It’s breakfast time so I thought I would start the morning off with a delicious gluten-free, dairy free and more importantly – 100% Paleo porridge!
Before I changed to a Paleo diet, porridge was always my “go to” breakfast of choice. There’s something so comforting about the thick, warm stodginess and it was always a meal I would be happy to get out for bed for in the mornings. However, no matter how little porridge I ate, the milk and oat concoction was toxic to my blood sugar control. Even having oats on their own with just water made no real difference. I would literally end giving myself so much insulin to compensate for the creamy goodness that I may as well have had a four course meal!
Looking back I can see just how badly the grains and the lactose affected me, I would be perma bloated after that small bowl of porridge with a high blood sugar level culminating in me feeling rather irritable and uncomfortable- not what any breakfast should make you feel! So, last week I made it my mission to try to make the perfect Paleo porridge with that same addictive consistency and I think I might have done it!
*Note: there were no animals hurt during the production and reproduction of this delicious porridge, but one very happy, full and satisfied husband.
What you will need (for one hearty bowl):
Handful macadamia nuts
Handful cashew nuts
1/2 tsp grated dried coconut (optional)
3 dried dates (if you feel the need for natural sweetener)
2 tbsp ground almonds
Directions:
- In to a blender put all your ingredients and blitz for up to 2 minutes until you have a finely ground mixture
- Place in to pan with 1 cup tap water and 1/4 cup natural coconut milk
- Allow to simmer on a low heat until it begins to thicken, keep stirring until at the desired thickness (it will take a while to thicken but if it’s still not thickening enough do add more ground almonds a tsp at a time)
- Add a handful of fresh berries (Think blueberries, goji berries, acai berries, strawberries, raspberries, blackberries, huckleberries). Cinnamon’s a delicious add in too.
Note: (*if you are not following Paleo then you can add full fat milk or any dairy free substitute)
A little bit about why oats aren’t Paleo: Oats are often contaminated with gluten because they are processed in the same facilities where wheat and other gluten-containing grains are processed. Only certified gluten-free oats are completely free of all traces of gluten.  Oats are therefore not a “real food” but a processed edible substance – certainly NOT Paleo.
I know that all this effort for a breakfast might seem a little time-consuming and buying a box of oats from the supermarket so much more convenient but I guarantee that this recipe will make you feel so much better than any bowl of shop bought porridge would. Everything you put in to it is natural, paleo, with good amounts of natural energy and no nasties. If you make a big batch at the start of the week you can keep it in a sealed container and it will last for about 2 weeks.
I will share another delicious breakfast idea with you next week but in the meantime, if you have a favourite Paleo breakfast, I’d love to hear!
This sound totally yum! I tried one similar but soaked the nuts in water overnight – it makes it even lighter to digest! X
Thanks for the comment 🙂 I urge you to try it! I will definitely be soaking my nuts (!!) in future then! This morning I added a teaspoon of cacao to the mixture, missed out the dates and instead used half a tsp of raw honey and it was chocolate heaven! x
Hello Emma – do you know if you can make a batch of the raw chopped nut ingredients and store in an airtight container at all please?
PS – I met you at Barnes food fair. My 16 month old little boy is gluten, dairy and soy intolerant. His diet was pretty dull until I met you. Thank you so much. We are now finding squished bits of muffin, quiche and energy bars around the house instead of boring old rice crackers!
Hello Jane, how could I possibly forget your gorgeous little boy! I am so so so happy to hear that you have been inspired and that your little boy now has some exciting treats to enjoy! I am going to pop my banana chia muffins tomorrow – I seem to remember he tried them ?! If you ever need any more recipe inspiration do not hesitate to email me. The nut ingredients should be absolutely fine frozen. But I would only freeze for maximum 2 weeks. I always have energy balls frozen with whole pecan nuts on top and they are always fine. All the best, Emma x
Brilliant thanks! I made your egg muffins last night – couldn’t resist them myself! My only complaint is trying to read your recipes on an ipad while cooking is so hard! …When are you launching your book??! Please?
Oh that’s great to hear! They are a good one 🙂 I am going to make some this weekend with my homemade pesto in the middle as it works so well! So, watch this space….. Sorry about the recipe on the IPAD, no book deal I’m afraid, I wish there was! x
This looks good, however I find that eating so many nuts and seeds at once makes me quite bloated and seems to be kind of hard to digest.
If it’s the gluten you think was the problem, why not just try gluten free oats? They seem to be easier on me than all those nuts and seeds. Or do you think it’s a matter of becoming accustomed to it?
And how are plain oats classified as “processed” and not a “real food”?
It is the grains in oats that affect my blood sugars – no matter how I eat them they cause such a ghastly spike that no matter how much insulin I give myself it’s just not worth the high sugar level. I think gluten free oats are a bit of a con (personally) all oats are gluten free it’s just the ones labelled as ‘gluten free’ are sorted in a factory that doesn’t contain any potential cross contamination. For me, it is all about my blood sugar and nut / seed based porridge’s work as I require next to no insulin for them. I tolerate nuts well – but everyone is different. You may find you digest certain nuts better than others. I think if you can tolerate oats then you should eat them! Don’t restrict yourself from something that works 🙂 I don’t think oats are classified as a processed food? I mean , obviously they are packaged in a factory but that’s about it! If it’s food, it tastes good and it works for you then enjoy it! Hope that answers all your qu’s! E x