apple, blueberry & cinnamon breakfast bars

This is the autumn remix of one of my most popular recipes. My Blueberry & Raspberry Breakfast Bars have gone down so well that I gave them a seasonal tweak, swapping the raspberries for apple and cinnamon.

They’re soft, slightly chewy, and easy to make ahead, so there’s a healthy breakfast ready in the fridge for busy mornings.

Why they’re a good way to start the day

A nutritious breakfast is a good start for anyone. It can be especially helpful during perimenopause and menopause, when many women find it harder to balance energy, appetite and weight. These bars give you:

• A balanced mix: fibre, healthy fats and protein, which together can help keep blood glucose more balanced than a breakfast that’s mostly sugar.

• Magnesium: this contributes to a reduction in tiredness and fatigue, and to normal bone and muscle function.

• Six plants in one bar: oats, banana, peanuts, pumpkin seeds, blueberries, and apple. All of these count towards the 30 different plants a week I often suggest to support gut health.

How to serve them

Each bar has around 10g protein on its own. To boost the protein, serve one warm with a generous dollop of Greek yoghurt. Around 150g of a high-protein yoghurt takes it to roughly 25g of protein. Try Fage, Yeo Valley Greek Recipe or Coconut Collab’s vegan protein yogurt.

Top with toasted nuts, seeds (hemp seeds are especially good) or a drizzle of nut butter for a little more protein, fibre and healthy fats. Finish with extra berries, apple slices or a sprinkle of cacao nibs.

Ingredients

Makes 6 bars

• 300g ripe banana (peeled weight)

• 160g rolled oats

• 50g toasted pumpkin (or sunflower) seeds* (40g mixed in, 10g for the top)

• 1 tsp ground cinnamon

• ½ tsp baking powder

• 75g peanut (or almond) butter

• 80ml plant milk

• 2 tbsp honey (or maple syrup)

• Pinch of salt

• 90g frozen blueberries (I like organic Pack’d)

• 75g peeled apple (about 1 small apple), cut into roughly ½cm dice

*Toast the seeds in a dry frying pan for around 6-8 minutes, tossing regularly.

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 180°C fan. Line a 20 x 12cm baking dish.

2. In a large bowl, mash the banana until fairly smooth (some lumps are fine). Add the oats, 40g of the seeds, the cinnamon, baking powder, and salt, and mix well.

3. Stir in the nut butter, plant milk and honey.

4. Gently fold through the blueberries (from frozen) and the chopped apple.

5. Scrape the mixture into the dish, even out the top and scatter over the remaining 10g of seeds.

6. Bake for 40 minutes, until golden around the edges and set through the centre.

7. Cool completely before cutting into 6 bars. Store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days.

8. To serve warm, microwave for about 30-45 seconds.

raspberry & blueberry breakfast bars

Busy mornings are much easier with something ready in the fridge - no decisions, just grab and go. These Raspberry & Blueberry Breakfast Bars are made with oats, banana, peanut butter, berries, and pumpkin seeds, so they provide a healthy mix of fibre, protein, wholegrains, good fats, and plant nutrients in something easy to take with you.

Each bar provides around 10g protein and 6.4g fibre. I usually suggest aiming for around 30g protein at each meal and 30g fibre across the day, so a bar on its own won't get you all the way there, but on a busy morning it can be a much better start than skipping breakfast altogether.

They're soft and slightly chewy, but firm enough to wrap up and take to work, school or eat on the go. If you're eating at home, they're delicious warmed through and served with Greek yoghurt, fruit compote, a few chopped almonds or other nuts, or both. For an extra protein boost, you could stir a scoop of protein powder into the yoghurt.

They also work well as an afternoon snack.

Fresh raspberries are lovely while they're in season, but you can experiment with other fruit like grated apple or pears, berries, nuts, seeds and nut butters depending on what you have.

Ingredients

Makes 6 bars

• 50g pumpkin seeds (40g mixed in, 10g for the top)

• 300g ripe banana

• 75g peanut butter

• 80ml plant or cow’s milk

• 2 tbsp honey

• 2 tsp vanilla

• 160g rolled oats

• ½ tsp baking powder

• Pinch of salt

• 75g fresh raspberries

• 75g fresh blueberries

Method

• Preheat the oven to 180°C / 160°C fan. Line a 20 × 12cm dish with baking parchment.

• First, toast the pumpkin seeds for around 5 minutes in a dry frying pan on a medium heat. Set aside to cool a little.

• In a large bowl, mash the banana until fairly smooth, then stir in the peanut butter, plant milk, honey and vanilla.

