While I adore almost everything about June, there is a brief window, round about now, where I get flashbacks to my childhood PE lessons. That’s right, folks: it is sports day season. And while I love cheering on my own kids (and trying to calm my inner Julia from Motherland), as a kid I hated it with a passion. I was not remotely sporty, but I have tried to quieten those hangups and encourage my girls as best I can. And the one thing I can do, confidently, is give them a nutritious breakfast.
Which leads me on to one of the big food topics on everyone’s lips, whatever your age: what are we eating before we work out? If social media is anything to go by (and it really shouldn’t be, or with caution at least), we should all max out on protein. But what’s the workout rule of thumb: carbs before and protein after? And what is high-energy food anyway?
In a nutshell, the best foods to eat before any form of exercise are those that are easy to digest and provide a steady source of energy – we’re looking for slow-releasing carbohydrates, essentially. And, after exercise, a hit of protein helps to rebuild muscle. But the distinction isn’t absolute: both snacks and full meals will benefit from a blend of both. Essentially, eat something balanced and nutritious, and you’ll be fine.
One of the most popular slow-releasing breakfast carbs has to be porridge, as indeed is any oaty start to the day. I’m a big fan of using a combination of pinhead oats and rolled oats for porridge, and cooking it low and slow, just like Felicity Cloake: it gives you an intensely creamy porridge with a wonderful texture. Add a little chopped banana, and you have a breakfast of champions. If time isn’t on your side, a quicker porridge, such as Anna Jones’s chocolate rye porridge with quick honey pears, would be glorious, as would Clare Thomson’s super-simple, kid-friendly apple and cinnamon porridge. Now that I think of it, that would be a great sports day breakfast.
If you’re not a sweet breakfast person, Nigel Slater’s baked croissants with ham and cheese are excellent, plus you could prep them the night before and bake in the morning; and maybe even throw some dark, leafy greens in there for good measure. If you’re in a rush, Victor Liong’s omelette-roti hybrid pancakes are a revelation – they’re so good, in fact, that I rarely save them just for breakfast, and they’re a go-to at any time of day whenever I need a quick flavour-packed meal. For the ultimate savoury, slow-releasing carb fix, though, you can’t get much more nutritious than ful medames, the classic Egyptian breakfast that is completely plant-based. My recipe of choice uses tinned British fava beans for a speedy but nutrient-rich start to the day – switch to wholemeal pitta on the side, and perhaps a soft-boiled egg or a little crumbled feta on top, if you want a hit of protein. Another great plant-based option before a workout is scrambled tofu and, as always, Felicity Cloake has the best method for this.
If you’re a breakfast avoider, but still want to give your workout your all, you could always go for a smoothie – before, after or both. That way, you’re in complete control of what you add: I love a banana, oat, date and cinnamon number before I work out, or something along the lines of Anna Jones’s “friendly” green smoothie. And remember, stay hydrated throughout, line up that protein for afterwards, and don’t be that parent on the playing field.
My week in food
Sweet reads | Chocolat, by Joanne Harris, made a huge impact on me when it was first published in 1999. I loved the book, then the film, and have read it again and again. So I was thrilled when I discovered that Harris has a prequel, Vianne, about how she became the woman she is: a chocolatier, a free spirit, a mother. And I am captivated.
Bag a biscuit | As a huge fan of the Marshmallowist, I was giddy when I found out they had collaborated with Fortnum & Mason in London to create a huge, wagon wheel-style biscuit called the Whoppalossus. You can find these mammoth biscuits-in-a-tin at the new Biscuitorium on Fortnum’s famous ground floor. There is a biscuit counter, biscuits to dip in wine and even a biscuit library, where you can select from 12 different flavour profiles. They only release a small amount of Whoppalossuses each day, however, so get there early if you want to bag one.
A Mediterranean moment | Zylia, the new Greek and Cypriot restaurant from Nick Molyviatis and Barry Karacostas. While Greece is definitely having a moment on the restaurant, cookbook and general food scene, it’s wonderful to see Cyprus represented there, too. To think that the two countries’ food is the same would be doing both cultures a disservice. There are countless similarities and crossovers, but we each have our own specific recipes, and Zylia celebrates those. Sheftalia (a fat, plump, sausage-like grill made with cinnamon-laced pork mince wrapped in caul fat and cooked over charcoal), whole grilled halloumi and tsakistes are classic Cypriot dishes that make me think of my yiayia’s kitchen.