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My review of Perkier’s vegan, gluten-free, protein-packed, and fibre-rich Oaty Quinoa Porridge Pots.
Perkier is a young British company started by two passionate and innovative entrepreneurs who mashed up their surnames (Perkins and Turner) to create their brand. They use natural, whole food ingredients that are of the best quality to create incredibly tasty breakfast and snack products.
I have been a long-time fan of Perkier’s snack bars. Their newest venture has been into the breakfast space (my very favourite space). In honour of World Porridge Day, coming up this Wednesday, 10th October, I thought I would do a review of their Oaty Quinoa Porridge Pots.
Perkier has three Porridge Pots, and they’re all absolutely delicious! Plus, they are all:
Before I get into the nitty-gritty of each pot, let’s talk about how easy it is to prepare these pots, and some ideas of how you can serve them.
If you’re in a rush, you can literally prepare a porridge pot in minutes for a quick and easy breakfast on-the-go.
This porridge is tasty on its own and can make a light breakfast, second breakfast, or snack (I’m all for breakfast all day long).
One porridge pot may not be enough to keep you full until lunchtime. I recommend some extra goodness to turn your pot into a more substantial meal. Each pot makes for a fantastic base to work with.
When preparing the porridge I like to:
*I don’t tend to add extra plant milk as coconut milk powder is conveniently included in the mix, but you definitely could if you wanted.
Then I like to go crazy with the toppings:
The classic pot. Simply with the addition of hot water, this porridge pot turns out beautifully thick and creamy (thanks to the coconut milk powder). It has a lovely neutral flavour, making it the perfect base to add a diversity of flavours and toppings, depending on your preference.
This pot is my personal favourite. I am always a fan of anything fruity, and the cranberries in this pot are like little nuggets of sweetness. I like the addition of chia seeds, and will often add extra to further bulk up the mix.
An amazing sweet smell wafts from this pot the moment it’s opened, which completely transported me back to my childhood the first time I tried it. I grew up having instant packets of oats for breakfast, and this pot feels the most reminiscent of those. It’s sweet, but not too sweet, and I think pairs particularly well with frozen fruit to balance out the flavours.
Currently the vegan porridge pots are available in ASDA. They retail for £1.30.
Bars can be found across ASDA (in the biscuit aisle), and in Sainsbury’s and Morrisons in the free-from section! They retail around 70p but it does vary.
*This post isn’t sponsored, but I was kindly gifted Perkier’s porridge pots to try. All opinions are my own and I genuinely love Perkier’s products! Check out my Instagram for a giveaway to win a bundle of their goodies to try them out yourself!
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My Review of The Gallery Cafe – A café in East London offering an all-vegan menu of breakfast and savoury staples, sweet treats, lattes and juices, as well as live events and art exhibitions. Where: St. Margarets House Settlement, 21 Old Ford Road, London …
A week ago I ran my very first 10K race!
Even just a few weeks ago I never thought I would be able to run that long. Here’s some background on how I got there, a play-by-play of the 10K race day, and some final takeaways and tips.
I have had an on/off again, love/hate relationship with running. There have been periods when I’ve established a good running routine, and other periods when I have taken extended (we’re talking years) time off. Running can be taxing on the body, and at times I have felt mine wasn’t particularly equipped for it. I think it can be a tricky balance, of listening to your body while still pushing through the initial painful period of getting back into running. But it can also feel good! Right now, I’m in a period of getting back into it, and am really enjoying it.
I first dabbled with running when I joined the track team for one year in high school (my sophomore year, age 15). I don’t quite remember why I decided to join – I suppose I wanted to get in shape, and thought marching band wasn’t enough of a workout to do so.
Arriving at the first practice of the year, I had no idea what I was getting myself into. When they asked us to split into long-distance runners and sprinters, I was at a loss as to which direction to take…until they said the long-distance runners were going to go warm-up with a 5-mile run. Decision made! I went and joined the sprinters.
