5 of the best PORRIDGE POTS

THE nutritional benefits of oats are well proven: eating them every day can help lower blood cholesterol by an amazing ten per cent in six weeks.

Oats contain a specific type of soluble fibre called beta-glucan, which is also found in lesser amounts in barley, yeast and algae, as well as in some exotic mushrooms such as shiitake and oyster.

It is this compound that has the cholesterol-lowering effect, as it binds to it and prevents it from being absorbed into the blood.

Of course, when it comes to oats, most people think of porridge – and today this warming favourite is now an easy breakfast on-the-go, thanks to the innovation of ‘instant pots’ which are a mix of oats, powdered milk and other bits and bobs. All you do with them is add boiling water, leave for a few minutes and then enjoy.

Even those brands that are more flavoured and sweetened can be amazingly low in calories at about 200 per pot, and they’re also low GI, so likely to help keep you fuller for longer.

You need about 3g of betaglucan a day for the cholesterolbusting effect, and one of these pots will provide two-thirds of that. Top up with an oatcake or two as a snack.

But with so many types and flavours on offer, which should you choose?

We combed the supermarket shelves and put the leading brands to the test to come up with five of the best options that are guaranteed to give you a healthier start to the day.

1 GRASSHOPPER COCONUT AND DATE PORRIDGE, 60G

£1.25, healthyfoods-online.com The Grasshopper brand was developed by two former Dragons’ Den contestants – surfers who created their own porridge pots to eat while bobbing about, waiting for a wave. The mixture contains skimmed milk powder, so you only need to add water, and is sweetened with chopped dates and desiccated coconuts to give it an appealing flavour and lightly crunchy texture. Each pot contains 14.8g of sugar and 239 calories. We liked the ‘thick-o-meter’ lines which indicate how much water is needed for a thick or runny consistency. Spoon included.

2 MOMA NO ADDED SUGAR PLAIN PORRIDGE, 70G

£1.30, ocado.com This sounds rather saintly: just oats and skimmed milk powder. Add water and leave for five minutes before stirring to serve. Moma pride themselves on their combination of jumbo and fine oats which gives a chunkier texture and creamy, authentic porridge flavour, though it does lack the fun factor of some of the more colourful flavours out there. But with just 10g of sugar per pot, they can afford to give you a larger portion while still staying below 260 calories. There would be nothing to stop you throwing in a handful of berries to give some variety.

3 PERKIER ORIGINAL PORRIDGE, 60G

£1.20, asda.com A clever idea: oats are naturally gluten-free, but these are guaranteed to be so. Many other brands are made in factories that process wheat so can’t make the same promise. Perkier have added whey protein powder to their breakfast treat, which puts a substantial 12g of protein in this pot. Oats are naturally 35 per cent protein, while milk powder can be about 26 per cent, roughly equivalent to half a small chicken breast. This pot also has roughly 12g sugar. At 220 calories, it’s a highly nutritious option, and has a tasty, aromatic flavour.

4 QUAKER OATS OAT SO SIMPLE HEAPS OF FRUIT BANANA & STRAWBERRY, 58G

£1.20, sainsburys.co.uk This will go down well with those who have a sweeter tooth, with freeze-dried banana and strawberry pieces. Some of our testers found it sickly while others loved the candied element. It contains 15.8g of sugar – the most of all the pots we reviewed, and almost a fifth of your daily recommended allowance. Some of this will be in the dried fruit and milk, but sugar is also on the ingredients list. Because of the smaller portion size, it’s the lowest-calorie: 218 per pot. This is the most budget-conscious option of our selection.

5 POWER OF BROWN SUPERFOOD CEREAL POT AND SPOON, 65G

£2.29, otesuperfoods.com Another cocktail: this pot of gluten-free fine oats, hemp seeds, maca powder and antioxidant-rich cacao powder is sweetened with coconut ‘nectar’ and banana flakes for a delicate chocolatey flavour. And, despite being marginally the highest-calorie option at 268 per pot, it’s also as low-sugar as the much more basic Moma pot. Not one for every day, taste-wise, but a nutritional powerhouse thanks to the added seeds upping the heart-protective polyunsaturated fat content to 3g – oats on their own provide just 0.2g per 100g.