Porridge is a breakfast staple for good reason. Packed with fibre and protein, oats also lower cholesterol, aid digestion and can help weight loss by making you feel fuller for longer.
But there’s no reason a bowl of porridge always has to be plain. One of the best things about oats is their versatility – and now supermarket giant Tesco has shared one ‘American style’ porridge recipe that’s much more exciting to make as a treat.
We’ve all probably had peanut butter and jam sandwiches – or PB & Jelly as the Americans call them – but you almost certainly haven’t tried peanut butter and jam porridge.
Tesco, however, has shared an ‘incredibly delicious’ recipe to make this stars-and-stripes inspired porridge that’s just a little bit indulgent.
The supermarket giant says: “PBJ is a classic for a reason – time to transform it into an indulgent porridge topper. The nuttiness from the peanut butter with the fruity raspberries is incredibly delicious stirred through.”
To make this unusual recipe, you’ll need 30g of porridge oats, 180ml of semi skimmed milk, one tablespoon of crunchy peanut butter and 50g of raspberries. You can also finish with half a tablespoon of chia seeds if you want.
Tesco adds: “Channel the flavours of an all-American PB&J sandwich into this 10-minute porridge recipe. Swirl creamy porridge with crunchy peanut butter and juicy frozen raspberries for a healthy breakfast idea that feels like a treat.”
To make porridge, simply add oats to a saucepan and mix with milk (alternatively you can use water for lower calories – though if you’re making peanut butter porridge, you probably aren’t calorie counting…). Then stir while heating until thickening to your liking.
From here, top the porridge with peanut butter and raspberries, then ‘lightly swirl with a dessert spoon, allowing the raspberries soften in the warm porridge’, Tesco says.
You can then sprinkle in chia seeds to serve, if you want.
Porridge oats are a bit of a superfood, says the British Heart Foundation.
Regardless of which type you choose, they can help fight diabetes and cardiovascular disease.
The BHF says: “There are many varieties of porridge oats, including rolled, quick and instant.
“Regardless of the type, shape or size, all porridge oats are wholegrains and contain a soluble fibre called beta-glucan, which can help lower your cholesterol levels if you have 3g or more of it daily, as part of a healthy diet.
“Oats are also considered a high-fibre food, and according to research, eating plenty of fibre is linked with a wide range of health benefits, including a lower risk of type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease.
“A 40g serving of oats provides around 3g of fibre, or 7.5g per 100g, which meets the requirements for a ‘high fibre’ food (at least 6g per 100g).
“People who survive heart attacks have a greater chance of living longer if they increase how much fibre they have.”