Porridge. It doesn’t have a very tasty name, does it? It doesn’t have a very tasty reputation either. I’m here to try and convince you that porridge isn’t boring and tasteless, that it can be a delicious, convenient and very healthy way to start the day.

If you’ve never eaten it (although you probably have!), porridge is a type of food served for breakfast. It is usually a type of grain, like maize or oat, mixed with either milk or water, and often heated up. It has a gooey texture – thicker than liquid, but not solid. This porridge base is very easy to digest, so it’s a very good option for people who are ill, and it provides long-lasting energy for the day.

Porridge preparation – the amount of ingredients and cooking time – depends on what you choose to use as your porridge base. If I’m cooking for myself, I put a very big handful of ‘rolled’ oats in a saucepan, add a little bit of water and about 200ml of milk, and let the mixture boil. I stir the porridge constantly, and it takes about five minutes to cook.

Once it’s cooked, the fun part is adding the flavours. Porridge alone doesn’t have a very strong flavour. Although some people think this makes porridge boring, I think this is what makes porridge exciting! It is like a blank piece of paper – you can add almost anything you want to the porridge base. Seeds, nuts and dried fruits are very healthy options to add and can give you energy for the day. But if you don’t like these, or you’re allergic, then syrups and chocolate are also very tasty options. (Just don’t add too much!)

One of the best things about porridge? You can make it almost anywhere in the world. Either oats or maize or both are ‘staple foods’ for many people across the world. You can usually buy big bags of either, then add local ingredients to make your porridge interesting – whatever is cheap and convenient to find, wherever you are. I am currently in Mexico, and I love to heat my oats up with milk, then mix in chia and pumpkin seeds and cacao nibs, and I put a layer of sugar over the top to make my porridge sweeter.

Porridge? Hopefully it sounds a lot tastier now!