Another recipe from the peaceful haven that is Suryalila Retreat Centre. This recipe is a filling and tasty alternative to traditional porridge, and contains a few health differences too. If you’re looking to up your protein intake and try something new, this is a brilliant breakfast that will give you enough energy to last until lunchtime!
Ingredients
- ¼ to ½ cup amaranth (depending upon how hungry you are)
- Double the amount of liquid to amarnth, so either add ½ cup of water or 1 cup of water, depending upon how much amaranth you’re using. Alternatively add rice, hazelnut, almond, soya or hemp milk.
- 3-4 strawberries
- small handful of blueberries
- ½ orange, sliced
- 1 kiwi, sliced
HOW TO
- It is often advised to soak ‘grains’ over-night, so do this if you can.
- I however, didn’t soak it – so here’s my method.
- Get your ¼ or ½ cup of amaranth and rinse thoroughly in a sieve
- Once rinsed through, add the amaranth to a pan and cover with double the amount of liquid (water or nut milk – your choice)
- Bring to the boil and then simmer for about 20 minutes or until all the water has been soaked up and it seems a lot more porridge-y.
- Scoop into a bowl and add chopped Strawberries, orange & kiwi
The strawberries, orange and kiwi all pack an amazing amount of vitamin C, protecting the immune system, while blueberries provide the addition of high amounts of antioxidants.
Honey is also a natural immune-booster, and is a great natural sweetener, with higher amounts of minerals and vitamins than other natural sweeteners such as maple syrup.
Optional extras:
Cinnamon – an effective blood-sugar balancer; I add it to most breakfasts to bring blood sugar levels back into balance in the morning, since they’re lowest when we wake up.
There’s always the option to add more protein to this meal by scooping in a table spoon of hemp seeds (as is in the photo). This will add some valuable omega 3s and natural plant protein to your meal – keeping hunger pangs at bay for longer and helping to build and maintain muscle tissue.
Why amaranth?
Much like quinoa – amaranth is actually a seed and not a grain, so it’s suitable for those looking to lower levels of carbohydrates, it’s also gluten free, so definitely choose this porridge over those processed and gluten-filled instant oats! Amaranth is also a complete protein, so it’s a brilliant option for fuelling any post-exercise meals, and is higher than most other ‘grains’ in protein. (26g per cup, compared to rice which is 13g per cup).
Amaranth is a great source of protein, potassium, magnesium, potassium, phosphorus and iron and vitamin C, so add it to your meal choices once or twice a week to boost your levels of vitamins and minerals. This pseudo-grain is also beneficial for heart health; it has the ability to lower cholesterol levels, and has the added benefit of 13g of fibre per cup (therefore keeping you ‘regular’, if you know what I mean….).
“Sometimes I’ve believed as many as six impossible things before breakfast”.
– Lewis Carroll
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