Paleo Morning Porridge

This is the recipe that I have wanted to post the most on this blog since the beginning because it is truly the first recipe that I appropriated and made my own after I eliminated gluten from my diet. I can’t believe it’s taken me so long to post it. I’ve recommended it to many friends who have asked me advice on what to have for breakfast that was not eggs and bacon on a paleo diet. Since I myself am not much of an eggs and bacon kind of gal, this porridge recipe has been a go-to breakfast for me for the last year. I love oatmeal, especially the way my mom would make it for our lazy Sunday afternoon snacks when I was a kid: with raisins, a dash of cinnamon, and topped with a pat of butter that melts into the cooked oats and some maple syrup. Jeez louise goddammit. Sometimes, just sometimes, I wish I were 13 all over again when I think of those moments. Without the acne and awkward braces that is.

When transitioning to a gluten-free and paleo diet, the hardest thing for me was to figure out what to have for breakfast. In France, my breakfast routine was a big mug of coffee (often two when I would have the time), generally some kind of fruit with plain yogurt and two slices of whole wheat bread with fresh goat cheese. Just the memory of it gets me nostalgic of those early mornings before going to work, listening to the morning news with my mom while biting into my scrumptious, dense piece of toast… In São Paulo, finding good whole wheat bread became difficult and I switched to a big bowl of muesli with chopped apple and soy milk. Needless to say, all of those things were no-nos in the Paleo book. Aside from the apple. Not really a nutritious, filling breakfast if you ask me.

Over this past year, finding a breakfast routine that I was happy to stick to was one of the biggest challenges. Finding the appetite in the morning for eggs and vegetables has been close to impossible even though it is what most of the paleo folks recommend to start the day. I tried it for some time but I find that my stomach has a hard time digesting eggs so early in the day. I tried having muffins and baked goods on hand in the morning but they’re a lot of work, pack a pretty substantial amount of carbs and nuts and often leave me hungry a few hours later. This cereal was the breakfast that I stuck to the longest. Although I practice intermittent fasting now and generally only have a cup of coffee and bone broth in the morning (which has been by far extremely beneficial for my digestion and surprisingly, my energy in the morning), on days when I want to have breakfast, I reach for this porridge. It’s extremely satisfying and reminds me of those comforting bowls of oatmeal that my mom would make on cold winter Sundays for us.

This is the base recipe without any sweetener. There are a billion variations, I recommend playing around with it until you find something that suits your tastes. Add some honey or maple syrup if you want it sweeter, some vanilla extract, some fruit like banana, apple or berries, another kind of dairy-free milk, some almonds or walnuts, etc. I recommend topping it with a handful of my granola recipe and some blueberries. I also recommend to multiply the ingredients in the ingredients list to make as many servings as you wish (for example, multiply by seven to have enough for the week) and combining them in a jar that you can keep in the fridge. That way all you have to do is scoop out 4-5 tablespoons of porridge mix in your bowl in the morning and combine with the water, milk and toppings of your choice to have breakfast ready in under 3 minutes.

Recipe: Paleo Morning Porridge

Serves: 1 bowl

Ingredients

2 Tbsp ground flaxseeds

1/2 Tbsp chia seeds

1 heaping Tbsp almond butter

2 Tbsp unsweetened, shredded (or flaked) coconut

3/4 cup boiling water

1/4 cup coconut milk

3/4 teaspoon of cinnamon or pumpkin pie spice

Optional: Pat of grass-fed butter (replace with coconut butter or omit to make dairy-free)

Toppings: raisins, dried fruit, nuts or a couple tablespoons of Grain-free granola, blueberries, maple syrup…

Instructions

1. Boil the water.

2. Combine the ground flax, chia seeds, shredded coconut and cinnamon in an individual bowl.

3. Add the water, coconut milk and almond butter and stir to combine. Let porridge sit for 1 minute. Add more water or milk according to your desired consistency.

4. If using, add the butter and let it melt.

5. Add toppings of choice such as raisins, granola, berries, almonds, fruit, maple syrup, etc. Eat warm.

Shared on Marvelous Mondays, Healthy Tuesdays, Tasty Tuesdays, Wellness Wednesdays, Real Food Wednesdays, Fresh Foods Wednesday, Gluten-free Wednesdays, Let’s Get Real, Fight Back Fridays, Gluten-Free Fridays