Fed up with Porridge

[giddyup]

Alternate porridge with Sanitarium WeetBix [Australian] with milk, hot or cold. Use honey as a sweetener.

ARO Oatmeal from Makro is the best I've found and I sometimes add a pinch of salt or cinnamon for taste, usually eat with just honey and natural yoghurt.

WeetBix is very high fibre, low salt and sugar and not too expensive here.

[cooked]

Google Bircher Muesli and start again. Been eating it nearly every day for 20 years. Many variations

Muesli? Is that not raisins and nuts? That is the last thing I would ever eat.

Google it before condemning it, we dry mangoes, apples, bananas and whatever else is around ourselves. The stuff you buy is rubbish, has too many raisins as they are cheap. I can put in anything I fancy and put it in the fridge overnight with milk.

[NoshowJones]

Commercial muesli which of course is mostly grains is often very high in sugar. Not to mention cooked in probably not the best fats. Nuts are health promoting.

I know JT, but nuts are the last thing I could ever eat.

Why. No teeth, allergic to nuts?

I still have all my own teeth, I just don't fancy nuts.

[giddyup]

Google Bircher Muesli and start again. Been eating it nearly every day for 20 years. Many variations

Muesli? Is that not raisins and nuts? That is the last thing I would ever eat.

Google it before condemning it, we dry mangoes, apples, bananas and whatever else is around ourselves. The stuff you buy is rubbish, has too many raisins as they are cheap. I can put in anything I fancy and put it in the fridge overnight with milk.

The OP must be hell to cook for, doesn't like vegetables, fruit has to be pureed, doesn't eat raisins or nuts. Talk about fussy.

[giddyup]

Commercial muesli which of course is mostly grains is often very high in sugar. Not to mention cooked in probably not the best fats. Nuts are health promoting.

I know JT, but nuts are the last thing I could ever eat.

Why. No teeth, allergic to nuts?

I still have all my own teeth, I just don't fancy nuts.

Or raisins, whole fruit, vegetables etc?

[NoshowJones]

If it's not too personal, may I ask what the veg/fruit issues are?

Omlettes with meat alone is high protein and potentially high fat, you need some carbs to balance that out, low glycemic carbs such as oatmeal are ideal. But some veg offers the same things, broccoli, spinach, runner beans, all work just as well.

I'm diabetic but my blood sugar is very well controlled hence no meds/injections, getting the food balance right is critical to me, small amounts of fruit are OK in my diet, as is the occasional splurge on fantasy foods such as pizza etc., just curious about why you rule out so many potentially viable options.

I don't know, any fruit or veg I eat has got to be smoothies. I have never had any health issues or weight problems, so I can't be doing much wrong.

So why must it be in smoothies only? Digestion starts with the chewing process and the release of saliva hence it's not good to blend everything, not doing so might open up different ways to enjoy your breakfast, no?

I will enjoy my breakfast if I can find something healthy to replace porridge.

[oldthaihand99]

This may be a question for Sheryl. For years I have always had porridge oats for breakfast, that's the kind you buy in Tesco or Big C, along with toasted brown bread with flora or similar. I am completely fed up eating it. I also don't eat fruit or vegetables unless in liquidised form, and drink that most days also.

Is there anything else I can take to replace the porridge which has fibre etc for breakfast? What about those "all you need" drinks that you buy in 7-11 for 25 Baht?

Also, I have about three teaspoonfuls of Ajinomoto Lite Sugar with tea every day. I am not trying to lose weight,( six ft tall. 78 Ks) I just don't want to get fat like most of my Farang friends now that I am getting older.

Are oats fattening? Maybe switch to oat bran cereal:

"....oat bran is one of the most beneficial food as the bran has more fiber and nutrition that

helps older men and women to reduce cholesterol and weight!"

http://www.oatbran.org/

"Whether porridge is fattening or not would completely depend on the preparation involved. Plain porridge is considered to be very healthy and is not fattening if you restrict yourself to a single helping of a bowl."

http://www.outofstress.com/is-porridge-fattening/

Another alternate breakfast meal that is full of fibre is corn meal cereal cooked with water.

If you scrap porridge altogether, beware lest the substitute has more calories, hence is more likely to put on weight than low calorie porridges.

For another fibre option to cereals, i've found pharmacies in Bangkok that carry a supplement that is somewhat like psyllium powder that is in products like Metamucil. It is quite gross though & i much prefer even plain porridge. Or maybe you could find psyllium somewhere, which is an excellent source of fibre.

