Since last month I’ve been running an average of 40 km a week. I’m pushing for a goal this month, but I feared my nutrition wasn’t matching my increased activity.

So a few weeks ago, I started eating healthy fats earlier in the day. The two easiest and most convenient fats for me is peanut butter and avocado. This bowl of oats is the perfect balance of carbs, healthy sugars and fats. My protein is usually 1 boiled egg, but if you don’t eat eggs, you can always add pea protein powder to your bowl of oats to get your breakfast protein fix.

I must be honest, this bowl of yummy porridge is my post-run meal. And this is regardless of whether I run short or long distances. I don’t eat it before a run, purely because I have a sensitive tummy and I hate feeling bloated or crampy when I exercise. My nutrition pre-run is powered by raw honey, peanut butter and condensed milk.

Did you know: Oatmeal or rolled oats can be nutritiously satisfying and dense if you cook it correctly. It needs a bit of soaking, not like instant oats. Just five minutes will make all the difference.

Oats is high in complex carbs and is a glycogen source. Glycogen is a complex form of glucose which your body stores, and glucose is your body’s best form of fuel. Oats also has a low glycemic index which is great for endurance athletes because it offers a sustained release of energy into the bloodstream over a longer period of time.

Ingredients

1/3 cup Oatmeal

1 1/4 cup of water

1/2 tbs Chia seeds

1/2 tbs peanut butter

1/2 tsp vanilla essence

1/2 tbs honey

pinch of salt

cinnamon stick or cinnamon powder

1/2 apple (I peel and cube a quarter and slice the other quarter for garnish)

mint (optional)

Method

1. Soak oats for 5 minutes with a cinnamon stick or 1 tsp of cinnamon powder. It’s better to do this overnight, but if you don’t, it’s no train smash.

2. On high heat, boil oats and add vanilla, salt, honey, peanut butter and chia seeds.

3. When your oats start to bubble, turn off the heat, add apple and stir for 2 minutes. You can add more water if you like your porridge a bit runny.

4. Cover your oats, take it off the hot stove, and let it steam for 3-5 minutes before pouring it into a bowl. This step softens the apples slightly.

5. Garnish oats with leftover apple slices and mint.