Start the day the right way

So, recently I've gone on a health kick. Nothing too drastic, you understand - just shaking up my daily routine a little. 

I've been raised to eat fairly healthily - brown bread, semi-skimmed milk, lots of fruit and veg - but somewhere in the mix something has gone wrong. They say that a healthy lifestyle should include a balanced diet along with several periods of exercise a week; and whilst I may have got the diet thing sorted, the exercise is…. well, let's leave it at that. 

Anyway, as I mentioned when writing about my pear yoghurt pots , having fruit for breakfast is a brilliant way to start your day. If you can get into the habit of it, it seems as normal as pouring out a bowl of cereal! 

I need a good breakfast to fill me up in the mornings but I don't like anything too sweet. Yes, I'll take a chocolatey cereal occasionally, but there's something about eating healthily in the morning that makes you feel smug the rest of the day. It also means that you can have a couple of treats later on and not feel too guilty! 

In winter, there's nothing better than a big bowl of porridge. (You all know of my love affair with oats!) However, it's not really suitable for summer! Here is my solution: soaked oats. 

I've tried making my own Bircher muesli a couple of times before but I haven't hit on a good recipe. (I had a lovely version from Pret when we were in Cambridge, though, with pomegranate seeds and berries!) This recipe is based on the idea of a Bircher muesli and is incredibly simple to make. All you have to do is put some oats in a bowl the night before, cover them with milk and leave in the fridge overnight. In the morning you'll have lovely soft oats, ready to be mixed with Greek yoghurt for a little extra creaminess and a protein hit! Add in some chopped bananas, sprinkle on some toasted almonds and drizzle with maple syrup. 

No added sugar, low GI index, high fibre, low in fat, lots of minerals….Who needs Coco Pops? 

Soaked oats with banana, maple syrup and almonds  (serves 1)
3/4 cup oats
Enough milk to cover (I used semi-skimmed but you could use anything from soy to almond!)
Half a banana
1-2 tbsp Greek yoghurt
handful of flaked toasted almonds
Maple syrup, to drizzle (use honey if you can't find it)

1. The night before you want to eat this, place the oats in a bowl. Pour over the milk, cover with cling film and leave in the fridge overnight. 

2. In the morning, uncover the oats and mix with some Greek yoghurt. Chop up the banana and add. Sprinkle over the almonds and drizzle over maple syrup to taste. 

How about you? What do you like to eat for breakfast?