Breakfast is a really important meal, no matter how you try to justify it. Eating a meal in the beginning of the day will make you less hungry at the other mealtimes, and will also set your metabolism straight for the day.

Try the following muffin recipe, its really nutritious and easy to make:

Breakfast Muffins

1. Preheat the oven to 190°C, gas mark 5. Lightly oil a non-stick muffin pan with 12 large cups.
Combine the first nine ingredients (300g plain wholemeal flour, 50g rolled porridge oats, 3 heaped tsp baking powder, ½ tsp mixed spice, ½ tsp ground cinnamon, 100g raisins, 100g chopped dried apricots, 50g chopped pecans, 50g caster sugar) and set aside.
2. In another bowl, mix the remaining wet ingredients well (100ml sunflower oil, 150ml natural yogurt, 150ml milk, 1 medium beaten egg, 2 medium mashed bananas, 1 tsp vanilla extract, 2 small grated apples, 1 medium grated carrot).
3. Pour the wet ingredients into the dry and stir until just combined. Spoon into the prepared pans. Sprinkle with a few extra oats and some sunflower and pumpkin seeds, and bake for 20 minutes or till a skewer inserted into the middle comes out clean. Leave in the tin for 5 minutes, then cool on a rack. Eat when still warm. You can prepare the dry and wet ingredients the night before. Combine the two in the morning and you’ll have a fresh-baked breakfast.

Try the following muesli recipe, and try putting yogurt and fresh fruit on the top:

Homemade Muesli

1. Preheat the oven to 190°C, gas mark 5. Spread 350g jumbo oats in a large roasting tin and bake in
the oven for 15-20 minutes, or until golden brown. Tip into a large bowl and leave to cool completely.
2. Mix together 50g sunflower seeds, 50g pumpkin seeds, 200g mixed nuts (roughly chopped), 200g
semi-dried figs (quartered), 75g fried cranberries, 100g dried apple (roughly chopped) and then toss
with the oats. To serve, soak a portion of muesli in a little yogurt or milk, overnight in the fridge, ready
for breakfast the following morning. Soaking the muesli softens the oats and will give it a lovely
creamy texture.