never looked into it.

Tombo2001

ps.......I love these conversations......only a select bunch of people care about this sh;t

Frogdog

Tombo2001 wrote: »

Surprised at people saying they eat eggs every morning......and in some cases a lot of them (I would consider 3 a lot)...

Is there a view on that? I would have thought eating eggs every day might have risks, but I've never looked into it.

There's absolutely nothing wrong with eggs. All the scaremongering about dietary fat = heart disease/high cholesterol etc. is pure and utter bull.

I eat 6 eggs a day, whereas previously I used to eat porridge and loads of grains. My overall cholesterol level has dropped (granted I don't have the HDL and LDL figures) and I feel healthier now.

tmc86

Frogdog wrote: »

My overall cholesterol level has dropped (granted I don't have the HDL and LDL figures) and I feel healthier now.

+1 There's always been confusion around eggs and people seem scared of them thinking that they are high in cholesterol and fats- hence the likes of omlettes just using the whites - again BS.

The yolk is packed with vitamins and more importantly vitamin D which is hard to find naturally in food and therefore a great source for these dark winter days!

granted there is a bit of fat in the yolk but over half of it is unsaturated so its a healthy source of fats.

Eggs are your friend!

Tombo2001

tmc86 wrote: »

+1

Eggs are your friend!

This will make you laugh....

http://www.foxnews.com/health/2012/08/16/study-eating-egg-yolks-almost-as-dangerous-as-smoking/

tmc86

Tombo2001 wrote: »

This will make you laugh....

http://www.foxnews.com/health/2012/08/16/study-eating-egg-yolks-almost-as-dangerous-as-smoking/

Ah good old Fox news! Wouldn't have expected anything less from them!

A high saturated fat diet = high cholesterol
Having high cholesterol is brought about by eating more saturated fat than you should be and isn't a result of eating specifc foods like eggs.

Full link;
http://www.bhf.org.uk/default.aspx?page=12920

Anyway before we completely de-rail this thread I'd still recommend eggs and natural yoghurt for brekkie

cosmic

doctorwhogirl wrote: »

Ooooh, I must soak mine.

Do you add more water in when you cook it the next day? I do mine in milk so would I soak it in milk?

Seriously love oat bran. I've upped my breakfast to 40g because 30g just wasn't enough of the tasty goodness

I'm not sure about the milk thing because i cook mine in water. The water goes all oaty and creamy overnight though so maybe try it with the water.

I'm up to 40g from 30g too! I think it's just during the cold though

Emeraldy Pebbles

tmc86 wrote: »

Heat is the key ingredient to scramble and I find the best come from a very low heat and continous stirring!

The only thing that gives that curdled effect of scrambled eggs is butter. And I've made both omelettes and scrambled eggs numerous times. Buttering a pan for omelettes will make them scrambled. We might have different definitions of what scrambled eggs are though! I've yet to see a scrambled egg recipe that doesn't involve butter though. In fact the best scrambled eggs IMO are just eggs and butter, no milk, as milk is what makes that watery stuff come off them.

papu

Another shout out for eggs in the morning. make a nice omlette with frozen veg and ixed beans if I'm feeling particularly hungry or need some more fuel. Won't keep you as full as some porridge with peanut butter , mixed fruit & nut , banana and low fat yoghurt....mmmm... but if you need high protein meals or looking to lose weight eggs yer man!

papu

Emeraldy Pebbles wrote: »

The only thing that gives that curdled effect of scrambled eggs is butter. And I've made both omelettes and scrambled eggs numerous times. Buttering a pan for omelettes will make them scrambled. We might have different definitions of what scrambled eggs are though! I've yet to see a scrambled egg recipe that doesn't involve butter though. In fact the best scrambled eggs IMO are just eggs and butter, no milk, as milk is what makes that watery stuff come off them.

Gonnae have to disagree there , theres plenty of alternative ways of making scrambled eggs without using butter , of course it's always better with but perfectly legitimate without,
the best scrambled eggs I've had are Ramsays with added creme Fraiche , or Hestons with Double Cream and Milk.

Emeraldy Pebbles

papu wrote: »

Gonnae have to disagree there , theres plenty of alternative ways of making scrambled eggs without using butter , of course it's always better with but perfectly legitimate without,
the best scrambled eggs I've had are Ramsays with added creme Fraiche , or Hestons with Double Cream and Milk.

Nothing else I've ever used, and that includes sour cream, different oils, creme fraiche or just milk gives the curds that signify scrambled eggs. They all just make omelette. Suppose I could be doing it wrong but they're not difficult so I doubt it.

papu

Emeraldy Pebbles wrote: »

Nothing else I've ever used, and that includes sour cream, different oils, creme fraiche or just milk gives the curds that signify scrambled eggs. They all just make omelette. Suppose I could be doing it wrong but they're not difficult so I doubt it.

Hestons Eggs (Click)
Look curdy enough?

This omlette is made with only eggs and butter Ramsay Omlette These scrambled eggs are only eggs and butter Ramsays Scrambled eggsIt's nothing to do with the ingredients but how you combine and cook them!

tmc86

Emeraldy Pebbles wrote: »

The only thing that gives that curdled effect of scrambled eggs is butter. And I've made both omelettes and scrambled eggs numerous times. Buttering a pan for omelettes will make them scrambled. We might have different definitions of what scrambled eggs are though! I've yet to see a scrambled egg recipe that doesn't involve butter though. In fact the best scrambled eggs IMO are just eggs and butter, no milk, as milk is what makes that watery stuff come off them.

