Breakfast ideas for a gallstones diet

Dreamy creamy porridge
Approx. 4 servings

Make the most of your breakfast porridge by cooking it overnight in a slow cooker or the lower oven of a range (e.g. Aga or Rayburn). This makes it taste creamy, even when you’re just using water to stay fat-free.

If you have any left over, you can keep it in the fridge for a couple of days, heating up a portion at a time in the microwave (add a little water and stir a couple of times while microwaving).

2 cups porridge oats.
6 cups water (you need more than usual because of the long cooking time).
Sugar and/or cinnamon to taste.

1. Combine the ingredients in the slow cooker pot or, if using a range cooker, a casserole or other bowl with lid.
2. Cover with lid. Switch the slow cooker on to low or place bowl in the bottom oven of the range.
3. Go to bed – sweet dreams!
4. Serve next morning with a topping of fruit (e.g. chopped banana, apple, sultanas, dried cranberries), sugar or syrup.


Fruity breakfast compote
Approx. 2 servings

Fruit makes a refreshing start to the day. The floral juice blend in this recipe adds an extra touch of sunshine. Vary the fruits according to season and your own preferences.

Fruits
1 slice of melon
1 apple
1 small orange, peeled
1 banana
1 handful of grapes
1 handful of berries

Juice blend
150ml/5fl oz/½ cup orange juice
1 tbsp honey
¼ tsp orange blossom water
¼ tsp rose water

1. Mix all juice ingredients together in a large bowl.
2. Prepare the fruit by cutting the melon, apple, orange and banana into bite size pieces.
3. Add the chopped fruit, grapes and berries to the juice.
4. If you have a sweet tooth, drizzle with a little extra honey as you serve.


Breakfast cookie bars
Make up a batch of these tasty cookie bars. They’re great for breakfast, snacks and even desserts. They’ll keep in the fridge for a couple of days - simply warm in the microwave for about 20 seconds when you fancy one.

220g/8oz/2 cups porridge oats
225g/7½ oz/1½ cups wholemeal flour
225ml/8fl oz/1 cup apple juice
200g/7oz/1 cup any mix of dried fruit (e.g. raisins, dates, sultanas and cranberries)
¾ tsp cinnamon
6 tbsp brown sugar
½ tsp salt
½ banana, mashed

1. Preheat oven to 190°C /375°F/gas mark 5.
2. Mix all ingredients.
3. Transfer into a baking tray (13in x 9in/330mm x 225mm or a little smaller) which has been sprayed with fat-free spray, or a silicon baking tray.
4. Pat the mixture across the bottom of the tray, sprinkle with extra cinnamon and/or brown sugar and bake for 30 minutes.
5. Wait to cool then slice into bars and remove.