Porridge Dilemma - Help Me Please!

Confuzzled

i've got sort of a weird problem that's developed over the last year with porridge and i'm hoping someone can help me

i'm desperate to be able to eat porridge for breakfast again both for moneysaving reasons and health reasons, however, for the last year or so i've been getting heartburn after eating it. i've tried using all milk or all water rather than my normal half and half approach but no luck.

i've tried no salt, no butter, not having any toppings etc no matter what i do i ALWAYS get heartburn afterwards. even if i eat a little something light beforehand or feel perfectly fine before i eat it, i'm guaranteed heartburn after.

so i did some googling and it would appear i'm not alone, in fact i found a lot of people have the same problem. however the only solution i found that i hadn't tried was to soak my oats overnight and then cook them the next morning, appearantly some people have problems breaking down the oats (never a problem for me before just recently) anyway, tried it and it worked for an hour or so but then the heartburn came on, not quite as fierce and not as quickly but definitely still there

now i'd really LIKE to eat porridge, it's cheap, i like it both sweet and savoury and my daughter loves it but it's not cheap if i have to keep eating rennies like sweeties just to eat them without pain so i'm hoping someone can help me out here. both my daughter and i want to thank you in advance...

tessie_bear

i make porridge with 1 cup porridge oats (value ones) and 2 cups water....thats it...i put a spoon of sugar on when i eat it
my oh and sons wont touch it...perhaps it just isnt for u and u could have a go at flapjacks ?

hth

Confuzzled

thanks tessie but it USED to be fine, in fact when i came to scotland 12 years ago and learned how to make proper porridge vs the gruel like oatmeal that most americans make i loved it and have been eating it regularly til this problem started cropping up

i'm hoping maybe someone either has had this problem and fonud a solution or knows someone who has, as far as i'm aware i don't have any problems with wheat or oats like in bread, in fact i use oats when i make muffins for about 1/3rd of the required flour and that doesn't bother me

like i said water, milk, milk & water doesn't matter anymore it ALL gives me heartburn

for health reasons i need to say no to the flapjacks, i'm overweight and want the oats to help reduce my cholesterol and help me lose weight by giving me a balance breakfast and stay full longer but thanks for the suggestion

[Deleted User]

do you have a drink at the same time? If so then don`t as it dilutes your stomach acid. Re your heartburn (I was a sufferer) cut out tea and coffee and fizzy drinks for a while as they can set it off. Mine is well under control now esp after buying and sleeping with a wedge under my mattress

ItchyFeet

Do you microwave it or cook it on the hob? I read that it can sometimes be a problem if you don't cook it for long enough or if you eat it too hot. Porridge sets me up for the day and i can understand why you don't want to give it up.

Carolyntia

Hi there Confuzzled

It sounds like you've possibly developed an intolerant reaction to something I'm afraid . It'll either be the dairy or the oats

espresso21

I get heartburn all the time, porridge or no porridge. It's a right pain (metaphorically and literally!)

Callie22

Have you tried a different kind of liquid? I make porridge with almond milk and it's lovely - oat milk is nice too. It might be the 'stodge' that's making you unwell but if it's the dairy, a non-dairy milk might help.

meritaten

I think you are probably intollerant to something in the oats. I would stop eating it ASAP. there are other healthy forms of breakfast which are not particularly expensive.

Confuzzled

kittie wrote: »

do you have a drink at the same time? If so then don`t as it dilutes your stomach acid. Re your heartburn (I was a sufferer) cut out tea and coffee and fizzy drinks for a while as they can set it off. Mine is well under control now esp after buying and sleeping with a wedge under my mattress

yes i usually do, at least water, sometimes tea or coffee, perhaps i can try it tomorrow, soaking it in just water overnight first and then eat it without drinking anything and see if that helps

i do sleep wedged up with pillows and find this helps any heartburn i get but i slide down sometimes, do you have a link to an example of the bed wedge you bought? i'd be interested in maybe getting one as i find sleeping on an incline also reduces my snoring

Confuzzled

ItchyFeet wrote: »

Do you microwave it or cook it on the hob? I read that it can sometimes be a problem if you don't cook it for long enough or if you eat it too hot. Porridge sets me up for the day and i can understand why you don't want to give it up.

i always cook it on the hob, i like it nice and thick so i cook it for a good long time til you can nearly stand the spoon in it.

and yes i quite agree about it being a good start to the day and it's so versatile too so i really hope i find a solution