Breakfast eats: ZOATS

Breakfast is by far my favourite meal of the day and somehow I always find time to be a bit more creative with what I make. Lunch is usually grabbed while we're out and about, and dinner time is often like a race against the clock to get everyone fed on time before bath and bed. Porridge has always been one of may favourite breakfasts and really sets you up for the day. So good for babies too. Zoats are all over Instagram now and I love them and so does Sonny. Here's how I make them.

ZOATS

Basically these are just porridge with the addition of grated courgette/zucchini which does two things:

1. Adds an extra vegi boost to your day

2. Lowers the calories/carbs so you can eat more. Perfect for volume eaters like me.

A basic recipe I stick to is:

1 cup oats

1 cup grated courgette

Milk (enough to make it smooth so add 1 cup to start and keep adding as you need)

Let it cook for 5 - 10 minutes stirring often as it easily sticks and burns.

Then what you add is up to you. A spotty banana is good to mash in for sweetness. Or if I'm making PROTEIN ZOATS I'll add either a whole egg or an egg white, or occasionally a scoop of protein powder. If you're giving this to your children skip the protein. You could also add maca powder, matcha powder (not for kids) spirulina/supergreens powder, acai powder or any other superfood powder you might have.

Then come toppings and these really can be anything. I typically use any of the following: nuts, seeds, chai seeds, Greek yogurt, nut butter, puffed quinoa/rice/buckwheat, soya/coconut yogurt, cocoa nibs, choc shot, fruit, dried fruit, agave syrup or *sugar free syrup (*for me but not for baby) Get creative and add whatever you like.

Extras: To give your oats a lighter, fluffy texture try adding a little baking powder. when cooking them.

BUCKWHEAT ZOATS

These are made using buckwheat instead of oats which you can buy in supermarkets now or health food shop. It's good to include a variety of grains in your diet, both for you and baby so these are a good alternative to oats. Make in the same way or what I like to do is mix half a cup of buckwheat with half a cup of oats.

QUINOA ZOATS

High in protein quinoa is a fantastic alternative, but be aware that you are moving away more and more from a porridgey texture. Like the buckwheat I'll add half a cup of cooked quinoa to my oats and blend it that way.