Eating whole fruits & vegies would give more fibre than their juices & possibly be healthier & less fattening.

[NoshowJones]

Alternate porridge with Sanitarium WeetBix [Australian] with milk, hot or cold. Use honey as a sweetener.

ARO Oatmeal from Makro is the best I've found and I sometimes add a pinch of salt or cinnamon for taste, usually eat with just honey and natural yoghurt.

That might be ok, but is honey not full of calories? Maybe try it with Lite Sugar instead of honey. But have to wait till I get to Makros.

[NoshowJones]

Google Bircher Muesli and start again. Been eating it nearly every day for 20 years. Many variations

Muesli? Is that not raisins and nuts? That is the last thing I would ever eat.

Google it before condemning it, we dry mangoes, apples, bananas and whatever else is around ourselves. The stuff you buy is rubbish, has too many raisins as they are cheap. I can put in anything I fancy and put it in the fridge overnight with milk.

I'm not condemning it. One mans meat is another mans poison.

[NoshowJones]

Google Bircher Muesli and start again. Been eating it nearly every day for 20 years. Many variations

Muesli? Is that not raisins and nuts? That is the last thing I would ever eat.

Google it before condemning it, we dry mangoes, apples, bananas and whatever else is around ourselves. The stuff you buy is rubbish, has too many raisins as they are cheap. I can put in anything I fancy and put it in the fridge overnight with milk.

The OP must be hell to cook for, doesn't like vegetables, fruit has to be pureed, doesn't eat raisins or nuts. Talk about fussy.

I'll say it again, one mans meat is another mans poison.

[NoshowJones]

This may be a question for Sheryl. For years I have always had porridge oats for breakfast, that's the kind you buy in Tesco or Big C, along with toasted brown bread with flora or similar. I am completely fed up eating it. I also don't eat fruit or vegetables unless in liquidised form, and drink that most days also.

Is there anything else I can take to replace the porridge which has fibre etc for breakfast? What about those "all you need" drinks that you buy in 7-11 for 25 Baht?

Also, I have about three teaspoonfuls of Ajinomoto Lite Sugar with tea every day. I am not trying to lose weight,( six ft tall. 78 Ks) I just don't want to get fat like most of my Farang friends now that I am getting older.

Are oats fattening? Maybe switch to oat bran cereal:

"....oat bran is one of the most beneficial food as the bran has more fiber and nutrition that

helps older men and women to reduce cholesterol and weight!"

http://www.oatbran.org/

"Whether porridge is fattening or not would completely depend on the preparation involved. Plain porridge is considered to be very healthy and is not fattening if you restrict yourself to a single helping of a bowl."

http://www.outofstress.com/is-porridge-fattening/

Another alternate breakfast meal that is full of fibre is corn meal cereal cooked with water.

If you scrap porridge altogether, beware lest the substitute has more calories, hence is more likely to put on weight than low calorie porridges.

For another fibre option to cereals, i've found pharmacies in Bangkok that carry a supplement that is somewhat like psyllium powder that is in products like Metamucil. It is quite gross though & i much prefer even plain porridge. Or maybe you could find psyllium somewhere, which is an excellent source of fibre.

Eating whole fruits & vegies would give more fibre than their juices & possibly be healthier & less fattening.

Psyllium powder? That looks like a good option, though I wonder if pharmacies outside Bangkok sell it.

[Pdavies99]

I would rather chop off my arm than stop eating oatmeal for breakfast, that and another five or six key foods have combined to keep my blood sugar levels stable and allowed me to stop taking statins - my cholesterol last month came in at 129 with LDL at 55 and triglycerides at 65 (zero statins). You may dislike the stuff but it sure is good for you.

I don't dislike it, but I am fed up eating it every day, I do not have any problems heath wise that I know about. What sort of oatmeal do you eat?

I eat everyday, either with frozen blackberries or raspberries {makro} or bananas or honey , there are endless ways to improve / change taste etc!

[Gahn5]

Rolled oats, milk microwave coupla minutes then add blueberries (superfood) and yoghurt stir, eat and enjoy

[oldthaihand99]

This may be a question for Sheryl. For years I have always had porridge oats for breakfast, that's the kind you buy in Tesco or Big C, along with toasted brown bread with flora or similar. I am completely fed up eating it. I also don't eat fruit or vegetables unless in liquidised form, and drink that most days also.

