A bowl of comforting porridge is the perfect way to start your day. Healthy and nutritious, it can be served in so many ways, whether you like it sweet or savoury, or made with oats, rice or quinoa. Read on for our tips and inspiration to make your breakfast something you'll want to spring out of bed for.

Porridge at its simplest is just oats with milk or water. For perfect results, mix 60g (2.5oz) of oats with 300ml (0.5 pint) milk or water. Bring to the boil, then simmer for three to five minutes, stirring occasionally, until the oats are soft and creamy. Add a pinch of salt or sugar to taste, or try it with a drizzle of golden or maple syrup, or honey instead. Then just add your favourite toppings...

Porridge is high in a fibre called beta-glucan, which reduces cholesterol. It's also low GI, so it keeps you fuller for longer. A real instant favourite is porridge oats topped with blueberries and almonds, with a drizzle of honey. The nuts add protein and crunch, plus you have the sweetness from the honey and a dose of vitamin C from the blueberries. You can easily use frozen blueberries too – just leave them in the fridge overnight to thaw.

Here's a great idea to get picky kids (and adults) to eat porridge. Add a heaped tablespoon of cocoa powder to the milk and oats before cooking, then top with sliced banana and a drizzle of melted chocolate. Remember you can use any milk, including plant-based milks, for your porridge.

Try making a compote from frozen mixed berries by cooking them gently with a splash of water until softened. It's an easy way to boost your vitamin intake and you can also sprinkle with your favourite granola for extra crunch. Sliced bananas add potassium too.

Caramelised pears and toasted nuts turn plain porridge into an indulgent breakfast. You'll need to brown peeled and cored pears in a pan with equal quantities of butter and sugar for three minutes on each side. Alternatively, poach them in apple juice until tender. Serve on top of oat or rice porridge and finish with a sprinkling of toasted walnuts or almonds.

Chia seeds are a little nutritional powerhouse, full of fibre and minerals, and when soaked overnight in water, they become a bit like tapioca in consistency. Stir some into your oats at the end of cooking, then add a spoonful of crunchy peanut butter and top with fresh raspberries. Spoon over any extra chia seeds to serve.

Get your chocolate fix at breakfast time with a creamy millet porridge made with whole milk and covered in grated dark chocolate, almond slices, toasted hazelnuts and fresh (or frozen) cherries. One for a little weekend indulgence, perhaps...

Spice is a great way to kick your porridge up another notch. For sweet toppings, cinnamon or nutmeg work particularly well. Add some dried fruit – chopped dates are a winner – with some brown sugar and sliced bananas for an easy and speedy win.

Millet is a nutty grain and has a texture similar to couscous, but it also makes for a really good porridge if you want a change from oats. For a finer texture, blitz it for a minute or two in a food processor, then toast it in butter to bring out its nutty flavour and add milk. You'll need three times the volume of milk to millet. Bring it to the boil then simmer, stirring regularly, for about 20 minutes. Serve with dried fruits.

If you love a savoury breakfast, try topping your porridge with grilled smoked bacon rashers, sautéed mushrooms and courgettes. Scatter over some chopped spring onions or chives too. To be super-indulgent, you could stir in a few tablespoons of cream cheese once your oats are cooked.

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For a tasty dairy-free, vegan porridge, cook frozen raspberries until soft with a little coconut sugar or honey. Mash to a purée. Cook oats with coconut milk, stir in the purée, then top with more raspberries and flakes of coconut.

Congee is an savoury rice porridge and a fantastic dish to start the day because it’s filling, but not too heavy. Simmer cooked white rice in chicken stock with a dash of fish sauce, grated ginger and diced fresh chilli. For an extra umami boost, stir in a spoonful of miso paste. Top with a fried egg, chopped herbs, spring onion and fresh chilli.

Kiwi fruit and limes are both high in vitamin C. Try cooking your oats with nut milk for extra flavour, adding the zest and juice of a lime at the end. Scatter over plenty of chopped kiwi for a zesty, zingy taste.

Try this vegan oat porridge made with coconut milk and sweetened with honey for a filling, protein and vitamin-packed breakfast. Top with fresh or dried figs, dried fruits such as apricot and cranberries, some blueberries and nuts for added crunch.

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Adding a big spoonful of thick cream or crème fraîche to your cooked oat porridge makes it more creamy and indulgent. Top with flaxseeds (soak in warm water for 10 minutes first) then top with antioxidant-rich cacao nibs for a chocolate boost and crunchy texture. Add any red berries of your choice, such as redcurrants or raspberries.

If you are a spice lover and enjoy a savoury start to the day, try this porridge made with oats, curry powder and vegetable broth. Top with toasted chillies, toasted mustard seeds and fried curry leaves, as well as a dollop of plain yogurt for added zing.

