Budget breakfasts - good old porridge!

1kilo Value Oats - 75p

500g Value sultanas - 85p

400g raisins - 89p

Organic milk - £1.50 / normal milk £1 per 4 pint

My kids LOVE their breakfast. They have been known to down 2-3 bowls of porridge each and then start on toast. Im not a breakfast person and dont tend to get hungry until later in the morning, but my little ones are ravenous upon waking, usually far too early! :S

I do buy them dried cereal from Aldi occasionally as a treat, they have maybe 1-2 times week. 500g box of malt wheaties is about 85p. But it only lasts maybe 3-4 days. Porrige lasts much longer, is a lot cheaper, a lot HEALTHIER, and a lot more diverse.

My daughter loves hers with raisins and almonds, any fruit that needs using, apple/banana/blueberry/raspberry/blackberry/strawberry have all found their way into her breakfasts frequently! If i dont have any fruit or if im saving it for snacks, the raisins/sultanas are her next choice. I use a mix if i can as it gives her more rounded nutrients from both red and white grapes. A little goes a long way since they are dried, and it counts as one of her 5 a day, of which she usually has about 7-8 a day! After the initial outlay the packs usually (depending on wether they are being used for snacks aswel! ) last a month or so. A bag of Oats last us about 2 weeks depending on any other breakfasts they have instead. Its difficult to work out per portion as it varies so much. But its pennies! Not much at all.

My son likes his lukewarm and plain, just oats and milk. The exception being if I offer to do a special 'chocolate' porridge for them ;) Then he goes nuts for it. You make up a hot chocolate and add that to the oats and microwave. Or just melt a couple of squares of chocolate (lidl half price 17p bar) into it.

Ideas for jazzing up porridge:

chocolate porridge!

raisins/sultanas/currants

Add fruit

make up a tropical one! Coconut milk and pineapple (incidentally, 69p for fresh one at aldi this week!)

Nuts/seeds

Add a spoonful of yogurt

Add a spoonful of jam

Add leftover cream/evaporated milk

Good old demerera sugar (or any sugar!)

the list goes on.....

Its certainly cheap but doesnt have to be boring! Mine love it and a large bowlful (or 2!!) certainly fills up they're tummies full of nutrients.