• Mix in the oats, 40g of the pumpkin seeds, the baking powder and the salt.

• Gently fold through the raspberries and blueberries.

• Scrape the mixture into the dish, smooth the top and scatter over the remaining 10g of pumpkin seeds.

• Bake for 35-40 minutes, until golden around the edges and set through the centre.

• Cool completely before cutting into 6 bars.

• Store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days.

• Approximate nutrition per bar: 306 kcal | 10g protein | 6.4g fibre

• Serving suggestion: high-protein Greek or coconut yoghurt, fruit compote, chopped nuts/seeds, cacao nibs, desiccated coconut, nut butter

Carrot cake breakfast pots

Why a high-protein, high-fibre breakfast matters

Starting the day with a balanced meal that’s rich in protein and fibre helps to set up your metabolism, appetite, and energy levels for the rest of the day. Protein slows digestion and supports the release of satiety hormones such as GLP-1 and PYY, helping you feel fuller for longer and less likely to reach for snacks mid-morning. Fibre further stabilises this effect by slowing glucose absorption and supporting a steady blood-sugar response, which means fewer energy dips and cravings later on. Together, they promote sustained concentration and energy, while providing key nutrients for muscle repair, gut health, and hormone production.

For women in midlife, this combination becomes particularly important. As oestrogen levels fluctuate and eventually decline, the body’s ability to maintain muscle mass, insulin sensitivity, and appetite regulation naturally decreases. A protein-rich breakfast helps counter these shifts by supporting lean tissue and metabolic health, while fibre nourishes the gut microbiome, which in turn influences inflammation, oestrogen metabolism, and mood. In short, a high-protein, high-fibre breakfast is one of the simplest ways to steady hormones, support energy, and keep you feeling balanced through the day.

Ingredients

Protein: ~27 g Fibre: ~11 g

Ingredients

Serves 1

• 1 tbsp rolled oats

• ½ tbsp chia seeds

• ½ tbsp ground flaxseed

• 2 tbsp shelled hemp seeds

• 1 tbsp pumpkin seeds

• 100 g high-protein Greek yoghurt

• 6 tbsp unsweetened nut, coconut or cow’s milk (e.g. Plenish)

• 30 g apple, finely chopped

• 30 g carrot, grated

• 1 tbsp sultanas

Topping

• ½ tbsp almond butter

• 1 tsp cacao nibs, chopped nuts or desiccated coconut

Method

1. In a bowl or jar, combine the oats, chia, flax, hemp, and pumpkin seeds.

2. Add the Greek yoghurt and milk, alternating small amounts of each while stirring until you have a thick, even mixture.

3. Fold through the apple, carrot, and sultanas.

4. Cover and refrigerate overnight (or for at least 2 hours) to allow the chia and oats to soften.

5. Add the toppings or leave until you are ready to eat.

Raspberry breakfast pots

This tasty, nutrient-packed breakfast is a morning win! Ready to eat at home or take to work, it’s packed with around 28 g protein and 14 g fibre to keep you full and energised until lunchtime. 

A high-protein, high-fibre start helps keep blood sugar steady, which can mean fewer cravings, more consistent energy and better appetite control all day long.

Why it matters (especially for women 35+):
🔹 Hormone support & satiety - It can get harder to regulate blood sugar as we get older, so a protein-rich breakfast helps steady levels and reduce mid-morning cravings.
🔹 Muscle & metabolism - Protein first thing supports lean muscle, which naturally declines from age 30, and especially during perimenopause/menopause.
🔹 Grab-and-go - Make it the night before, and it’s ready to eat or take to work. No more feeling starving by 11 after grabbing a slice of toast or a bowl of cornflakes.

Ingredients

• 1 tbsp rolled oats

• 1 tbsp chia seeds

• 2 tbsp shelled hemp seeds

• ½ tbsp pumpkin seeds

• 100 g high-protein Greek-style yoghurt (*Fage)

• 3 tbsp unsweetened almond or coconut milk

• Small handful chopped pear

• Small handful of raspberries, lightly squashed (save 2–3 whole to top)

  Topping

• ½ tbsp almond butter

• Pinch of pumpkin seeds and a few cacao nibs (optional)

Method

1. Combine the dry ingredients in a jar or small bowl.

2. Stir in the yoghurt, then the milk until everything is well coated.

3. Fold in the pear and raspberries (or add just before serving if you prefer them on top).

4. Top with the almond butter and a sprinkle of pumpkin seeds or cacao nibs (or add in the morning if you have time).

5. Cover and refrigerate overnight.
   
   Tip

Protein-boosting - if you’re using Greek-style yoghurt with less than 10 g protein/100 g, stir in 1 tbsp (~8 g) whey protein powder /100 g yoghurt.

