Hello Jaki ! No, I don't have any of the original seeds left, but just mix my own with as many different kinds as I can find, using sunflower and hemp and sesame as a base. Lakelands munchy seeds are brilliant! I do like a bit of crunch!

The Food Doctor does an Omega mix in a little shaker topped pot for £2.70 - you could refill with your own. It has linseeds, hemp, poppy and sesame I think? They are all very small seeds (a bit like bird seed!) so sometimes add a few sunflower seeds as well for a bit of extra bite.

I am about to REALLY upset the Scotsmen and porridge purists here!
Try this idea for those of you with a sweet tooth. It is still low in calories!
use 40g of porridge otas and make up with cold water. Then sprinkle with a sachet of low-calorie hot chocolate powder (I am very fond of Options White chocolate flavour!) and leave to soak in for a minute or two. Then stir and microwave for 2 minutes. (Don't forget to stir it, as it will just be a solid splodge of chocolate goo otherwise!)
I find this really delicious. I serve the white chocolate one with fresh strawberries or forest fruits and it feels really decadent, but the hot choc powder is only 40 calories a sachet and contains milk powder, so you only need to add water before cooking the porridge. The Belgian chocolate flavour is great with raisins, stewed plums or apricots.
Now I will never be able to go North of the Border again!

I make my porridge with whole oats and water and while it is cooking I defrost some mixed summer fruits or other frozen berries in the microwave and mix with my porridge. I then add a low fat yoghurt (usually a summer fruit flavour) and mix it all up. I zap in the microwave for 20-30 seconds as the yoghurt cools it all down! It looks messy but tastes yummy! The yoghurt acts as a sweetner and a milk substitute and keeps the fat and calories down! Its a big bowl for breakfast but keeps me going until lunch.

You traitor Helen!! You'll never get a Scotsman with a recipe like that!!

I've only just started trying to eat porridge, for the September challenge, when it's cooked I pour over some natural youhurt, top it with chopped banana and drizzle some honey over it. Don't think I could hack it chocolate flavoured though.

Much as I love chocolate, I don't think I could face chocolate flavoured porridge - and I would lose the moral high ground of telling my step daughter that she can't have chocolate covered breakfast cereals!

And I tried yogurt in it too, and I have to say that was horrible. I use skimmed milk or soya milk.

At the moment I'm trying to increase my iron intake so I'm having chopped dried apricots (added after cooking) plus some flakes almonds, and a glass of fruit juice (no tea).

Oh, except this morning when I had sausage, bason, scrambled egg, tomato, mushrooms and toast...

I have to say I would have much rather had my porridge

I'm a big fan of chinese porridge cooked in medium to long grains (rice). This plain porridge (cooked only with water) can be eaten with omelette, fried fish/pork/beef/chicken/vege and any type of meat. Very nutritious and fabulous for those who like to control your weight. The water in the porridge really fills you up.

I had a porridge day to help with a 4.5 mile run in the wind today! So great. Theresa your breakkie sounds huge! I agree I would have porridge instead!

porridge is great with a grated apple, a few raisins/sultanas and a sprinkle of cinnamon powder. for info, i make mine with sweetened soya milk so i find it sweet enough. yum!

Wow, I love the sound of the grated apple Gemma, I may add that to my concoction tomorrow morning!

Had my Porridge this morning with the usual skimmed milk.
With Mango added, very nice made a change from prunes.

Carol

Carol
sounds fab! A good way to start the day!

I made some porridge on Saturday for self and daughter - I had almonds, raisins and a bit of youghurt stirred in with mine - it was delicious but I always think of it as a winter food so doesn't help wth fighting the low mood.

Gemma that sounds like cooked Bircher muesli - very healthy. I must say it sounds a lot better than Helen K's chocolate version

I have mine with Alpro soya light - unsweetened! I actually find real milk too sweet but the soya's delicious.

I'm glad the porridge thread's been resurrected - I kept forgetting to soak everything overnight and didn't have time in the morning (I don't do microwaves )

However, tonight I have a lovely mixture of 1/4 quinoa, 1/4 millet and 1/2 jumbo oats - all organic - simmering gently. Will leave overnight and it will only need heating in the morning - yum!

Fiona
I have just been told quinoa is a superfood. How do you use it??

I always have Tesco's own ready brek (not called ready brek of course.)

There's no soaking with it and you just add hot skimmed milk - it's lovely enough that I never need to add anything on top.

Pippa I use quinoa like you would couscous. It's just got more of a bite to it but it's very nice.

If this is what you like then go for it - but this sort of stuff is a processed cereal and isn't true porridge. It's a higher GI because it's more processed too, so won't keep you as full for as long as porridge either.

The ingredient list for porridge - oats

The ingredients list for "ready brek" type of cereal - Rolled Oat (60%), Oat Flour (40%), Calcium Carbonate, Niacin, Iron, Pantothenic Acid, Vitamin B6, Riboflavin, Thiamin, Folic Acid, Vitamin B12

... I just put it in my porridge - I don't like oats-only porridge - the quinoa gives it a bit of texture, as does millet.

Simone's right - you can use it like couscous but it'll need cooking rather than just soaking that couscous needs.

It actually fills me easily from early morning until 1-ish and looking at the ingredients it sounds pretty healthy to me. No added salt or sugar so the sugar content per 100g is perfect.

For me regular porridge oats are like wall paper paste which is why people add so many - often unhealthy and processed - toppings. Think I like the fact that it's simply extra milled so it's smoother taste.

I agree Simone, I have the Sainsburys sachets and the fact it takes me 2 minutes to make it, while I am juggling getting the kids ready for school, sorting their breakfasts, making packed lunches, putting the washing on etc etc, and stops me snacking through the morning makes it perfect for me.

That's exactly what my husband says too...

... which is why I add millet and quinoa to mine

For those still on DIY porridge, try using organic jumbo oats as they don't break down into wallpaper paste so easily!

I also add loads of things to my porridge as listed in the past. I love it to set hard like a very thick pancake consistency and then put a drop of skimmed milk on the top. The blueberries are expensive at the moment so haven't had any for a while. I tried the grated apple in the week but really could only do with half a grated apple (in retrospect, could I freeze half the grated apple and put straight in the next day's porridge - or eat frozen as in bananas, grapes, ...... ). I sorted the cupboards today and found some slightly out of date hazelnuts and almonds so have ground those and put each separately into an airtight plastic container and shall add some to the porridge for added flavour. Anyone tried this? I've also found at the back of the cupboard some quinoa flakes (a year out of date???) but shall mix that in tomorrow morning as well!!

Will report back!

Ps. Did anyone read 'A Life in the Day' of Bruce Forsyth in the Sunday Times the other week? He has porridge every morning with similar seeds and dried fruit to mine. He then has about 14 blueberries on the top and eats it on the outside first in a clockwise direction and then the middle. I'm pretty much the same but don't count the blueberries (when I can afford them). Scary!!!!

Julian Graves do a really nice Omega Mix, never dreamt of putting it with porridge though. I like it fried up with tomatoes and a little oil and served on toast.

I did and it made me smile wioth his very particular breakfast routine.