Bircher muesli is not the ready-prepared cereal you buy in a packet. It's actually made by soaking oats overnight in apple juice (meaning it's also known as "overnight oats"), so you get a tasty, cold porridge perfect for busy mornings. For one serving, soak 25g (1oz) oats with six tablespoons of apple juice and add some dried fruit if you wish. To serve, add thick yogurt, grated apple or pear, and some chopped nuts for a great start to the day.

Another great thing about Bircher muesli is that, since it's cold, it's easily portable for a breakfast on the go. Just pop it into a container topped with fresh berries, or opt for frozen if your chosen fruits are out of season. Top your porridge with plenty of nuts and seeds too, and you'll feel full until lunch.

Here's a speedy topping for those with a sweet tooth. Almonds add a welcome crunch, and bananas and a generous drizzle of chocolate syrup give sweetness. Any leftover? Whizz up with extra milk for a filling smoothie.

Try making your oats with coconut milk and a squeeze of lemon juice. Top with passion fruit pulp and lemon zest for a taste of sunshine.

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On a freezing winter's day, you can see why the Scandinavians love comforting rice porridge. It's made with a starchy short grain rice, such as pudding rice, and whole milk for creaminess. You could stir in extra thick cream, then sprinkle generously with cinnamon sugar.

When fresh peaches are in season, they can really liven up a bowl of porridge. Cook a few peaches and make a purée to stir through the porridge, then add diced peach on top. Some toasted pine nuts add texture, and a grating of nutmeg adds a hint of warm spice.

Our love affair with the avocado isn't going to end anytime soon, and it makes a great, healthy, savoury topping for porridge. Add a pinch of salt to your cooked porridge, top with sliced avocado and a fried or poached egg. With fibre, protein from the egg and healthy Omega-3 fatty acids, this is a real powerhouse breakfast to keep you full for ages. 

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Here's a new favourite to add to the list! Cook oats in hazelnut milk with one to two tablespoons of cacao nibs per serving. Sweeten with honey or maple syrup. You could also use cocoa powder but it doesn't have the antioxidant boost of cacao.

A great breakfast for an autumn morning when pumpkins are in season. It's the sweet earthiness of the pumpkin which works so well with porridge. Purée cooked pumpkin with a pinch of cinnamon and nutmeg, and stir into the porridge with a pinch of salt. Top with pumpkin pieces, chopped walnuts and a drizzle of honey or maple syrup.

For a savoury porridge perfect for a weekend brunch, sauté sliced mushrooms in garlic with plenty of seasoning. Pile on top of a savoury porridge, then add a fried egg and fresh spinach. You could also add thawed chopped spinach into the porridge towards the end of cooking. Add a pinch of dried chilli flakes to serve.

Breakfast classics fried eggs and bacon also make a great topping for savoury porridge. Because porridge has a soft, smooth texture, you may want to add crunch, so crisp, streaky smoked bacon works a treat. Add a poached or fried egg, and some fried tomatoes too, if you like. Season well with salt and pepper.

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Adding a handful of rye flakes to oats really ups your fibre, vitamin and mineral intake. It adds a nutty, malty flavour to your porridge. Add any sweetener of your choice, though maple syrup will work particularly well. Try topping it with blueberries or raspberries, and chia, sunflower or pumpkin seeds to add crunch.

Try adding a teaspoon of turmeric to milk before cooking your oats for a hint of spice. Turmeric has anti-inflammatory properties and gives a great colour. Top with fresh blueberries, puffed amaranth seeds or toasted seeds of your choice.

Jumbo oats are chunkier than porridge oats, so if you want a bit more texture, give them a try. You can also add in a handful of quinoa too. This porridge is topped with soaked chia seeds, sliced banana and chopped walnuts. A spoonful of honey is drizzled over before serving. If chia seeds aren't your thing, add toasted pumpkin seeds.

Quinoa, like oats, is a great source of fibre, but it's also high in protein, which will also keep you fuller for longer. Our recipe combines red and black quinoa with oats, served with a big spoonful of Greek yogurt then topped with thawed, frozen raspberries and their juice.

Get the recipe for red and black quinoa porridge here

You can also make your porridge with 100% quinoa, for a big fibre and protein hit. Add plenty of nuts for crunch and texture, slices of banana or apple, and fresh berries. Use whole milk for extra creaminess and stir in a dollop of thick yogurt before serving.

Because porridge on its own lacks texture, you may prefer it with extra crunch. Try adding your favourite granola mix (or try our recipe below) on top with berries, apple slices, chopped nuts, desiccated coconut and cacao nibs.

Get the recipe for granola here

Here's a colour burst to brighten your breakfast. Add a swirl of cherry compote to cooked porridge, followed by a drizzle of black sesame paste – a Japanese ingredient which adds a roasted nutty flavour. Top with cacao nibs, sunflower seeds, cherries and apple slices (or whatever fruits, nuts and seeds you have to hand) to achieve a satisfying balance of textures.

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