Batch prep - make 5x this recipe in a larger container for a ready-to-go healthy breakfast all week.

Coconut & cacao squares

A healthy alternative to flapjack that will give you a nutritious energy boost!

ingredients

• 100g coconut oil

• 2 tbsp maple / honey

• 3 ripe bananas (300g peeled)

• 3 tbsp raw cacao

• 250g porridge oats

• 100g desiccated coconut

Method

• Preheat the oven to 180ºc. Line a 20 x 20cm tin with baking parchment.

• Melt the coconut and honey gently in a small saucepan.

• Mash the bananas in large bowl with a fork and add the rest of the ingredients.

• Pour in the coconut oil and honey, mixing well until all the ingredients are combined.

• Scrape the mix into the baking tray and press down firmly.

• Bake for 25 minutes. Leave to cool completely before slicing.

  Tip

• This recipe freezes well, so you can wrap some up in tin foil and save for later.

• You could add 1 tbsp more of maple and/or cacao if you want extra sweetness / chocolateyness.

• I made these squares for my daughter to take for her school snack as they’re nut-free. I wanted her to have something slightly more healthy than sugary cereal bars - it’s also quite hard to find them without nuts!

Coconut & walnut overnight oats

Overnight oats is still one of my go-to breakfasts; it takes minutes to prep in the evening and then you have a delish breakfast ready in the morning. You just need to add the toppings.

Walnuts are incredibly good for you with the highest polyphenol (antioxidant) and omega 3 content out of all nuts, helping to increase gut microbiota diversity and health, reduce inflammation and support your cardiovascular and immune systems.

The other ingredient added here is kefir. It’s a cultured, fermented milk drink, which is a great source of calcium and rich in good probiotic bacteria for your gut. I’ve used Biotiful that you can find in Sainsburys.

The best toppings IMO are Greek yoghurt (also boosting good gut bacteria), fruit compote, toasted nuts and seeds plus extra nut butter, but you can have any combination you like.

Ingredients

Serves 4

• 80g oats

• 40g white chia seeds

• 40g raisins

• 25g desiccated coconut

• 10g flaxseed

• 1-2 tbsp nut butter

• 400ml nut milk or organic whole 

• 150ml kefir

Method

• Mix all the ingredients together in a medium sized tub with an air-tight lid.

• Serve with homemade compote

Tip

• If you can’t get hold of walnut butter, you can always use a different kind - almond or cashew are both really nice - and top with a few whole walnuts instead to get their benefit.

Vegan banana, pecan & tahini bites

Looking for a healthy snack recipe? Well, stop right here as these bites are super tasty and so full of good stuff: protein (growth development, muscle building, bone mass), fibre (healthy gut microbiome), zinc (immunity), B1 thiamine (energy production), manganese & phosphorus (bone health)!

They’re really quick to prep and will keep in an airtight container for up to a week, although they will go a little crumbly after a few days, (if they last that long), but they’re great on top of natural yoghurt! If you’re making them for kids to take to school then leave out the pecans or switch for pumpkin, sunflower or flaxseeds, but do check your school’s policy on allergens first.

Ingredients

• 60g pecan nuts

• 4 tbsp coconut oil, melted

• 1 large banana 150g

• 6 tbsp tahini

• 4 tbsp maple syrup 

• 250g oats

• Pinch of sea salt

Method 

• Preheat the oven to 180ºc and line a 20x20cm tin with baking parchment. Scrunch it up into a ball and then it will mould into the tin more easily.  

• Spread the pecans out on a baking tray and toast in the oven for 5-6 minutes. Set aside to cool. 

• Melt the coconut oil in a pan on the hob or a bowl in the microwave for a minute. 

• Mash the banana in a large bowl, then mix in the tahini, maple syrup and coconut oil. Stir well and then weigh the oats in the same bowl. Mix together well. 

• Break up the pecans with your fingers or chop roughly and stir into the mix. 

• Scrape into the lined tin and bake for 20-25 minutes until starting to brown on top. 

• Cool completely before cutting up. 

Nutty banana smoothie

Breakfast today! But this smoothie would also work really well as a healthy mid-afternoon energy boost or post-gym with a spoon of protein powder added. I would probably use whey protein as it has a neutral taste, but if you want to keep the smoothie vegan then use pea protein - it does have a distinct taste though which will change the overall flavour if you use too much!

