Basic Pursuits

According to Wikipedia, "Porridge is a simple dish made by boiling oats (normally crushed oats, occasionally oatmeal) or another cereal in water, milk or both."

Porridge for those who enjoy it is a top-of-the-list source of high-nutrition, low-calorie eating. You have lots of control over the nutrition that it delivers and how it tastes. It's a great way to start the day, getting you going with a high energy macro-nutrient balanced meal that will stick to most people until lunch. It provides a powerful profile of micro-nutrients as well as lots of fiber. Viva el porridge!

Here is the current version of the porridge that I'm brewing these days. Dig in Goldilocks.

8 T. oatmeal
3 T. oat bran
1 T. raw wheat germ
1 T. soy protein extract
1 T. flax seeds (Omega-3, a godsend for non-fish-eaters)
1 T. sunflower seed kernals
1/4 t. stevia extract (for sweetness; adjust to taste)
1/4 t. salt (adjust to taste)
1/4 raisins
1 c. skim milk (adjust to taste and protein and calcium needs)
1 c. water

Stir the dry ingredients together in a sauce pan. Stir in the milk and water. Slowly bring to a boil and cook until desired thickness. Cool and enjoy.

Here is the nutritional breakdown and the percent of MY (not necessarily your) daily requirement from the fabulous program, Cron-O-Meter, which you can get for free by clicking here.

Notice how those flax seeds give me a whopping amount of Omega-3 first thing in the morning. The seeds also provide a nice texture to the dish.

Energy | 559.3 kcal 21%
Protein | 33.3 g 16%
Carbs | 88.9 g 30%
Fiber | 13.2 g 44%
Fat | 14.5 g 16%
Water | 474.1 g 13%

Vitamins (28%)
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Vitamin A | 1135.8 IU 38%
Folate | 106.8 µg 27%
B1 (Thiamine) | 1.1 mg 90%
B2 (Riboflavin) | 0.6 mg 43%
B3 (Niacin) | 2.4 mg 15%
B5 (Pantothenic Acid)| 1.5 mg 29%
B6 (Pyridoxine) | 0.5 mg 27%
B12 (Cyanocobalamin) | 0.9 µg 39%
Vitamin C | 3.5 mg 4%
Vitamin D | 0.0 IU 0%
Vitamin E | 3.7 mg 24%
Vitamin K | 3.8 µg 3%

Minerals (72%)
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Calcium | 619.4 mg 52%
Copper | 0.9 mg 102%
Iron | 7.0 mg 87%
Magnesium | 284.7 mg 68%
Manganese | 4.4 mg 191%
Phosphorus | 881.9 mg 126%
Potassium | 1144.2 mg 24%
Selenium | 40.7 µg 74%
Sodium | 850.0 mg 65%
Zinc | 5.2 mg 47%

Lipids (38%)
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Saturated | 2.0 g 10%
Omega-3 | 2.5 g 156%
Omega-6 | 5.5 g 39%
Cholesterol | 4.9 mg 2%