From that first month, I mainly remember the intense soreness – and how difficult it was to navigate stairs. Yet I was amazed that even as I would arrive at practice so sore I could barely walk, I would still complete each workout. It’s amazing what you can push your body to do, and running can be a real mental game.
When I went off to university, I went through further waves of running. In 2011, a friend of mine convinced me to sign up for my first 5K race. It was a small community run for an Arthritis charity, called the Jingle Bell run. We literally tied jingle bells to our shoe laces. That may or may not have been what persuaded me to sign up!
Prior to that run I had probably only ever done up to 3K in distance – especially coming from sprinting, 5K felt pretty daunting to me. The run ended up being such a fun experience and felt like a massive accomplishment. At the time I figured 5K would be the longest I’d ever run.
When I came to London 5 years ago, I kept up running for my first year. I lived in the centre of the city and running was a fun way to explore (and get in a free workout!). However, over time I found myself running less frequently. I slightly blame the weather, as it’s just not super appealing to run when it’s rainy, or dark and dreary – which in London, is often the case.
I watched the London marathon a few times, and that has always served as motivation to get back into running. The whole atmosphere around the run and watching the runners cross Tower Bridge, has made me (very briefly!) fancy the thought of attempting it someday…but honestly, I don’t know if my body could handle it. That’s seriously a long time to run!
This past summer I finally got back into a running routine. A period of good weather certainly helped with that! I downloaded a Couch to 10K Trainer app on my phone, and loosely began following the training plan. This was all for inspiration and structure, not with any particular race in mind. I used the app for a couple of months, but didn’t stick to it very firmly, especially when the runs got longer.
In August, a friend of mine posted about a 10K run at the end of September. I figured this was my chance to finally try it! So, I signed up and got a bit more intentional about my training. I believed I had a good four weeks to slowly increase my distance and ease my body into it.
Then three weeks out I won a giveaway (in which another friend kindly tagged me!) to run in the City Runs London Clapham 10K. It was 1 week away, and 2 weeks earlier than I had been planning on doing my first 10K. I did slightly worry if it was too much too soon, but it was definitely too good an opportunity to pass up!
With a race coming up, I definitely have prioritised running more. But life is still busy so I haven’t followed a very strict plan. On average, I run about 3-4 times a week: a few short runs (ranging from 4-5K) on weekdays (often it’ll be Monday, Tuesday and Thursday mornings), and then a longer run on the weekend (generally around 8K, but I’ve just recently been bumping that up). I track my runs using my Fitbit, and the app ‘Map My Run’, which is really helpful in notifying me of my time, distance, and kilometre splits. After runs I’ll make sure to get in a good stretch.
On the days when I’m not running I’ll either do a yoga morning practice, and/or use the ‘Seven’ app to get in a quick full body workout. The latter really helps to get my muscles working first thing in the morning, and I can get on with my day knowing at least I did a bit of exercise. I also try as often as I can to get 10,000 steps (tracked on my Fitbit). This also helps encourage me to be active during the day.
One week before the race I did a practice 10K run – my very first 10K ever! I actually went out thinking I would go for my usual 8K. But while running I had the thought it would be good to have a 10K under my belt before the actual race. So I decided to go for it mid-run. When I hit the 5K mark I turned around and retraced my steps so that every step was getting me closer to home and finishing the 10K. When I finished I could hardly believe it! I’d never run that long in my life. It was a real encouragement and boost to know going into the race that I had done it once before.
I usually run first thing in the morning and prefer to run on an empty stomach. When I get back I’ll hydrate with a bottle (750ml) or two of water, and then tuck into a big bowl of breakfast.
My favourite way to refuel post-run has definitely been porridge bowls, especially as the weather shifts to autumn. I have been trying to get some extra protein into my oats, using Quaker Oats’ protein porridge sachets, and/or adding some protein powders into my bowl. I’ve been loving Nuzest’s Clean Lean Protein, and Sneakz’ Vegan Protein Powder – they both stir really well into porridge and add such a nice flavour as well!
