I’m sure I’m not alone in believing that a bowl of porridge for breakfast ticks a legion of health boxes. I weigh my oats to make sure I don’t overdo it, then add flaxseeds, fruit, plant milk and – if I’m really pushing the boat out – a swirl of peanut butter. Delicious, quick, cheap… the perfect way to start the day. Heck, on the rare occasions I manage to persuade my teens to put down the Belvitas and join me in a healthy, filling bowl, I applaud myself on my good parenting.
But – horrors – it seems my oat-based confidence is misplaced. Porridge (plus crumpets and plant-based milks, as well as more obvious baddies such as croissants, waffles and muffins) are part of a list of products that are included in a ban of junk food adverts under new legislation that takes effect in October 2025. The restrictions apply to sugary breakfast cereals including granola, muesli and “porridge oats, including instant porridge and other hot oat-based cereals”. The reason stated is that the products are classified as “less healthy” using a Government scoring system based on salt, fat, sugar and protein content.
It’s easy to understand why ultra-processed items such as ready-made bakes might appear on the banned list – even some (but not all) plant milks contain added sugars and questionable additional compounds to improve taste. But it’s the attack on the humble oat that has baffled nutritionists. ‘This is demonising a whole food group that is really supportive for our health,’ says nutritional therapist Laura Southern of London Food Therapy. “We have an obesity crisis, elevated cholesterol levels and heart disease – and porridge oats are one of the cheapest, easiest foods to put into our diets that can help mitigate all of that.”
So why have oats been singled out?
“There’s a nuance with porridge – you also get instant, sweetened oats; those oats that go in a microwave with flavourings that are high in sugar. While these aren’t necessarily a health food, traditional porridge is a really supportive, nutritious, fibre-rich breakfast food that fills us up and supports our good gut bacteria, as well as reducing cholesterol. To just demonise that as a food group is really short-sighted.”
While high in fibre, oats are a pure carbohydrate and can cause a quick rise in blood sugar. This is why nutritionists recommend adding a source of protein and good fat – think Greek yogurt or milk, peanut butter, nuts and seeds. “In fact, what’s so great about porridge is that it’s a really good carrier for some very nutritious foods that we know support our health,” says Laura. “The danger comes when you start adding in the equivalent amount of honey or maple syrup to your porridge – that’s when it becomes something that’s potentially a bit more damaging to blood sugar and, therefore, overall health.”
Should the guidelines have been worded more carefully? “What they’re talking about in this advertising ban is those types of porridge in the sachets and pots that are really high in sugar,” says nutritionist Rob Hobson, author of Unprocess Your Family Life. “The government is trying to do something really dramatic, as the problem with obesity is so bad. If you start putting caveats around the guidelines, it just isn’t going to work.”
So, fellow oat-lovers, we can – more or less – relax. If you’re eating proper, old-school porridge made with real oats; you’re not drowning your oats in sugar, honey or maple syrup; and you’re not pre-diabetic or diabetic, which means being very careful with carbohydrates, then it’s okay to carry on enjoying them. As Rob says: ‘Porridge is a good source of fibre and makes a great breakfast if you add milk, a good source of protein, and it’s topped with fresh fruit, nuts and seeds. It is not a junk food.”
