How important is breakfast? It’s been labeled ‘the most important meal of the day’ and the nutrition author Adelle Davis advised people to “Eat breakfast like a king, lunch like a queen and dinner like a pauper“. So why all the hype?
Is breakfast good for you?
There are two schools of thought. Harvard School of Public Health researcher, Rania Mekary PhD. carried out various studies which suggest that, making breakfast part of your healthy lifestyle, is good for you. In the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, in 2013, Mekary reported that there is a link between breakfast eaters and a lower risk of type 2 diabetes as well as other illnesses such as heart disease.
A study carried out in Chinese kindergartens in 2013, concluded that children who ate breakfast every morning had a higher IQ than those who didn’t.
Can breakfast help you lose weight?
Not everyone agrees that breakfast helps you lose weight. Evidence shows, people who do not eat breakfast tend to snack on sugary food mid-morning and eat a bigger lunch. So, if you are skipping breakfast to cut down on calories, you might want to think again.
What can you have for breakfast?
There are a number of options to choose from. I am a firm believer of the good, old porridge bowl, but a couple of weeks ago I came across a recipe for homemade granola which I’d like to share with you.
It’s so easy to make, and it keeps for 5-7 days in an airtight container.
Ingredients – yields 10 helpings
320g rolled oats
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1 tsp ground cloves
60ml grape seed oil
60ml maple syrup
25g of each chopped hazelnuts,
almonds and walnuts
25g chopped dried apricots
50g raisins, sultanas or cranberries
4 tbsp pumpkin seeds
- Preheat the oven to 150 degrees Celsius (300 degrees Fahrenheit / gas mark 2)
- Toast the nuts and seeds for 3-5 minutes (watch them closely)
- In a small bowl, whisk together the grape seed oil and the maple syrup
- In a large bowl mix together the oats, cinnamon and ground cloves. Fold the oil and syrup mixture into the oats until they’re well coated
- Spread on a large baking sheet and bake for 20-25 minutes, turning over twice during baking
- Allow to cool and add the dried fruits, toasted nuts and seeds
- Store in an airtight container for up to 7 days.
This is my version of the recipe I came across; you can easily tweak the ingredients to your liking. You may use different fruits and nuts, or you may add coconut or chocolate chips. You can also use different spices – ground nutmeg and cinnamon work nicely together.
The original recipe contained salt and twice the free sugars. I went for a healthier version and cut down on both salt and sugar.
Give it a go and leave a comment below. This recipe proved very popular at home. Serve the granola with milk or yogurt for a nutritious breakfast or nibble for an on-the-go snack.
Enjoy!
My thanks go to
Colette's Food Blog 
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