Is there anything else I can take to replace the porridge which has fibre etc for breakfast? What about those "all you need" drinks that you buy in 7-11 for 25 Baht?

Also, I have about three teaspoonfuls of Ajinomoto Lite Sugar with tea every day. I am not trying to lose weight,( six ft tall. 78 Ks) I just don't want to get fat like most of my Farang friends now that I am getting older.

Are oats fattening? Maybe switch to oat bran cereal:

"....oat bran is one of the most beneficial food as the bran has more fiber and nutrition that

helps older men and women to reduce cholesterol and weight!"

http://www.oatbran.org/

"Whether porridge is fattening or not would completely depend on the preparation involved. Plain porridge is considered to be very healthy and is not fattening if you restrict yourself to a single helping of a bowl."

http://www.outofstress.com/is-porridge-fattening/

Another alternate breakfast meal that is full of fibre is corn meal cereal cooked with water.

If you scrap porridge altogether, beware lest the substitute has more calories, hence is more likely to put on weight than low calorie porridges.

For another fibre option to cereals, i've found pharmacies in Bangkok that carry a supplement that is somewhat like psyllium powder that is in products like Metamucil. It is quite gross though & i much prefer even plain porridge. Or maybe you could find psyllium somewhere, which is an excellent source of fibre.

Eating whole fruits & vegies would give more fibre than their juices & possibly be healthier & less fattening.

Psyllium powder? That looks like a good option, though I wonder if pharmacies outside Bangkok sell it.

I don't know if it's available anywhere in Thailand. Maybe check out some large supermarkets, if they have any where you stay.

You could also ask for Metamucil in any pharmacy in the country & see what types of high fibre supplements the pharmacist has on offer. As i said, i found a non psyllium type, the name of which escapes me.

[smotherb]

how about biscuits (scones) with boiled eggs and ham, black coffee--shot of cognac.

[bheard]

By way of variation you could try WEETBIX from Tesco - from Australia and wheat based. Very plain but a good opportunity to add a variety of fruit. Like most packaged food it is a little high in salt which is the main driver of high blood pressure, but you balance this with the fruit and your diet later in the day.

[maderaroja]

You can always eat lunch or dinner for breakfast.

I drink a shake of young coconut juice and meat, blended with yoghurt and mango and protein powder. Then I eat two gluay namwa bananas.

It holds me until about 13.00 when I eat lunch. In the evening, I eat only fruits, dried fruits and almonds or walnuts that have been toasted.

[smotherb]

how about biscuits (scones) with boiled eggs and ham, black coffee--shot of cognac.

[Baerboxer]

Hello,

a good French breakfast with coffee, tea or chocolate with or without milk, 2 slices of bread buttered toast with jam or honey + fruit juice.

and that gives you the same goodness as porridge?

I have porridge once or twice a week. Quaker Scots Porridge Oats. Kids eat it more often than me, the missus less but still regularly.

Vary that with toast and jams/honey or croissant, yoghurts - the plain milky sour one is great or fruit for a change, or cereals - cornflakes, museili etc.

I always have problems with weight (short and stout - prop forward or hooker at rugby), and really enjoy feed. Difficult to keep trim by exercise now older, metabolism changes and buggered joints. Wifey just bought a big pack of Special K cereal.

But I eat Thai food for breakfast most days - noddles with various sauces, meat and fish and various rice dishes or congee.

Remember variety is the spice of life!

[ggt]

Why eat at all...just drink Gatorade and V-8 juice...chase them with water...you will become so happy...

[pendingo]

I buy large tins of Quaker Oats from Big C together with honey.

I put a tablespoonful of honey with the porridge and mix it in.

I've been eating porridge like this for years and never get tired of it.

I drink some sort of herbal tea my wife brews (of which I was sceptical at first) with my porridge which seems to work wonders for my system - I've lost 3 kilos in weight since I started taking it a few weeks ago.

After that I have a fruit drink and then finish off with a coffee.

Then I'm ready for my day.

[NoshowJones]

Hello,

a good French breakfast with coffee, tea or chocolate with or without milk, 2 slices of bread buttered toast with jam or honey + fruit juice.

and that gives you the same goodness as porridge?

I have porridge once or twice a week. Quaker Scots Porridge Oats. Kids eat it more often than me, the missus less but still regularly.

