Breakfast recipes

Date and walnut breakfast muffins with cinnamon streusel

These muffins could be filled with any variety of fruit or dried fruit and nuts. The secret is to make them quickly and to avoid over-mixing. If you do over-mix, the muffin goes rather chewy and tough, so just fold the wet ingredients into the dry until they are just combined and then pop them into the oven. These muffins contain only a small amount of sugar. I think the dates add enough sweetness. By all means add a bit extra if you prefer a sweeter muffin with your morning cup of coffee. Wholesome and nutritious, these muffins make a great breakfast if you are "on the go", to have as a snack before a lunchtime workout, or to serve as part of a Sunday brunch with butter and honey.

Smoked salmon and scrambled eggs on wholemeal drop scones

These little drop scones are as light as a feather and take moments to make. Using wholemeal flour instead of refined white flour, they are a healthier and more sustaining version of the traditional drop scone, or scotch pancake, and are equally good with sweet or savoury accompaniments. Try them with smoked salmon and scrambled eggs for a special and nutritious weekend brunch treat.

Devilled tomatoes on toast

This is a really satisfying breakfast... and quick to prepare. The tomatoes and the wholemeal toast have a really low G.I. and so will release energy to your bloodstream slowly and gradually; the tomatoes are brimming with nutrients, including vitamin C, vitamin A and B and minerals such as niacin, riboflavin, magnesium, phosphorous and calcium. They are also a good source of fibre and the antioxidant lycopene (good for fighting disease). You can play around with the ingredients to make the tomatoes as hot and spicy as you fancy, but this is how I like it...

Eggs Florentine

For some reason spinach and eggs make the most delicious combination. Eggs Florentine is traditionally covered with a double cream or a Mornay sauce. This lighter, lower fat version uses crème fraiche, and as a breakfast dish, is a little easier on the stomach. Although it looks a really elegant dish, it only takes minutes to prepare. Pop it in the oven and sit and read the Sunday paper for 10 minutes while it is cooking. Scoop up the juices with some wholemeal or granary toast. Drink a glass of freshly squeezed orange juice with it to get the full benefit of the iron from the spinach, as vitamin C really helps your body absorb iron.

Go faster porridge with blueberries, toasted walnuts and honey

This is my fail-safe breakfast if I have got a big day ahead. You can guarantee that I will always have this breakfast on the morning of a marathon. The oats have a very low G.I., meaning that the carbohydrate is released into your bloodstream slowly and therefore will sustain your energy levels and help prevent those 11 o'clock food cravings. What's more, studies show that a bowl of porridge can lower cholesterol. If I am running, I will always make my porridge with water only as it is lighter on the stomach. It is important that you use whole rolled porridge oats; they are less refined, more nutritious and they taste better - sweet and nutty. Pop the walnuts in the oven while you cook the porridge and you will be sitting down to breakfast within 10 minutes.

Breton buckwheat pancakes with ham and cheese

Despite its name, buckwheat, or sarrasin, is a member of the rhubarb family and has absolutely nothing to do with wheat. It is naturally gluten-free and has a deliciously sweet, nutty flavour. It is traditionally used in Brittany in "galettes au sarrasin", or buckwheat pancakes. Breton galettes can be filled with any number of fillings. You could try this recipe with traditional savoury fillings - slices of brie, goats' cheese, smoked salmon, caramelized onions or eggs, but I think they are also delicious with sweet fillings - bananas and syrup is one of my favourites. The Bretons not only tend to make their galettes with dry Breton cider rather than milk and water, but they also wash them down with a few glasses of the delicious nectar. By all means try this, but not if you are about to go to the gym or run a half-marathon. This is my non-alcoholic breakfast version.

Buckwheat is a very good source of manganese, magnesium and dietary fibre. It contains flavenoids and good quality protein and is said to control blood sugar levels. It certainly keeps you full of energy for hours. As with traditional pancakes, the batter is lighter if you leave it to rest for a while.

Hot oatcakes with strawberries and minted maple syrup

These ultra-light little oatcakes make a delightful, quick, easy and balanced breakfast, containing protein, slow-burning carbohydrate, vitamins, calcium, minerals and fibre. A fantastic start to the day if you plan to do exercise or if you have a big day ahead of you. The mint in the maple syrup makes it slightly less sweet and is the perfect accompaniment to the strawberries. I sometimes warm the syrup and the strawberries together in a pan for a moment before pouring over the oatcakes.