In winter, the good old toast and jam are not the best things for breakfast. Especially if the toast is white bread which notoriously disappears once you arrive at the bus stop after a 5 minute walk in the cold.
Though I am not a designer diet fan, I must agree to some of the more logical ones (definitely not the grape diet or the cabbage soup). The Low GI diet does make some sense. By choosing food with a lower Glycemic Index, the feeling of fullness lasts longer thus delaying the hunger pang and the urge to snack.
In my line of work, sufficient energy is paramount. Not because I perform exercises on stage like an aerobic teacher but because working privately with an individual requires heaps of concentration and on-the-spot problem solving. Not a second available for day dreaming. That was when I realised eating two slices of white bread is not enough. After an hour, I’m hungry yet cannot grab a bite because the next client is walking in through the door.
Now breakfast is often slices of homemade multigrain bread, organic muesli of rolled oats, sunflower and pumpkin seeds, raisins sweetened with maple syrup or when time permits, a large mushroom and tomato omelette. Yes, I am definitely one of those breakfast people.
Stoat Porridge was chosen as one of Europe’s five best food stalls by the Guardian recently. Started by a young Scot, they do business through their mobile vans in regular locations. They offer an array of interesting flavours such as whisky & honey and their signature Stoat’s salted porridge.
And so the winter chill was biting hard. The Stoats van was parked conveniently at Edinburgh’s Farmers market offering warm fuel to freezing shoppers like me. Just cupping the porridge in my hands was enough to make me feel warm and fuzzy. And if you are curious, my porridge was called the “Cranachan’ – served with raspberries, cream and sweet toasted oats. Do keep a look out for them while in Scotland, where warming up is almost always the necessary.