Ingredients

Protein: ~26–29 g
Fibre: ~5–6 g

Serves 1

• 200ml hazel or any nut milk ( I use Plenish drinks or Rude Health)

• ½ frozen banana

• ½ tbsp chia seeds

• ½ tbsp ground flaxseed

• 1 tbsp oats

• ½ tbsp peanut or any nut butter

• 2 heaped tbsp organic whey or pea protein powder

Method

• Blitz!

Energising blueberry smoothie

Sunny days make me want to drink smoothies, so here’s my spring favourite so far. It’ll give you an energy boost any time of the day as it’s packed with protein, iron and Vitamin C!

Ingredients

Serves 1

• 150g frozen blueberries 

• 20g fresh spinach 

• ½ tbsp chia seeds

• ½ tbsp flaxseeds

• ½ tbsp almond butter

• 250g nut milk

Method

Blitz well and drink!

banana & sunflower muffins

I baked these yesterday as I’m trying to make my daughter’s lunchbox a bit more interesting, but to be honest I’ve eaten more of them than her so far!! They’re basically banana bread in bun form and this is something I struggle to resist! But although they’re a ‘treat’, the sunflower seeds, oats and obviously banana mean they have a decent nutritional content, making them a healthier snack for you or your kids to eat. Always a bonus in my book!

Anyway, it’s a good idea to freeze a few before they get scoffed, so you have some in stock for lunchboxes. Pop a frozen muffin in their pack up and it’ll be defrosted by the lunchtime, so they’re great for those days when your cupboard is empty.

But if you fancy some yourself, then they’re really good for breakfast as they’re sweet, but not too sweet or you might save one as a treat with a cuppa in the afternoon. I’ve just had my second!!

Ingredients

Makes 12 muffins

• 30g sunflower seeds

• 125g soft light brown sugar

• 200g plain flour

• 50g rolled oats, plus ½ tbsp for topping

• 1 tsp bicarbonate of soda

• 1 tsp baking powder

• 200g banana

• 150ml plain yoghurt

• 50ml rapeseed oil

• 2 eggs

• 1 tsp vanilla essence

Method

• Preheat the oven to 180ºc.

• Prepare the muffin tin by putting in paper cups or grease lightly with butter or a spray oil.

• Put the sunflower seeds on a baking tray and toast for 6 minutes in the oven. Set to one side.

• Weigh all the dry ingredients in a large mixing bowl: sugar, flour, oats, bicarbonate of soda and baking powder.

• Put the bananas into the bowl of a mixer and beat for a minute or so until mashed. You can do this with a fork if you don’t have a mixer.

• Add the rest of the wet ingredients to the banana: yoghurt, oil, eggs and vanilla. Mix well.

• Add 20g sunflower seeds to the dry ingredients, stir and then gradually add to the banana mix.

• Beat with the mixer briefly until the ingredients are just combined, don’t over do it or you’ll develop the gluten and have tough muffins. No one wants tough muffins.

• Put about 2 big tbsp of the mix into each cup and then sprinkle with a pinch of oats and the rest of the sunflower seeds.

• Bake in the oven for 25-30 minutes.

tip

• As with most muffins, the paper will stick to them a bit if you eat them warm, but if you can’t wait don’t worry about it, just scrape the casings!

Raspberry, mango & oat smoothie

Ingredients

Protein: ~27–29 g
Fibre: ~7–8 g

Serves 1

• 60g frozen mango

• 20g frozen raspberry

• 20g frozen banana

• 1 tbsp chia seeds

• ½ tbsp flax seed

• 2 tbsp organic whey or pea protein (to provide ~20 g protein)

• 200ml nut milk or organic whole

Method

• Blitz!!

Tip

• Buy bags of frozen fruit to save on the cost, plus they naturally chill your drink down so you dont need to use ice.

• If you’re wondering why there is more mango than raspberry, it’s because the raspberry is a much stronger flavour and it takes over if you don’t balance it out.

Homemade granola

Making your own granola is really quick, easy and way cheaper than buying it off the shelf. You can also add the exact mix of ingredients that you like, so no more disappointing bits of dried pineapple to come across. I’m quite particular about the types of dried fruit I like in granola or muesli, I only really like sultanas, raisins and dates, I’ll tolerate a bit of apricot, but that’s about it! So it’s better to make my own, plus I can also add loads of nuts as they’re always a bit scarce in shop-bought packets.

With this recipe you can pick and choose the ingredients that you like to make your own ‘perfect granola’. Switch the nuts, seeds and fruit if there are others that you prefer; if you stick to these proportions you’ll still get a good balance. Same with the spices and vanilla extract, you don’t have to add them if they’re not your thing, the granola will still taste great.

