Is Porridge Good for Weight Loss?

healthy porridge for weight loss

26 Jun Is Porridge Good for Weight Loss?

Posted at 14:12h in Food, Weight Loss by

A warming bowl of porridge is a popular breakfast across the world, but is porridge good for you? And if you’re working on losing weight, is porridge a good option? Let’s delve into the nutritional benefits of porridge, its role in weight management and how to make your bowl of oats healthier.

We are a team of qualified, experienced nutritionists who specialise in weight loss. You can book a complimentary call with us today to find out how we can help you reach your ideal weight and maintain it long term.

IS PORRIDGE GOOD FOR YOU?

Porridge can offer several health benefits. Oats, the main ingredient in porridge, are rich in essential nutrients such as manganese, phosphorus, and iron. They also contain antioxidants and plant compounds that have been associated with various health benefits, including reduced risk of heart disease.

The fibre in porridge aids in digestion and the particular soluble fibre found in oats, known as beta-glucans, has been linked to improved cardiovascular health. Beta-glucans may also support weight management by promoting feelings of fullness.

Oats are a whole food and certainly a better choice than sugar-heavy breakfasts like ultra-processed cereals and toast with jam.

SHOULD YOU EAT PORRIDGE WHEN YOU’RE TRYING TO LOSE WEIGHT?

Whether or not porridge is a good weight loss breakfast for you depends on a number of factors. Firstly, some people tolerate carbohydrates better than others. For those who are particularly sensitive to carbohydrates, a carb-rich breakfast like porridge may not be the best option. However, if you tolerate carbohydrates well and you don’t find that having a breakfast of porridge leaves you feeling sleepy mid-morning, we’ll talk you through how to optimise your bowl of porridge for weight loss later on in this article.

If you’re curious to learn more about how sensitive you are to carbohydrates, and how well you tolerate carbohydrate rich meals, try using a blood glucose monitor. Read our Guide To Continuous Glucose Monitoring to learn more.

Depending on how you’re making it, porridge could support your weight loss. Its high fibre content can help regulate blood sugar levels and prevent sudden spikes in insulin, which may contribute to reduced cravings and overall calorie intake. As a team of nutritionists who specialise in weight loss, we advise most of our clients to choose a breakfast that combines protein, healthy fats and fibre. This combination will promote fat burning, while keeping you satisfied until lunchtime. Oats are primarily carbohydrates and while they do provide fibre, they’re lacking protein and healthy fats so incorporating sources of these macronutrients, as outlined below, is advisable.

By promoting satiety and preventing overeating, porridge can support weight loss efforts when consumed as part of a calorie-controlled diet. Aim to keep your serving size below 50g uncooked oats as a general guide and avoid topping your porridge with syrups, honey and other sources of sugar.

Working with a qualified, experienced nutritionist to find a dietary approach tailored to your unique needs, goals and lifestyle is the best way to achieve long-term weight loss success. Book your complimentary call with us today to find out how we can help you. 

Keep reading to find out the best weight loss porridge ingredients.

HOW TO MAKE PORRIDGE THAT SUPPORTS WEIGHT LOSS

ADD PROTEIN 

Oats contain a small amount of protein, but not much. Enhancing your porridge with a protein powder can make it into a more nutritionally balanced meal. Ensuring an adequate protein intake is crucial if you’re trying to lose weight and want to feel satisfied after meals. Therefore it’s a smart choice to incorporate protein powder into your porridge. Opt for a naturally flavoured protein powder which can add sweetness without the need for high sugar honey or syrups. Here are five of our favourite protein powders.

ADD HEALTHY FAT

When losing weight, many people make the mistake of trying to cut fats from their diet due to their high calorie content. However, we now know that a moderate amount of healthy fats is an important part of the weight loss puzzle. Ensure that you’re including a moderate serving of healthy fats into each meal to provide slow-release energy. Add a tablespoon of coconut oil, unroasted nuts or sugar free nut butter all work well added to your porridge. Or top your bowl with a tablespoon of flax, chia or hemp seeds for added nutrients, taste and texture. 

ADD EXTRA NUTRIENTS

Up the nutritional value of your porridge by adding ‘superfood’ ingredients. Try adding cacao powder or cacao nibs, abundant in polyphenols that can help to reduce inflammation. Good quality greens powders and Haskapa berry powder are both potent sources of antioxidants. Fruit is a popular addition to porridge but if you’re trying to lose weight, steer clear of higher sugar fruits like dried fruit and choose a lower sugar fruit, such as a handful of berries. You can use fresh berries, or make a compote by heating frozen berries in a pan with a little water and a natural sweetener like xylitol.

How about eggs for breakfast instead? Discover ‘3 New Ways to Eat Eggs’.  

SHOULD YOU USE MILK OR WATER IN PORRIDGE?

A commonly asked question when it comes to making porridge healthy is whether to make it using water or milk. If you’re working on losing weight, filtered water is the best choice. If you prefer something a little creamier, try using unsweetened almond milk. Avoid plant milks with long lists of ingredients you don’t recognise. Some brands can be highly processed, and some dairy-free milks are high in sugar, such as oat milk. To make sure you’re picking a quality brand, check out our guide to the best dairy free milks.

