Fancy some beetroot on your muesli?

It’s one of a host of bizarre, but tasty, new brekkie trends

WHEN I was a child in the Eighties, healthy breakfasts were alien to us — if it wasn’t Coco Pops or Frosties, then we would have a fry-up before school.

If you started the day with Alpen, it was a sure sign you were a health nut who enjoyed jogging.

But muesli quickly became mainstream, followed by its crunchy U.S. cousin granola, where the oats are toasted, and Swiss Bircher muesli, where oats and grated apple are soaked in fruit juice or yoghurt.

Now, as Kellogg’s spokesman Louise Thompson-Davies puts it: ‘ The shopper’s mindset has shifted from wanting to diet every so often to wanting to eat well all the time.’

Sian Porter, a nutritionist who advises Weetabix, adds: ‘Now we know the importance of breakfast, we want to get as much out of it as we can, by adding protein, fibre and wholegrains, and cutting down the sugar.’

There’s a new wave of cereals on the shelves this summer, packed with added nutrients, superfoods and grains to help us do just that. And they’re delicious.

Whether you’re after more protein, fibre, grains . . . or even vegetables in your cereal bowl, here’s my pick of the best: GINGER & GOJI BERRY QNOLA £7.99 for 450g, Selfridges £7.95 at Harvey Nichols (harveynichols.com) IF yoU thought you were doing oK eating granola, I’m sorry, keep up. This is granola made from quinoa — hence the ‘Q’ — which has been infused with ginger, agave, sesame seeds, coconut and sweet, almost caramelised goji berries. Surprisingly crunchy and great f or t he gl utenfree, with a bowlful of this one post-breakfast smugness is guaranteed. SPECIAL K PROTEIN CRUNCH RRP £2.99 for 390g, major supermarkets WE ALL know protein keeps us fuller for longer, and this new cereal is packed with it, with 7.7g of protein per 45g serving, all from natural plant sources. SPECIAL K SUPER PORRIDGE RRP £1.99 for five sachets, major supermarkets PorrIDgE is the answer if you want something that will keep you going until lunch, and this new range is made with barley, oats, rye, wheat flakes and spelt, plus fruits, seeds and nuts. Available in three flavours: apricot, linseed & pumpkin seed; raspberry, pomegranate & pumpkin seed; and almond, pecan & sunflower seed. WEETABIX PROTEIN CRUNCH RRP £2.99, major supermarkets ANoTHEr one packing a protein punch, this new cereal has 6g per 30g serving. Fortified with extra iron and vitamin D, it’s also high in fibre (1.8g per serving), low in salt and comes in original or chocolate flavours. NATURE VALLEY OATS ’N HONEY PROTEIN GRANOLA £2.49 for 360g, Waitrose MADE with wholegrain toasted oats and a touch of honey for added sweetness, this new cereal has more than 10g of protein per 45g serving with milk. Crunchy and very satisfying. MILLED LINSEED CEREAL TOPPERS £1.99 for 225g, Lidl IF yoU can’t quite give up your usual breakfast cereal, why not add to it instead? Available in sunflower, pumpkin, goji berry & chia seeds or sesame, blueberry & cranberry varieties, these gluten and wheat-free cereal toppers will turn even the most basic cereal (or bowl of yoghurt or fruit) into a nutritious feast. PRIMROSE’S KITCHEN RAW BEETROOT & GINGER MUESLI £5.95 for 400g, Holland & Barrett, or £4.99, Waitrose

MUESLI with added veg is going to be the next big thing — and this lovely hand-made stuff from Dorset is one of the pioneers.

Made with fresh beetroot and ginger that has been dehydrated slowly, it also contains hemp seeds and psyllium husks for extra fibre.