I'm not sure how you cook an omlette but this certainly isn't the case for me. I melt a bit of butter in the pan so it covers the bottom, then pour in the whisked mix and leave it sit there on a medium heat cooking through. Once the top of the omlette is nearly cooked I add ingredients and fold it over, flipping it to evenly cook the inside.

Here is an omlette I made by buttering the pan first


I agree with you in terms of taste but I choose to leave out butter (health reasons) and use a splash of milk to bulk it out a bit instead. Depending on how much milk I use I do sometimes get a bit of that watery stuff but as each to their own it doesn't bother me. Here is a breakfast from earlier in the week using just eggs, pepper and a bit of milk.



for me the tastiest scrambled eggs are made with a knob of butter and a bit of cream however I would rarely eat them like that as they are higher in calories etc

Emeraldy Pebbles

tmc86 wrote: »

I agree with you in terms of taste but I choose to leave out butter (health reasons) and use a splash of milk to bulk it out a bit instead. Depending on how much milk I use I do sometimes get a bit of that watery stuff but as each to their own it doesn't bother me. Here is a breakfast from earlier in the week using just eggs, pepper and a bit of milk.


for me the tastiest scrambled eggs are made with a knob of butter and a bit of cream however I would rarely eat them like that as they are higher in calories etc

Butter is healthy.

Emeraldy Pebbles

papu wrote: »

Hestons Eggs (Click)
Look curdy enough?

Yes, they look like scrambled eggs, it just looks he didn't break them up. And they have butter in. They definitely don't look omeletty.

This omlette is made with only eggs and butter Ramsay Omlette These scrambled eggs are only eggs and butter Ramsays Scrambled eggsIt's nothing to do with the ingredients but how you combine and cook them!

If you just rub the pan with butter and don't mix I guess they won't curd, but if you do mix, they WILL curdle.

tmc86

Emeraldy Pebbles wrote: »

Butter is healthy.

You're being very pedantic now. I didn't say it wasn't healthy -At the moment I'm eating a very clean diet and I choose not to eat it where possible, its personal preference is all. i.e I don't need the added fats and salt of butter in my scrambled eggs when I still enjoy them without.

Emeraldy Pebbles

tmc86 wrote: »

You're being very pedantic now.

This is the nutrition forum, I don't think it's pedantic to bring that up here. But fair enough if it doesn't fit in with what you are doing.

tmc86

Emeraldy Pebbles wrote: »

This is the nutrition forum, I don't think it's pedantic to bring that up here. But fair enough if it doesn't fit in with what you are doing.

fair point- perhaps I should have put in "personal health reasons"

johnfaul

give the bunalun porridge oats a go with water I find they are much nicer than the flahavans as they hold their shape a little better, some cinammon and berries for topping yum..

Frogdog

I think, to sum up, the following needs to be said:

1. Eggs are healthy, eat them.
2. Butter is healthy, eat it.
3. Saturated fat is healthy, eat it.
4. None of the above is dangerous or negatively impacts your health (cholesterol, heart health, etc.) and in fact has positive effects, despite what you have heard previously.

Mr. CooL ICE

I always have some form of porridge for breakfast but always have two hard boiled eggs for my 11 snack/brunch. If I'm in work, porridge with milk and honey with green tea. If I'm at home, I make porridge oat pancakes (porridge, milk, egg white) with butter. Delicious!

I plan on changing my first two meals but for now, its the best balance between convenience and nutritious I can settle on

rocky

Frogdog wrote: »

I think, to sum up, the following needs to be said:

1. Eggs are healthy, eat them.
2. Butter is healthy, eat it.
3. Saturated fat is healthy, eat it.
4. None of the above is dangerous or negatively impacts your health (cholesterol, heart health, etc.) and in fact has positive effects, despite what you have heard previously.

0. Moderation is key.

Frogdog

rocky wrote: »

0. Moderation is key.

Ah yes Rocky, I nearly forgot - everything in moderation.

Including moderation.

doctorwhogirl

I have just made my oat bran pancake batter for the morning. They give me something to look forward to when a) it's Monday and b) it's inevitably going to be wet and or freezing.

Slattsy

Where's the best place to pick up oat bran and are there many different brands of it?

Thanks

doctorwhogirl

Slattsy wrote: »

Where's the best place to pick up oat bran and are there many different brands of it?

Thanks

I get mine in Tesco- Odlums. Good quality to me and not too pricey.

If I had a cent for how much I've mentioned oat bran on here lately...I'd be at least 25cent richer.

grahamhyland

Try a fruit only breakfast.
eat as much fruit as you care for. Typically I eat 1 pun net of grapes and about 10-15 oranges with a large honeydew melon all before 1 oc. I am fitter faster and more alert than ever when I eat this way
Graham

simonsays1

Breakfast is my fav! scrambled eggs no butter w/ smoked paprika, oatbran pancakes, soaked porridge w/ banana and agave!

But I required something different so..

These days - green smoothies- (green 60%+fruit 40%+water)

2 cups h20, few leaves of spinach, celery stick or half a peeled cucumber, medium banana, kiwi, juice of half lemon or lime

no seeds, nuts, starchy veg or dairy+rotate leafy greens to kale or lettuce or watercress etc

I'm loving the energy - sets me up til lunch time!

SunnyDub1

grahamhyland wrote: »

Try a fruit only breakfast.
eat as much fruit as you care for. Typically I eat 1 pun net of grapes and about 10-15 oranges with a large honeydew melon all before 1 oc. I am fitter faster and more alert than ever when I eat this way
Graham

This is a ridiculous idea for a breakfast.
Fruit is full of sugar and should be eating in moderation.
Don't know where you go this "eat as much fruit as you care for" breakfast idea from

Eggs, meat or oats for breakfast if you want a healthy breakfast.