The couple of days leading up to the race I ate the same meals, as I knew that they digested well and made me feel good. I was recipe testing my lentil bolognese at the time, so I had several bowls of pasta. This was on purpose as I know pasta is a typical meal for runners. For lunches I had sweet potato bread with either sausages or beans, which again gave me a good source of carbs and protein.
For Race Day I packed some breakfast to have on the way to the event. I knew I wanted to eat something pre-run to give me fuel, especially as I was up so early and travelling for an hour just to get to the race. I couldn’t make myself eat before leaving at 6:30am, but these banana peanut butter flapjacks ended up being the perfect portable breakfast, which wasn’t too heavy and sat quite well in my stomach.
I was pretty surprised by how nervous I felt going into the race! I definitely had butterflies. A poor night’s sleep the night before also didn’t help, so I was feeling a bit jittery and running on a lot of adrenaline.
Dressed in the official t-shirt we were sent, I felt very snazzy and professional! The chip tied to my shoelaces also felt super high tech. This tracked my running time from passing the start line to finish, and sent me a text message soon after the race with my official race time. So advanced!
I was very fortunate to have an amazing running partner for my first 10K. My friend who had tagged me in the giveaway ironically ended up not being able to run the race herself. But she found someone who really kindly said they would run my first 10K with me. When we met that morning, I asked if he did lots of running. He told me he did a bit. I asked what races he’d run, and he casually said he’d recently taken part in a 100-mile race – which sounded like more than ‘a bit’ of running to me! I definitely felt in safe hands running with him.
We were in the last running wave of the race. So, while the race started at 9am, we probably didn’t pass the start line until closer to 9:30am. And then we were off!
The race was quite a bit more enjoyable than I had anticipated. We set off at a good pace, and from the very start our splits were faster than any I had done in training! I was worried I had started a bit fast, but I felt good and at a comfortable speed. The course was winding, and quite hilly at times as well, so that added an extra challenge. I did prefer coming from the back though – it was quite motivating to pass people for most of the race, instead of vice versa!
I surprised myself by not listening to any music or podcasts the whole time – which was a first for me. The Race Handbook had recommended not wearing headphones, to keep you alert and aware on the course. As I’m the type of person who likes to follow the rules, I had taken this quite seriously. On the course I realised most people were wearing headphones, and next time I think I will too. It felt pretty meditative to run without though, so I’m glad I had the experience.
At points along the way there were stations where upbeat music was blasted to encourage us on our run. I also loved the people who came along to watch, cheer, and even play music from their windows to encourage us in our run. The supportive atmosphere and community environment of the whole experience was so motivating.
Another thing that really struck me while running, especially as we counted down the kilometres, was just how much of a mental thing running can be. It is amazing how much your mind can control your body, and how even when you’re tired and want to stop, you can push yourself to keep going. I’ll admit, I had Dory’s refrain ‘just keep swimming’ (from Finding Nemo) running in my head! (With the obvious amendment ‘just keep running’).
The first 7K felt pretty good. The last 3K were definitely tough. I also missed seeing the 8K marker, and began to feel really discouraged that I wouldn’t break an hour. That was my not-so-secret goal. When I talked about going into the race, I tried to stay casual and say I just wanted to finish and enjoy it, which was true! But the competitive side of me really wanted to come in within the hour mark.
My running partner was amazing at this point. He told me we were on track, and at 9K he encouraged me to run faster if I could. When we rounded the final corner he again told me to go for it and sprint. I honestly didn’t feel like I could, but somehow in those moments you just dig deep and do it! Passing the finish line felt amazing.
At the finish, I was immediately given a gorgeous medal, a clif bar, and a coconut water. I’m not sure which I was most excited about! I ended up hanging out with a group of newly made running friends. We took part in some of the competitions on the grounds to win free things (unfortunately not winning anything, but I had to try), and took loads of photos. I think it was helpful that I kept moving and walking around, and also stretched out as well, instead of immediately sitting down afterwards on the tube for the long journey home.
