There is a different kind of morning waiting for you, more than a caffeinated rush to get out the door. This morning is delicious, slow, and nourishing. And it tastes like porridge.
Impossible, you think. You’re busy. You have children who need tending. Breakfast (if it happens at all) is cold cereal or a frozen bagel. But before you believe what you’re saying, I’ll ask: Is that the way you want your life to be?
There’s a concept in Ayurveda called dinacharya, meaning daily routine of self-care. By rising before sunrise (before the little ones begin to stir), you can build in a short time to take care of yourself. Bathe, meditate, exercise, and sit down for breakfast. With a short part of each morning dedicated entirely to you, you’ll be ready to face the external demands of the day to come.
The right food for morning
After a long sleep, you must gently rekindle your digestive fire from its tired embers. Warm, simple foods do this best. Breakfast is a time for porridge.
The basic recipe for porridge is as simple as it is limitless: Cook about cup of grain with about four cups of water with a little oil and salt for 30 minutes. There are so many combinations of grains that it’s difficult to repeat two in the same week. Steel cut oats and quinoa. Buckwheat. Basmati rice cooked with coconut milk. The nourishment is endless.
Prep everything the night before and turn it on when you wake up (having a programmable pressure cooker is a game changer). When you are done with your morning routine, it will be waiting.
Yogi family porridge
Serves 4
½ cup steel cut oats
½ cup quinoa
2/3 cup sweet potato, chopped
2 Tbsp. ghee
½ tsp. mineral salt
¼ tsp. cinnamon
½ tsp. nutmeg
Throw everything into a pot. Add two cups of water and bring to a boil. Cover, turn to low and simmer for 30 minutes until it reaches steaming perfection. (You can also cook this in a rice cooker — just turn it on and walk away.)
