The real star among cereals is now the oat flake. For many, breakfast is an integral part of their morning. Porridge has now also found its way into the numerous breakfast classics.
However, contrary to popular belief, porridge is not a newly discovered trend food, as only a few people know. In fact, it is a dish with a history dating back thousands of years.
Today, the old recipe is back in fashion and can be found in a wide variety of porridge variations on almost every menu in hip breakfast restaurants, where it is considered an essential part of a healthy diet. But what makes porridge so healthy and does it really help you lose weight?
Verival porridges with no added sugar – try them now
Why is porridge so healthy?
The reason why oat porridge or oat gruel is considered such a healthy breakfast is that it has a variety of positive effects on your body and you.
The classic version of oatmeal not only contains the superfood oat flakes and thus plenty of healthy nutrients, but also keeps you full for a long time and keeps your immune system fit.
The healthy fibres ensure constant blood sugar levels and thus prevent hunger pangs. The immune system and digestion benefit from enjoying the porridge warm.
Superfood oats – the secret ingredient in porridge
The real star of porridge, the ingredient that makes it so healthy, is the oat itself. Oat flakes are easy to digest and thus have a positive influence on our intestinal flora. In addition, oats contain important nutrients such as biotin, vitamins B1 and B6, as well as the health-beneficial minerals zinc, iron and magnesium.
In terms of nutrients, it is therefore a true superfood. In addition to the vitamins and minerals, oats also score points with their digestive fibres, which keep you full for a long time and are good for your gut health. Find out more in our blog post about the superfood oats and its effect on the body.
Sugar content in oats – nutritional value table
Incidentally, oats also score points with their low levels of simple sugars, in addition to their healthy nutrients. The following table provides a brief overview of the calorie and sugar content per 100 g of oats.
| Energy (kcal) | Glucose (g) | Fructose (g) | Sucrose (g) | Total sugar (g) | |
| Oats Wholemeal Raw | 332 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1.1 |
| Whole grain oats cooked | 118 | 0 | 0 | 0.4 | 1.1 |
| Oats wholemeal flakes/bran cooked | 83 | 0 | 0 | 0.2 | 0.8 |
| Oats wholemeal flakes/bran raw | 354 | 0 | 0 | 0.7 | 0.8 |
| Oatmeal with dried fruit | 342 | 4.1 | 6.6 | 2.5 | 7.3 |
| Oatmeal cookies | 410 | 0.1 | 0 | 20 | 0.5 |
What health benefits do oats have?
Anyone who thought that was it with the health benefits is way off. Because oats can do so much more. With 12g of protein per 100g of oats, they are an excellent vegetable source of protein and are therefore ideal as an athlete's breakfast.
Incidentally, the beta glucans mentioned earlier not only province a demonstrably long-lasting feeling of satiety, but also have a positive effect on blood sugar levels by exerting their blood sugar-regulating effect.
This makes porridge helpful for type 2 diabetes, as eating oats prevents blood sugar levels from rising too sharply and quickly. When oats are heated, they also release healing mucins, which protect the mucous membranes and are therefore particularly beneficial for an irritated stomach.
A study by the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) also showed that ‘oat beta-glucan lowers blood cholesterol levels’.
Thus, ‘a lowering of the blood cholesterol level’ can be achieved, which, according to the authors, can reduce the risk of coronary heart disease. 2
Oats are naturally gluten-free. Therefore, they are also suitable for people with coeliac disease.
Find out more about oats here.
Healthy hot breakfast
We have already discussed the advantages of a hot breakfast in another article. Since the hot breakfast no longer needs to be heated by the body, less energy is needed for digestion, which in turn helps our digestion.
What's more, the nutrients it contains can be absorbed better and faster – this ensures a stronger immune system.
Porridge is an excellent filling meal
But it is not only the warmth of porridge that has unexpected advantages. The fibre contained in oats is also good for your body. It swells up in the stomach and makes us feel full. The long-chain carbohydrates and fibre also help to keep blood sugar levels constant, which can help to avoid food cravings and achieve a long-lasting feeling of satiety.
Speaking of fibre and satiety: the effects of oats on satiety were examined in detail in a study by the National Center of Biotechnology Information. The majority of the evidence suggests that the soluble fibre beta glucan contained in oats has a positive effect on the perception of satiety.
Oats are also a very good choice as a vegan source of protein for building muscle! 3
Make your own porridge – this basic recipe will help you to make
your own healthy oatmeal. You can prepare it quickly and easily yourself. All you need is 50g of (tender) oats and 200ml of plant-based milk, milk or water. You can read our popular article on how to easily make your own plant-based drinks in just five minutes.
Put the oats and milk of your choice in a saucepan and heat the mixture on a medium heat until it turns into a creamy porridge. Don't forget to stir, otherwise there might be lumps. Regular stirring of the porridge also prevents the porridge from burning in the pan and ensures an optimal consistency.
Towards the end of cooking, it is advisable to add a pinch of salt to the mixture. The salt acts as a flavour enhancer and ensures that the sweet taste of the porridge can develop in the best possible way.