Ingredients

Makes approx 1kg, or 20 servings

• 400g oats

• 200g raisins, or any dried fruit you prefer

• 100g almonds, hazelnuts, cashews or pecans

• 50g pumpkin seeds

• 50g sunflower seeds

• 40g flax seeds

• ½ tsp cinnamon, optional

• 1 tsp ground ginger, optional

• 2 tsp vanilla essence

• 2 tbsp coconut oil

• 170g runny honey or maple syrup

• 50g desiccated coconut

Method

• Preheat the oven to 160ºc

• Weigh out all the dry ingredients and put all of them, except the desiccated coconut, into a large bowl.

• Put the coconut oil and honey into a pan and gently warm until melted then pour onto the dry ingredients, mix well.

• Tip the granola onto one, or two baking trays so it is a max of about 2 cm deep and place in the oven for 10 minutes.

• Check and turn the mix and put back in the oven for a further 10 minutes, keeping a careful eye on it as you don’t want it to turn too brown. You might need to put it back in for another 5 minutes or so, but watch like a hawk it will suddenly turn! The mix should turn a pale golden colour.

• Serve with Greek yoghurt and homemade fruit compote. Or it work well sprinkled on top of overnight oats or muesli.

superseedy overnight oats

I always think that overnight oats are a nice alternative to porridge as I don’t always fancy a hot breakfast, and they have the bonus of being ready straight away in the morning. You just need to do a little prep the night before. Today I topped with blueberry compote, peanut butter and banana, but there are lots of other options you could try: any kind of fruit compote, chopped nuts or seeds, fresh or dried fruit, desiccated coconut, nut butter or yoghurt.

Ingredients

Makes 4 servings

• 200g oats

• 680ml nut milk or organic whole

• 25g flax seeds

• 25g chia seeds

• 25g sunflower seeds

• 25g pumpkin seeds

Blueberry compote

• 200g frozen blueberries

• 1 tsp honey or maple syrup (optional)

Method

• Mix all the ingredients in a lidded tub and leave in the fridge overnight.

• Gently warm the frozen fruit in a saucepan for about 5 minutes, stirring regularly so the heat is distributed evenly, then add the honey if using. Allow to cool.

• Top with compote, peanut butter, banana and a sprinkle of extra sunflower seeds.

Honey flapjack

Switching golden syrup for honey in flapjacks has been a game-changer for me as the flavour is so much better. I realise that this is a more expensive way of making them, so you could always cut the cost a little by going 50:50. This recipe makes a big tray though, so they will last a while (in theory!). I froze half to: a/ stop me eating it all, b/stop anybody else eating it all so I could save some for packed lunches. That way you have a little stock of sweet treats hidden away when there’s nothing else in the cupboard.

Ingredients

Makes a large 21x32cm tray, but you could halve the ingredients to fit 20x20cm

• 400g unsalted butter

• 400g demerara sugar

• 400g honey

• 800g porridge oats

Method

• Preheat the oven to 180 °c and line the tray with baking parchment.

• Melt the butter, sugar and honey in a large pan, stirring to mix well.

• Add the oats and stir well to combine.

• Scrape the ingredients into the tray and pack down fairly tightly, I use a cake slice to flatten the mix down.

• Bake for 15-20 minutes, you’re looking for a golden colour with slightly browned edges. The flapjack should still feel quite soft when it comes out of the oven if you want it to be chewy not crunchy like me.

  Tip

• If you scrunch the baking parchment into a ball first and then open up it’s much easier to line you tray with it.

• I’ve used demerara sugar to give the flapjacks a little crunch, but you can always switch to normal caster if you don’t have it.

Cashew butter overnight oats with coconut yoghurt & almonds

I discovered a whole new world of breakfast recently when I cut out dairy, wheat & refined sugar. Instead of staggering bleary-eyed to the Alpen every morning, it made me think about alternatives, and I ended up discovering loads of new options that I now really enjoy. I love making overnight oats, especially now its summer as porridge is way too hot.

Ingredients

Serves 3-4

• 120g oats

• 375ml almond milk

• 2 tbsp of cashew butter

• 1 tbsp of chia seeds

• Handful of raisins, about 40g

• Pinch of salt

To serve:

• A dollop of natural yoghurt, or coconut yoghurt)

• Handful of chopped nuts

• Another drizzle of nut butter

Method

• Place the almond milk, nut butter, oats, chia seeds, raisins, maple syrup and salt in a tub that has a lid and mix together well.

• Place the container in the fridge and leave to thicken overnight.