Although it’s often referred to as the most important meal of the day, I’ll hold my hands up and say that breakfast usually takes a fairly low priority in my daily routine. When I’m working in the office, it happens at my desk and consists of a not-very-appetising bowl of plain cereal, which I scoff in five minutes, with one eye on my emails – does that count as a ‘meal’? But now that I’m getting used to home working, I’m finding that I can dedicate a little bit more time to preparing something I actually enjoy in the morning and eat it without getting indigestion.
Once I’ve finally dragged myself out of bed and avoided hitting ‘snooze’ on my alarm for the 100th time, I’ve been trying to make something hearty and nutritious, like a bowl of porridge, or some eggs on toast. I know – porridge, for breakfast? Ground-breaking. I’m not saying that either of these offerings are revolutionary, or that I’ll be winning Masterchef any time soon, but for someone who really does neglect breakfast a lot of the time, making this simple change has made a real difference.
My favourite porridge bowl toppings at the moment are jammy stewed berries and a generous drizzle of nut butter. If it’s eggs, I like them scrambled with spring onions, served on buttery toast with a little bit of hot sauce. I still usually eat in front of the TV, with the news on, but for me, it’s a vast improvement from my hurried desk breakfasts. Plus, I feel like I’m actually ready to work from the start of my office hours, rather than feeling hungry, stressed and even (sorry if TMI) slightly sweaty from navigating the London Underground in rush hour.
Want some porridge inspiration? Try these ideas.