Healthy porridge, according to nutritionists, consists of roasted soya beans, millet, sorghum, wheat, groundnuts and other grains, depending on one’s nutritional needs.

To some people, porridge is the last thing they would think to have, especially for breakfast, yet nutritionists say this makes for a healthy and filling breakfast.

Caleb Uwizeyimana, a nutritionist in Kigali, says porridge is loaded with healthy fibre and micronutrients as it provides energy to fuel one’s active lifestyle.

In fact, he notes that mixing porridge with other healthy ingredients provides even more benefits to one’s wellbeing.

In addition to this, he says, porridge offers a rich healthy breakfast as it contains relatively few calories, as a full cup of porridge has 159 calories, so it can keep you full for hours.

Porridge also takes up a small fraction of the calorie budget for the day. Studies indicate that from one cup of porridge, one can also get 27 grams of total carbohydrates for a burst of energy. You will also get a modest amount of protein and fat; about six grams of protein per cup of oats along with three grams of fat.

Erick Musengimana, a nutritionist at Rwanda Diabetes Association, says some of the biggest health benefits of porridge come from its fibre content.

"Fibre is important for making your meals more satisfying, it helps fill your stomach without adding calories, and for fighting constipation to keep your digestion regular,” he says.

He adds that the soluble fibre in porridge also binds to cholesterol to flush it from your body, which may help control blood cholesterol levels.

For instance, Musengimana says it is indicated that a cup of cooked porridge supplies four grams of fibre, which is about 15 per cent of the daily fibre needs for women and around 10 per cent for men. 

Porridge has significant amounts of added calcium and phosphorus, both of which benefit bone health. It also comes fortified with iron, a mineral that supports metabolism and nourishes red blood cells.

In addition, Musengimana says porridge ensures that one gets generous amounts of B-complex vitamins, which help produce energy and play a role in metabolism.

Nutritionists say that one can also flavour their porridge with milk, cardamom and other spices depending on one’s preferences.