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Rise & dine
ARE you home alone for breakfast or is it just a coffee and a snack on the run as you dash to work?
For nearly half of us - 47 per cent - the first meal of the day is a solitary experience; even in families, less than one in five eat breakfast together.
Worse, skipping it altogether - as 14 per cent of us do - can cost us dear with resulting lower energy and concentration levels, and other symptoms like irritability and headaches, according to health experts.
So finding a Breakfast Buddy and enjoying the meal together - an idea inspired by the organisers of Farmhouse Breakfast Week could be a simple way not just to transform that lonely start to the day but perhaps also to improve relationships and build friendships.
That buddy' could be a child in your family, a boss, work colleague, or a friend. You could even turn it into a club' and invite others.
Sports Dietician and nutritionist, Jane Griffin is familiar with the benefits of using breakfasts to boost team building and performance energy.
She says: "Not everyone has the time to sit down and enjoy breakfast before leaving home in the morning. But meeting up with a breakfast buddy maybe at work or on the way is fun and motivating, whether you want a quick light bite, something like a bowl of cereal or porridge, or a tasty cooked breakfast or a grilled bacon buttie."
Why not ask your employer/school to provide a microwave for heating porridge, cooking scrambled eggs and a toaster?
You could bring in your favourite cereal bowl, mug and plate for a personal touch and build up a stock of healthy breakfast foods - wholegrain cereals, multi-seed muffins, fruity tea loaf and speciality breads.
If you can, keep a bowl of fresh fruit handy with apples, bananas, oranges and seasonal fruit such as berries. Make up a jar of dried fruit and toasted nuts, ready for sprinkling on top of cereal.
Visit the link below to find out details of Breakfast Clubs in your area, or how to start one.
The Home-Grown Cereals Authority has created two recipes which could be a tasty start to the day Honeyed Muesli Crunch and West Country Cheddar & Onion Waffles with Lincolnshire Sausages.
HONEYED MUESLI CRUNCH - (Makes around 12 portions)
Have a homemade treat every day! This can be made in advance, and you can mix and match to make your favourite combinations.
Preparation time: 5 minutes
Cooking time: 15 minutes
Ingredients:
Rapeseed oil for greasing
250g organic jumbo porridge oats
100g wheatgerm
150g seed mix (or 150g combination of sunflower, pumpkin, sesame and flax seeds)
tsp ground cinnamon, optional
150ml clear honey
100g shelled pistachio nuts
1 170g pack dried cranberries, blueberries, cherries or raisins
Preheat the oven to 180C or gas mark 4 and grease 2 baking trays with rapeseed oil.
In a large bowl mix the oats, wheatgerm, seeds and cinnamon if using. Pour the honey into a small saucepan and heat gently until thin and syrupy.
Drizzle over the oat mixture and mix well. Divide the mixture between the 2 trays and bake for 15 minutes, stirring halfway through. Remove and cool before adding the berries and nuts.
Store in airtight containers for up to a month and serve for breakfast with milk and/or yoghurt and some fresh fruit.
Tip: Try adding cup of desiccated coconut stirred through with the berries after baking.
WEST COUNTRY CHEDDAR & ONION WAFFLES WITH LINCOLNSHIRE SAUSAGES - (Serves: 4)
Prep time: 10 minutes
Cooking time: 20-25 minutes
Ingredients:
6 Lincolnshire sausages
4-8 rashers unsmoked Wiltshire bacon
4 ripe vine tomatoes, halved
For the waffles (or pancakes):
250g flour
1 tsp baking powder
red onion, finely chopped
50g West Country Cheddar cheese, grated
2 large eggs, lightly beaten
250ml semi-skimmed milk
2 tsp rapeseed oil or butter
Preheat the oven to 190C, gas mark 5. Place the sausages on non-stick baking tray and cook for 12 minutes. Add the bacon and tomato halves and continue to cook for 10-12 minutes until the sausages are thoroughly cooked and the bacon is crispy.
Meanwhile, make the batter for the waffles. Sift the flour and baking powder into a large bowl. Make a well in the centre and stir in the onion and cheese.
Mix the eggs into the milk and pour it into the well. Season, mix well and set aside.
Heat the waffle iron and grease with butter if necessary. Once hot, add large spoonfuls of the batter. Cook for 4-5 minutes until cooked through and transfer to warm plates.
Cut the sausages in half and layer in the waffles with the bacon and tomatoes.
Tip: If you don't have a waffle iron, you can use the batter to make pancakes. Cook them in a large non-stick frying pan for 2-3 minutes on each side.
APPLE AND CINNAMON MILKSHAKE
A smoothie could be a great alternative to predictable breakfast cereals or toast and tea.
Try this delicious recipe which serves four and takes just 15 minutes to prepare.
Use 600g eating apples e.g. Coxs, peeled, cored and sliced; 60g clear honey, tsp ground cinnamon, zest of half a lemon,75g porridge oats, 150g low fat natural yoghurt and 600ml semi-skimmed milk
Place the apples, honey, cinnamon, 3 tbsp water and lemon zest in a saucepan. Cover and cook for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Allow to cool.
Toast the oats under a preheated grill for 2-3 minutes until lightly browned. Place the stewed apples, oats and yoghurt in a food processor and blend until smooth. Gradually blend in the milk.
Pour into 4 glasses and serve chilled, garnished with freshly chopped apple.
12:24pm Wednesday 27th February 2008
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