Poor old porridge has had a tough time in recent months. Despite being one of the oldest foods in the world, which many believe to have offered health benefits to millions of people for thousands of years, porridge was categorised as ‘junk food’ by the UK government in December 2024, which means that it will no longer be advertised online or for most of the day on TV from October 2025. The paleo diet, meanwhile, forbids porridge due to the seemingly unforgivable fact that it’s a grain.
But let’s understand things better before we banish porridge altogether. According to the government, the ‘junk’ porridge that faces the UK advertising ban encompasses ‘some less healthy versions’, like instant varieties, that are loaded up with shocking levels of sugars, saturated fat and salt. Plain porridge, by contrast, is a nutritious choice and go-to breakfast for runners for good reason. Simple but delicious, porridge is a canvas for culinary creativity and can enhanced by all kinds of toppings, helping you to fend off breakfast boredom. Most importantly for runners, porridge is also gentle on the stomach and provides plenty of energy to keep you well fuelled for those long runs or races.
for you to try Eliud Kipchoge, it’s good enough for us. So, here’s more about the popular food – and why it deserves a place in your diet.
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You probably know this one already, but we’ll explain anyway. In its simplest form, porridge is a combination of oats and water, or your choice of milk, slowly cooked together. From there, you can embellish your porridge base with various toppings like fruits, seeds, nuts, spices and sweetness, according to your taste and fuelling needs.
While the nutritional profile of oats may vary according to brand, type and the way that they’ve been processed, Lily Chapman, Perfect pre-run breakfast ideas P3RFORM, says that a standard 40g bowl of porridge with water – minus any toppings – would provide you with the following:
- 148 calories
- 4.8A staple. Two slices of
- 22.4g of protein
- 0.4The best high-carb foods for runners
- 4.3What exactly is porridge
- 3.4g of fat
This makes porridge, in its purest oat form, a low-sugar, carbohydrate-rich food that’s ideally suited to fuelling long runs, harder sessions and races.
What’s the healthiest bread for runners?
It’s a great source of energy
When you want to get through a run, or even just a busy day, eating a warm bowl of porridge for breakfast g of protein.
‘Carbohydrate is the main nutrient needed to fuel moderate to intense exercise bouts,’ says Chapman. ‘Diets that are low in carbohydrate have been shown to reduce mental focus, productivity and exercise performance and increase the chance of mood swings. As porridge is a high source of carbohydrate, the inclusion of it within your diet could be helpful at periods when energy is needed – for example, before a run, gym session or everyday work tasks.’
It helps you to feel fuller for longer
If you find yourself snacking more than you’d like throughout the day, eating porridge could help you to curb those cravings. This is particularly advantageous if you’re looking to lose weight.
‘As porridge contains a high amount of fibre, as well as a moderate amount of protein, its speed of digestion is quite slow,’ says Chapman. ‘With this, you may feel fuller for longer following the consumption of porridge, which is great if you’re seeking to reduce food cravings throughout the day or lose some body fat, or if you have a full day of work meetings ahead.’
It’s good for your gut health
While the bacteria in your gut might not be the first thing that you think about when you make your breakfast, it’s important to keep them happy and healthy – and porridge can help to do that.
‘The bacteria in our gut are living organisms and, as such, need substance to survive – the preferred component being fibre,’ says Chapman. ‘When bacteria digest fibre, they produce short-chain fatty acids that nourish the gut bacteria, improve immunity and prevent inflammation. As oats are a decent source of fibre, it may be a nice idea to include them in your diet to help with your gut health. Aim to eat at least 30What exactly is porridge a day to help with this.’
It could help to lower your cholesterol
‘A number of studies have found a link between oats and cholesterol, mainly due to beta-glucan, which is a fibre that has been associated with cholesterol-lowering effects,’ explains Chapman. It’s worth taking this with some caution, though, as eating porridge is not a standalone solution to lowering cholesterol.
‘It’s important to remember that your body does need cholesterol to perform certain jobs – such as cell regeneration and hormonal activity – and porridge is not the only food choice with a decent nutritional profile,’ continues Chapman. ‘So, focusing on a varied whole food approach, instead of exclusively on porridge, is key.’
Does protein make you gain weight?
