GC Bulgur Breakfast Porridge
A quick, easy, hot breakfast porridge
- 1/2 cup Bulgur
- 1 cup Milk Alternative – Almond, Coconut etc.
- 1 Apple Diced
- 1/4 tsp cinnamon
- A Dash Honey
In a medium saucepan, combine the milk, 1 cup water, bulgur, apples, and cinnamon.
Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to medium/low and simmer.
Stir occasionally, until it reaches the consistency of oatmeal. This usually takes 10-15 minutes.
Divide between two bowls, add a little honey and sprinkle a little more cinnamon on top, and serve! You may also top with a little more milk alternative as well.
Easy Breakfast Options
When it comes to eating healthier – meaning no cereal, waffles, pancakes, oatmeal cookies, ice cream, cake for breakfast… it can get a little boring.
Eggs, bacon and a veggie sometimes get a bit boring. So, it’s nice to have different options to mix in here and there to help break things up.
Bulgur is considered a whole grain. It is considered a healthy whole grain because it is less processed than other refined wheat grains. Whole grains are part of a healthy diet – they help reduce risk of cardiovascular disease and lower diabetes.
Grains often get a bad rap because of gluten, their tendency to spike blood sugar and they raise insulin resistance (which can lead to obesity, diabetes etc.). However, this is mainly because grains are highly processed and refined, meaning all their “good stuff” is taken away.
Possible Concerns
If you have an autoimmune condition (of any type or kind), if you know you have gut symptoms, bloating, common digestion upset – you may want to skip this recipe.
Bulgur is a wheat grain meaning it does contain gluten. There’s no getting around that.
Gluten should for the most part be avoided and consumed sparingly by those that don’t have conditions or severe reactions to gluten. For some it should be avoided completely.
When foods containing gluten reach the GI tract (intestines), gluten raises an inflammatory chemical called Zonulin. With too much exposure to Zonulin, the cells lining the gut remain inflamed. Over time, the cells which are supposed to be tightly joined together, start to get loose.
Undigested food particles and other things like pathogens – things we want to keep out of our blood stream can now easily pass by to the blood on the other side of the intestinal wall.
Note – about 60% of our immune system is local to the GI tract. So, when these food particles and pathogens get through the cell wall, the immune system has to take over and figure out how to kill and dispose of the intruder.
It is this process that happens over a period of time that leads to food sensitivities, food allergies, skin rashes, autoimmune disease and more.
So, for those that are concerned about, or need to avoid gluten, this is the reason to skip over this one.
Whole Grains Are Part of a Healthy Diet
All of that being said, research has shown that whole grains are healthy. They are good sources of fiber. Whole grains help lower cholesterol (they damaging LDL cholesterol). They also help lower insulin resistance that can lead to diabetes and obesity.
Gluten and whole grains are and can be part of a healthy diet. We just need to limit how much we are allowing our body’s to be exposed to them.
For those needing a few more options to add into their breakfast routines, mixing this into the recipe box is perfect!
Try this when you need a different flavor. Try it when you need a hot warm cereal, or when you just don’t feel like eating eggs today.
Plus! It can super easily be meal prepped! Just follow the recipe, and reheat later in the week. You can even freeze it, if you wish!