I had two big takeaways from running my first 10K race. The first, that I could even do it! For such a long time, I always thought 10K was too long of a distance for me. To complete it, and in a time that was better than I’d hoped for, was really exciting. I’ve had some physical injuries (mainly from playing a musical instrument, which can be surprisingly strenuous on the body), which have prevented me from running in the past. I felt really blessed that my body could even run a 10K and feel strong doing it.
The other takeaway was just how wonderful the running community can be. It reminded me of the amazing love and support I’ve gotten from the foodie community on Instagram and blogging. After the race, everyone was congratulating each other, asking others how the race had gone for them, celebrating peoples’ successes of personal bests, and just completing the race.
I took photos with people I’d never met before, chatted with some who I now consider friends, and was even invited to join running clubs and to future running outings. I felt really grateful to be so generously invited into a world I never thought I would belong in. It didn’t matter my running background, or time, or goals – I was invited to just come along and run! So that was a real gift and something I’m enormously thankful for.
Here are some final tips for running a 10K race, many of which were given to me by you all over on my Instagram! Thanks for all of the love, support, and encouragement you guys have given me through your comments and DMs – it’s honestly meant the world. I’d love to hear about where you are on your running journey as well! Leave a comment, or get in touch on Instagram.
And just for the record, I’m running another 10K next weekend (eek!) and am following this same formula. It worked for me last time, so why not!
A one-bowl recipe using 6 simple ingredients to make a batch of vegan and gluten-free Banana Peanut Butter Flapjacks – a sweet treat that’s both fuelling and delicious! FLAPJACKS This Banana Peanut Butter Flapjacks recipe has been an oldie but goodie in my baking repertoire over …
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Quick and easy one-pot lentil bolognese recipe using cupboard and freezer ingredients – a delicious, hearty, and comforting bowl of pasta is only half an hour away!
Let’s talk about pasta.
As a gluten-free vegan, it has been amazing to see all kinds of pastas pop up in the food space as an alternative to traditional white/whole wheat pasta. Pasta made from lentils, edamame, black beans, chickpeas, buckwheat, corn – and those are just ones I’ve personally tried!
At The Allergy & Free From Show I attended back in July, I found that BFree recently launched a new pasta which I’d never seen or heard of before – made from sweet potatoes!
Now, if you know me at all you know I have a sweet potato obsession – it’s pretty much my favourite food in the whole wide world. And that’s saying a lot, because I love many foods. Including pasta, cause who doesn’t love pasta? So putting the two together sounded like a real winner to me!
I don’t know why it took me so long, but I finally cooked up a batch of this pasta earlier this week, and it came out even better than I had expected! Sometimes the texture of gluten-free pasta can be rubbery or just off. But this cooked up beautifully (in just a few minutes!), and came out chewy and soft, just as I like it.
And the taste! Well, as a sweet potato addict, I immediately was a fan. It adds a lovely sweetness to the pasta bowl, which contrasts beautifully with this flavourful lentil bolognese – if I do say so myself. And the nutritional benefits are just another added bonus.
Let’s not forget about this lentil bolognese as well. This is my go-to bolognese recipe that comes out perfectly every time. It goes well with any pasta base, or you could serve it with another grain, or have it by itself with some extra greens. I also highly recommend topping it with nutritional yeast for that cheesy flavour.
If you end up giving this recipe a try, please let me know – take a photo and tag me on Instagram @bitesbybekah. I’d love to connect with you and it always makes me so happy to see your creations!
For the hob/stove:
If using dried lentils, add all ingredients to a pot and cook on a simmer for about 45-60 minutes or until the lentils are fully cooked and the vegetables are soft. Add water as you’re cooking (probably about another cup) and stir occasionally to keep the lentils from sticking to the bottom of the pan.
If using tinned lentils that are already cooked, just cook until the veg are cooked and you reach the consistency you desire!
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