Porridge comes from the English and means oatmeal, in the USA it is also called oatmeal - oat meal - and it is delicious. Oats are considered to be one of the healthiest types of grain.
Oat flakes are not only very healthy, but also very versatile. Oat flakes are the basic ingredient for porridge, muesli, bars, muffins, baby food or overnight oats.
What exactly is porridge? Here you will find an overview of what exactly makes up the popular oat porridge, how to prepare it easily and how you can refine your porridge to suit your taste.
More about porridge from Verival
What exactly are oats?
Oats (Avena sativa) are a type of cereal grass that grows in panicles. Oats are mainly processed into flakes, flour or semolina. To make oat flakes, the grain of the oat is processed.
The grains are cleaned and hulled. For coarse oat flakes, rolling out after steaming is enough to create large flakes. In contrast, finer, more delicate oat flakes – known as small flakes – are crushed before steaming.
Find out more about oat flakes!
What is porridge and can you only make it with oat flakes?
Porridge is a warm oat dish that is usually eaten for breakfast. The dish originated in Scotland and has become a popular hot breakfast in English-speaking countries.
To prepare a classic porridge, you need: a portion of oats or oat flour, cow's milk, plant-based milk or water and a pinch of salt. The mixture just needs to be boiled.
If you would like to try an alternative to oats, other cereals such as spelt flakes, buckwheat flakes, rye flakes, millet flakes, chia seeds, quinoa, flaxseed, psyllium husks or coconut flour are also suitable.
How healthy are oats in porridge?
Oats are not only delicious, but also an excellent source of nutrients of all kinds.
The biotin and zinc they contain have a positive effect on skin, hair and nails. 40 grams of oats are enough to meet your daily biotin requirement.
Oat flakes naturally contain little gluten and can be labeled as gluten-free. Thanks to soluble fiber and the beta-glucan it contains, the body achieves anti-inflammatory results.
In addition, oats contain vitamins such as vitamins B1 and B6. These vitamins help you to sleep better and healthier and prevent dizziness and neurological disorders.
Other healthy benefits of oats include lowering cholesterol, reducing the risk of diabetes and cardiovascular disease, and providing unsaturated fatty acids.
The benefits of porridge
The dish is prepared very quickly and with just a few ingredients. Three ingredients that you probably already have at home. The warm porridge can be eaten not only for breakfast, but can be eaten at any time of the day as a full meal or snack in between meals. Another advantage: you can also prepare your porridge and enjoy it the next morning – especially if you are not a morning person.
Porridge, also known as oatmeal, is not only a healthy breakfast, but also has many other positive aspects that support your physical well-being. It helps to keep your blood sugar level constant, and the feeling of satiety lasts for a long time due to the complex carbohydrates. However, the food never sits heavily on your stomach.
Another advantage of warm porridge is the wide range of toppings available to refine it: spices such as cinnamon, fresh fruit, chia seeds, millet, nuts, honey, maple syrup or chocolate drops – be creative!
Which porridge is best?
The great thing about porridge is that you can enhance or refine the basic recipe with a wide variety of additional ingredients or toppings. Whether you prefer it sweet, fruity and fresh, spicy or sour, you can choose whatever you fancy – you can buy your favourite porridge in the Verival online shop.
Here is a small selection of delicious options:
Verival's Bircher Porridge is lactose-free, vegan and gluten-free, so it is also suitable for people with coeliac disease. Inspired by Bircher muesli, it contains apples, figs, almonds and dates for a natural sweetness.
Verival's blueberry-apple porridge is also gluten-free, lactose-free and vegan. It contains fruity blueberries, crunchy apples and almonds. What's more, Verival porridges do not contain any added sugar.
Verival's strawberry chia porridge is made from gluten-free oats and refined with sweet strawberries and chia seeds, a superfood. With so many varieties to choose from, there's something for everyone.
View all porridge varieties now!
Can porridge made with oats help you lose weight?
Oats have many healthy benefits and thus contribute to a healthy diet and physical well-being. Eating healthily is one thing. However, oats are particularly filling. This makes porridge a great choice for those trying to lose weight. Especially when cooked with just water, porridge is a great aid to those wanting to lose weight.
Are you already familiar with your calorie needs? To lose weight healthily, it is important to know your calorie needs.
Calculate your calorie needs now
Do you already know your BMI?
It doesn't matter whether you want to lose weight, just do something for your health or are in the middle of muscle-building training. The body mass index is often the first measurement that shows you whether you have your body weight under control.
Here you can calculate your BMI (body mass index) in a few seconds and find out more about this value.
Discover the BMI calculator & calculate your value
Basic recipe – vegan porridge recipe with no added sugar, made in the microwave.
Preparation time: 1 min.
Cook time: 3 min.
Total time: 4 min.
Calories: 300 kcal
Ingredients
- 50 g Verival Porridge
- 250 ml water or 250 ml milk of plant origin (almond milk, oat milk, rice milk, spelt milk, etc.)
- 1 pinch of cinnamon
Preparation
- It doesn't take much to prepare your sugar-free breakfast porridge in the microwave. This basic porridge recipe makes it quick and easy. Simply put 50 g of oats in a microwave-safe bowl with 250 ml of plant-based milk. If you are making porridge for one person, you can use a small bowl. If you are making porridge for several people, choose a larger bowl.
- Then microwave your porridge at medium power for 1.5 minutes. You can also try it at the highest power. You will find the best approach for your appliance by trial and error. Then briefly remove the bowl from the microwave and stir the porridge briefly until it has a creamy consistency.
- Then put the porridge made from oats back in the microwave for another 1.5 minutes and your microwave porridge is ready in just 3 minutes.
- If you like, you can now add toppings of your choice (e.g. blueberries, other fresh fruit, chia seeds or flaxseeds, nuts (walnuts, etc.), grated coconut or chocolate chips, a little agave syrup as a sweetener, or a dollop of vegan nut butter) after stirring.