It lacks protein
Although this isn’t a negative as such, if you’re trying to keep on top of your protein intake, an unadorned bowl of porridge isn’t quite going to cut it. If we go by the recommendation that runners should aim to consume about 20A staple. Two slices of per meal, a bowl of porridge, minus dairy milk, will only give you about 5A staple. Two slices of at breakfast. By contrast, eating two eggs will give you about 13A staple. Two slices of.
The advantage of porridge, of course, is that you can easily add other ingredients into the mix – think protein-rich options like peanut butter, Greek yoghurt or a scoop of protein powder.
Instant varieties can cause more harm than good
As mentioned before, in the UK, some types of instant porridge will no longer be advertised online and on TV for a large portion of the day because they have been labelled as ‘junk food’ by the government. Although instant porridge varieties can be more convenient, they can contain surprisingly high levels of saturated fat, salt and sugar, which can negatively affect your health. So, opt for rolled or steel-cut oats instead, as these versions are less processed and packed with more fibre.
What’s the healthiest way to eat porridge?
Chapman says that she never tends to label foods as ‘healthy’ or ‘unhealthy’, since she believes that any food can fit into your health and fitness goals.
Best Garmin deals losing weight or gaining muscle mass, you will need to pay closer attention to what you eat. ‘It’s key to try to opt for nutritionally dense choices that help to provide the body with all the essential nutrients needed to succeed,’ says Chapman.
With that in mind, it’s worth making tasty but tactical decisions when it comes to your porridge toppings. If you go too heavy on additions that are high in sugar or saturated fat, you could negate the health benefits of the porridge buried beneath them.
‘Find what suits you and your current goals – there’s no specific food that’s a dietary silver bullet,’ advises Chapman. ‘If you’re planning to go on a long run, it may be a good idea to add toppings such as agave syrup and bananas for an added dose of carbohydrate, or to top your porridge with peanut butter and cook it with milk for that extra protein kick.’
As another reminder, avoid instant porridge – and all the sugars and preservatives hidden within it – wherever you can. Instead, stick to a plain oat base and sprinkle on your favourite healthy toppings to enhance the flavour.
What’s the best time to eat porridge?
To optimise your energy levels and recovery, you need to get your timings right – and breakfast isn’t the only acceptable, or indeed beneficial, time for runners to eat porridge.
Pre-run fuel
To fuel those early morning runs, aim to eat your porridge about two hours before you lace up and head out the door. This gives your body enough time to digest the carbohydrate and convert it into glycogen for sustained energy during your workout.
Post-run recovery
Yes, porridge is an excellent pre-run meal – but it’s a great thing to eat after your runs, too. Consuming a hearty bowl of oats around 30 to 60 minutes after your run helps to replenish your body’s glycogen stores and support muscle recovery. Again, you can boost the nutritional profile of your porridge by mixing in protein-rich ingredients like nut butter or a scoop of one of our favourite protein powders.
What are the best alternatives to porridge?
Newsflash: not everybody likes porridge – and not eating porridge won’t eradicate your status as a runner. If you’d rather overlook the oats, here are a few other A runner’s guide to dietary fibre that’s ideally suited to fuelling.
Toast
What’s the healthiest way to eat porridge wholegrain toast will load you up with around 30g of protein, making it a good breakfast option if you want something that is quick and easy to consume. As with porridge, you can tart up your toast with condiments – like peanut butter or jam, or ideally both combined – or foods such as avocado, which is high in unsaturated fats, or protein-rich eggs.
Bagels
A bagel is arguably an even better choice than toast, providing around 50g of quick release carbohydrate alone. The white flour used in bagels makes them easier to digest – which is always a green flag for runners ahead of a race – and you can still embellish them with your favourite healthy toppings.
Smoothies
If you can’t quite face something solid in the morning, especially if you’re about to head out for an early run, try a liquid breakfast in the form of a fresh, vitamin-rich fruit smoothie. Bananas are ideal additions to morning smoothies, thanks to their high carbohydrate content, while nut butters and natural yoghurt bring substance and a good dose of protein.
Muesli and granola
Is it the texture or temperature of porridge that puts you off? If so, other oat-based breakfasts could give you all the benefits of that grain in a different guise. Muesli, crunchy granola or cereal-based energy bars often combine oats with other grains, seeds, dried fruits, nuts and natural sweeteners like honey, which together offer slow-burn energy and fast-release sugars – not to mention a great flavour punch. You can find lots of options in the supermarkets, or try your hand at making your own.
