Black Forest Peanut Butter Porridge

I'm a huge advocate for never skipping breakfast! It's so important to start your day off right by combining healthy fats, protein and carbohydrates to kick-start your metabolism. 

I predominantly follow a low FODMAP diet to keep IBS symptoms in check - this is predominantly gluten free, but I find I can tolerate up to 1/2 cup oats in a serving. Everyone is different, but it pays to experiment and see what your body responds well to. For me, oats provide amazing slow release energy and usually keep me full until lunch-time.
 

I always hated porridge as a kid, but that was before I knew how versatile it could be. You really can flavour it any way you like - this just happens to be my favourite way! 
It is also dairy-free & gluten-free if you use gluten-free oats :).

Serves one.

Ingredients:

1/2 Cup Rolled Oats

3/4 Cup Unsweetened Almond Milk or Coconut Milk

1/4 Cup Water

1 Banana

1 Tblspn Chia Seeds

1 Tblspn Flax Seeds

1 Tblspn Raw Cacao Powder

1 Medjool Date

Handful Boysenberries and/or Blueberries

1 Tblspn PB2/Powdered Peanut Butter (optional)

Method:

Mash the banana in a saucepan over a low-medium heat with oats, milk, water, chia seeds flax seeds & cacao powder. Chop up the medjool date into small pieces and add along with the berries.
 

Continue to stir over heat until mixture has thickened up. I usually cook for 4-6 minutes as I like my oats to still have a bit of texture.

If using, in your serving bowl, mix the PB2 with a dash of water and stir - adding more water if you want it runnier. I love this step because peanut butter is LIFE, and having this in the bottom of the bowl ensures peanut butter in every bite! You can also add this directly to the oats, but I find the flavour isnt quite strong enough to fulfill my peanut butter addiction.

  
You could also add 1/2 tablespoon of natural peanut butter (ensure you check the ingredients - it should only contain peanuts & maybe a dash of salt!) if you can't find PB2. Just be aware this will up the calories of this breakfast.

Pour your porridge on top of the PB2 and serves - adding some shaved coconut or extra berries to the top if you desire. You could also add a teaspoon of coconut sugar to sweeten to taste.