ALTERNATIVE BREAKFAST IDEAS

If you decide that porridge is getting in the way of you achieving your weight loss goals, or your nutritionist identifies that it might not be the best choice for you, what else should you eat for breakfast? A high protein breakfast will keep you fuller for longer, so try eggs or a low sugar protein smoothie. While cereals are amongst the most popular breakfast choice, they’re not something we recommend. You can read our thoughts on the problems with breakfast cereals here.

WORK WITH US

Book yourself in for a complimentary 25 mintue call or contact us and a member of our team will be in touch soon. We can talk through your challenges and explore whether one of our Intelligent Weight Loss programmes is right for you.

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LINDA ROBINSON

Linda is our Practice Coordinator, helping to keep the clinic running smoothly.

 

Originally from Texas, Linda completed her MBA at SDA Bocconi in Milan. Linda has worked as a Strategy Consultant across multiple industries globally in cities including Kyoto, Paris, Chicago and San Francisco. She developed an interest in nutrition whilst volunteering for an organisation that provides cooking and nutrition education to children and families.

Linda is now settled in London with her husband, two children, and her very bouncy, sociable dog.

SARAH LAW

Sarah has worked with hundreds of clients over the past decade to help them live in a healthy body that they feel confident in.


Sarah spent a large part of her teens and 20’s as a professional dancer battling with orthorexia and an unhealthy relationship with food and her body. This created a desire to understand the human body more so she could finally cut through the confusion and end the cycle of yoyo dieting. This fuelled her passion to help other women do the same.

 

Sarah specialises in supporting women who are struggling to lose weight due to underlying health issues. She’s helped many women manage their weight during and after the menopause, as well as clients with thyroid disease and immune system dysfunction. Sarah loves food and sharing healthy recipes with her clients. Her aim is to ensure that clients don’t feel deprived and instead, achieve their weight loss and health goals in a positive and sustainable way.

 

To enquire about working with Sarah, please contact us.

AILSA HICHENS

 

Ailsa is one of our most experienced practitioners. She specialises in helping clients to lose weight, develop a healthy relationship with food and finally feel comfortable in their skin. Ailsa’s mission is for everyone she works with to enjoy the journey and that working with a nutritionist should not be a punishment, but your access to a new possibility.

 

Ailsa is not only an experienced weight loss nutritionist, she is also a skilled coach. She helps our clients overcome emotional eating, destructive habits and self-sabotaging behaviours that have prevented successful weight loss in the past. Ailsa has spent years in clinic working with clients who have experienced yo-yo dieting and have discovered that long term weight loss is not just about eating less until you can stand it no longer.

 

Working with Ailsa you will be comprehensively supported, not only in improving your nutrition and lifestyle, but also your eating habits and your relationship with food. When you work on all these elements together, the results can be truly astonishing.

 

To enquire about working with Ailsa, please contact us.

Test Nikki is our Practice Manager, managing our team of practitioners and heading up the day-to-day running of the business. Nikki is involved in the strategic development of our practice, coming from a strong business background in town planning. A Florida girl, Nikki relocated to the UK in 2014 with her husband and two children.

NIKKI ANDRIANI

Nikki is our Practice Manager, managing our team and heading up the day-to-day running of our clinic.

 

Coming from a background in town planning, Nikki is involved in the strategic development of our practice, continually ensuring we are delivering the very best service to our clients.


A Florida girl, Nikki relocated to the UK in 2014 where she lives with her husband, two children, and her rescue dog Skyy.

STÉPHANIE ACHAR

Stéphanie is a skilled nutritional therapist and functional medicine practitioner with additional training in eating disorders, disordered eating and obesity. She believes that working towards both physiological and mental health is key in achieving optimum wellbeing.

 

Stéphanie’s personal experience of emotional eating and the ongoing struggle to find the right support led her to combine the science of nutrition with behavioural coaching to motivate and empower her clients. She specialises in helping people who struggle with their weight and their relationship with food. She helps them develop a healthier and more peaceful relationship with food and their bodies.

 

To enquire about working with Stéphanie, please contact us.

INNA WEARN

Inna is passionate about supporting women on their journey to improved health and wellbeing. She believes that the solution to effective weight loss does not lie in ever more restrictive diets, but a more sophisticated approach that optimises health and vitality, as well as promoting effective weight loss.

 

Working with Inna you will benefit from her in-depth knowledge of female health and hormones. She will support you in developing a healthy diet, lifestyle and mindset that ensures you reach your ideal weight and maintain it in the years to come.

 

Inna is passionate about food with a wide repertoire of delicious healthy recipes and meal ideas to ensure your weight loss journey is as enjoyable as possible!

 

To enquire about working with Inna, please contact us.

ANIA MASON

 

Ania is a firm believer that improving your health and losing weight should be a positive, empowering journey, not one centred around deprivation.

 

After being diagnosed with two autoimmune conditions in her twenties, Ania spent several years educating herself on the power of food and nutrition. She put it all into practise and changed her diet and lifestyle, reversing her endometriosis and thyroid disease. After experiencing such a significant improvement in her health, Ania had a big desire to help others. She embarked on a four year journey to study nutrition, graduating from the Institute for Optimum Nutrition with distinction.

 

Ania specialises in autoimmunity and works with clients who have underlying health issues preventing successful weight loss. Her expertise enables her to successfully support our clients with conditions such as hypothyroidsm (underactive thyroid), PCOS and diabetes. 

 

To enquire about working with Ania, please contact us.

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