Vary that with toast and jams/honey or croissant, yoghurts - the plain milky sour one is great or fruit for a change, or cereals - cornflakes, museili etc.

I always have problems with weight (short and stout - prop forward or hooker at rugby), and really enjoy feed. Difficult to keep trim by exercise now older, metabolism changes and buggered joints. Wifey just bought a big pack of Special K cereal.

But I eat Thai food for breakfast most days - noddles with various sauces, meat and fish and various rice dishes or congee.

Remember variety is the spice of life!

I agree with everything you have said baerboxer, I have no problem exercising most days on the machines in the local park, though I don't like Thai food as it always has veg, although I do love the smell of it.

[oldthaihand99]

By way of variation you could try WEETBIX from Tesco - from Australia and wheat based.

The cereals section of supermarkets often contain high fibre 'dry' cereals (the kind you don't cook). They may indicate this on the front of the box..."high fibre".

Edited July 6, 2014 by oldthaihand99

[Kasset Tak]

I eat oatmeal porridge a couple of days a week. I eat it with cinnamon and sweetening it with honey. Both cinnamon and honey are good for you. But I would stay away from the Lite sugar as aspartame have no proven health effect. I know that aspartame is safe according to studies but still 2 of my friends who are nutritious experts ( one with a PhD) tells me that it's better for the body with sugar than any artificial sweetener and only those who are diabetic should use artificial sweeteners.

[Kasset Tak]

I would recommend rice porridge as an alternative for you. It's difficult to recommend any food as you don't eat fruits or vegetables!

For me, I'm preparing to go vegetarian for about 3 months during the Buddhist lent.

[gcbruk]

I like my porridge oats cooked in water with and little pinch of salt and pepper followed by a raw egg. Gives me an appetite.

[Hardback]

I used to eat hot oatmeal daily but tired of it so now I alternate with yogurt, with fruit and ground flax seeds. I also do an overnight oatmeal with flaxseeds and fruit which is really nice - even though it's cold. - PM me if you want any info on the flax seeds or overnight oatmeal.

[allanos]

I am late to this thread, so what I am about to say may have already been stated by others.

According to Dr Barry Sears, Ph. D and author of "The Zone", a dietary roadmap, one of the few common sources of GLA (Gamma Linoleic Acid), and pre-cursor to the creation of vitally important hormones known as eicosanoids in our bodily systems, an individual can get all of the GLA he/she needs by consuming 3-5 bowls of oatmeal per week. So let's not overlook the importance of oatmeal in our diets!

Furthermore, juicing up fruit, making it easier to consume, removes the benefits of any fibre that is present in it, before juicing.

[transam]

I am late to this thread, so what I am about to say may have already been stated by others.

According to Dr Barry Sears, Ph. D and author of "The Zone", a dietary roadmap, one of the few common sources of GLA (Gamma Linoleic Acid), and pre-cursor to the creation of vitally important hormones known as eicosanoids in our bodily systems, an individual can get all of the GLA he/she needs by consuming 3-5 bowls of oatmeal per week. So let's not overlook the importance of oatmeal in our diets!

Furthermore, juicing up fruit, making it easier to consume, removes the benefits of any fibre that is present in it, before juicing.

My dad ate none of that and made 88.............

[Pungdo]

I haven't read all of the posts, too damn many, but early in the piece someone was referring to keeping his Cholesterol down to a dull roar and keeping off those hideous Statins.

Well I have just weened myself off the Statins after being on them for 10 years (Doctors advice), so Oat Porridge is the answer for me, I find it kind of tasteless and boring, but after some fiddling with the recipe, I have come up with something that is so delicious, that even my 2 1/2 year old daughter loves it.

I buy the McGarretts Oats from Tesco, the Instant one, my recipe is this: A good half cup of Oats, 1/3 cup of low fat milk, 1/3 cup of Apple Juice, plus just a splash, a pinch of salt, and about 1/4 of a teaspoon of Cinnamon and give it all a good stir.

Add the Cinnamon before the liquids and stir it through the dry Oats, otherwise it tends to float on top, then microwave the bowl for 1 min 30 seconds, take it out and add 2 tablespoons of Honey and stir it through, then microwave it for another minute.

When it's done, give it a good stir, if a little thick splash a small amount of low fat milk into it and stir it again, finish of with maybe 100mls of low fat milk and enjoy, it's truly delicious.