Finally, you can enhance your porridge with various toppings. Suitable options include, for example, nuts, chia seeds, flaxseeds, various fruits including berries, or even almond or nut butters: there are no limits to your creativity. Various toppings ensure that your porridge never gets boring and provide plenty of variety.
For example, a little cinnamon or roasted almonds are particularly suitable as toppings during the cold season. In contrast, you can optimally enhance your porridge with seasonal berries or various seeds during the warm season.
Expert tip: For an extra nutty flavour in your porridge, it is recommended to briefly fry the oats in a pan without oil – this allows them to develop their full flavour.
Healthy sweeteners for your porridge
If you prefer your porridge to be sweet, you can add a little extra sweetener if you like. We recommend healthy sugar alternatives such as dates, agave syrup or maple syrup. You can cut the dates into small pieces and boil them together with your oats, allowing the natural sweetness of the dates to fully develop in the oatmeal.
However, with most other sweeteners, it is advisable to add them only towards the end of the cooking time. Incidentally, fresh fruit also provides a refreshingly sweet note. Particularly juicy berries can enhance the taste of your porridge. But a sweetish apple is also a good and refreshing choice.
This is how you make your Verival porridge
Your delicious hot breakfast from Verival is not only prepared in 3 minutes, but also tastes delicious. Find out how to prepare your porridge with a kettle or in the microwave and what exactly you need for your oat porridge:
By the way, many of our Verival porridges are refined with freeze-dried berries and therefore do not contain any added sugar.
Discover the variety of Verival porridges here
Is porridge good for losing weight?
Are you a porridge fan and want to lose weight at the same time? Then you are in luck – because delicious oat porridge is perfect for this.
The high fibre content keeps you full for longer and thus helps to avoid unnecessary cravings. The complex carbohydrates it contains also play a role.
Unlike simple sugars, they are processed more slowly by the body, thus ensuring a long-lasting feeling of satiety, constant blood sugar levels and, consequently, an optimal energy supply throughout the day.
If you still want to save calories, you can prepare your porridge with hot water instead of milk. Sweetening your oatmeal is another important factor when it comes to losing weight. This is how your calorie needs are optimally covered.
Since classic sweeteners, such as household sugar, cause your blood sugar level to rise and fall again quickly and reduce your fat burning, it is advisable to use alternative sweeteners.
Chopped dates, a little agave syrup or fresh fruit are particularly suitable for your healthy porridge.
Do you already know your BMI value?
Anyone who is concerned about their diet, whether they want to achieve peak athletic performance or lose weight, will sooner or later come across the term BMI. The so-called body mass index is often the first measurement that shows you whether you have your body weight under control.
Here you can calculate your individual BMI (body mass index) in a few seconds and learn valuable background information about this value.
Discover the BMI calculator & calculate your value
Porridge can be made without oats – these are the alternatives
In classic porridge recipes, the porridge is prepared with oats. But did you know that porridge can also be made without oats? Rice, spelt, millet, quinoa, buckwheat or amaranth, in particular, offer plenty of variety and new taste experiences . If you would like to try something new and be inspired by our creations, we recommend our new interpretation of a healthy breakfast: our gluten-free rice porridge coconut-orange.
But the Verival spelt porridge apricot-strawberry, with its slightly cooling recipe, is also a good alternative if you don't feel like the classic oat breakfast. If you prefer to stick with oat porridge, you should try our delicious sour cherry cocoa oat porridge. All three porridges are prepared according to the 5-element theory of traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) and are made from ingredients of the 5 elements wood, fire, earth, metal and water.
Delicious overnight oats: a portion of porridge to go
If you don't feel like eating warm porridge, you can easily prepare delicious overnight oats. This variation is prepared in just 5 minutes and is ideal as a to-go breakfast.
We recommend this delicious overnight oat recipe with apple and cinnamon:
If you are now overwhelmed by the many variations and don't know exactly which porridge to start with, it's best to read our blog post about the different types of porridge. You can find out which porridge type you are and get inspired by our matching recipe ideas.
The hype surrounding porridge is fully justified, as the warm breakfast offers various health benefits. The warm oatmeal keeps you full for a long time, is easy on your stomach, is easily digestible and, thanks to the main ingredient oats, is a true superfood.
In our shop you can easily and conveniently buy porridge, buy muesli or buy your favourite granola.
Porridges from Verival – discover now
- Fet editorial team. Reference table tool for sugar content in food. Professional association for nutrition therapy and prevention. Published January 29, 2020. Accessed May 27, 2020. https://fet-ev.eu/tabellentool-zuckergehalte-lebensmittel/
- J Rebello C, E O'Neil C, L Greenway F. Dietary Fibre and Satiety: The Effects of Oats on satiety. National Center for Biotechnology Information. Published January 2, 2016. Accessed July 3, 2020. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/26724486/
- Agostoni C, Bresson J-L, Fairweather-Tait S. Scientific Opinion on the health claim ‘Beta-glucan related to cholesterol level and reduction of the risk of heart disease’. European Food Safety Authority – EFSA. Published December 8, 2010. Accessed May 27, 2020. http://www.efsa.europa.eu/de/efsajournal/pub/1885
