Now, I’ve got to say, a couple of months ago, courgettes would’ve been one of the last foods I’d think of popping into my shopping basket. I love my veggies, especially the Mediterranean -and often green- ones. Courgettes though? No thanks. These guys were definitely featured in my top most disliked foods list, along with mushrooms, truffle and liquorice.

But, when you’ve just always had such a strong dislike for something there comes a point where you question why?Was it their taste? Their texture? Their smell? (Do they even have a smell?)  Or was the whole thing in my head? Psychological if you like. A figure of my imagination.

So then, one day, this weird thing happens.

I got up, got dressed, headed to the shop, grabbed a basket and what did I do? I went and put a courgette in it. That’s right. A courgette. In mybasket. What’s weirder is that once I returned home, I got a bowl out of the cupboard, and ate it.

This literally happened. Ok so, not like literally. I didn’t just chop up a courgette and get a spoon ready to dive in (as the picture above suggests).

But I did however have it it for breakfast ….and I’m about the tell you how and more intriguingly -why…

Why?

Quoted from Anna Vitality Instagram;
“These bad boys contain hardly any calories, have a high water content -making them a friend for people wanting to lose a bit of weight- and are the perfect ingredient for bulking out any meal to help you feel fuller for longer…. They aren’t packed with micronutrients, but they do contain significant amounts of vitamin C which is vital for our immune system, skin, hair and nails, as well as potassium which is key to controlling blood pressure”

So, y’know I said I hated the damn things? Well, it turns out…. I don’t.

Their texture ain’t all that great as for taste and smell– I really don’t think they have much.

They do, on the other hand, have some really beneficial nutritional properties and, when chopped finely and mixed together with oats -or even blended into a breakfast smoothie- you really can’t taste them.

So, why do it then?

Well, like I said, it bulks out the meal and is loaded with essential vitamins- this can suppress cravings and helps you feel fuller for longer. It’s also allows you start your morning knowing you’ve already consumed more than one of your five a day, especially when the berries and bananas get stirred into the equation.

How do I do it….

All you gotta do is roughly chop the courgette into small cubes, pop them in a bowl with a little water and microwave for 90 seconds, softening their otherwise hard texture. Next, I like to pop them in a mini food processor and whiz them up so they’re super fine, but you can skip this if you’re a more skilful chopper-upper than I am. Next, I pop them in my favourite breakfast bowl with one cup of oats, half a cup of chia seeds, half a mashed banana and whatever nut milk I have in the fridge …. and mix. Lastly I shake in a generous amount of ground cinnamon, stir thoroughly and then pop my magical mix of goodness intp the microwave for a further two minutes until it’s really gloopy and creamy. I add some blueberries, the other half of the banana and some wallnuts on top and in goes my spoon for my first taste. If I don’t add the banana to the mix I find that the oats can taste a little on the savoury side and so, if I’m all out of bananas, I’ll often add a small spoonful of honey, a form of nut butter or, to mix it up even further, I’ll blend the blueberries into the mixture at the start instead, which not only adds a bursting, sharp, sweetness but it gives the oats a fabulous vibrant purpley colour. So, however you chose to do it, as long as the courgettes are finely chopped and a few other (sweeter) ingredients are added to the bowl then you’ll have a winner. #BreakfastZoats