If you are looking for an easy breakfast, or maybe you are new to the slimming world diet, you might be wondering if you can have a porridge pot for a quick breakfast, or do you have to syn it on the plan?
Most porridge pots do have syns on the slimming world plan since they are often flavoured with added ingredients, syns vary between brands but you can expect the average pot to have between 7.5 and 12.5 syns, making them very high.
We've put together a short informational syn guide below which will discuss why porridge pots are so high in syns, different syn values, which porridge is syn-free and some alternatives for an easy breakfast.
With anything between 7.5 and 12.5 syns, porridge pots are very high in syns, which might shock you for a healthy breakfast. Porridge pots get their high syns from the flavourings and added sugar in the pots, choosing a pot over a sachet also has a bigger portion size, meaning extra calories and syns.
For example, the Quakers oats golden syrup porridge pot has a serving size of 57g which is around 10g over the standard 45g portion, it also has up to 16g of sugar in one pot.
You should also consider that porridge pots typically contain milk powder, which adds calories, allowing you to just add hot water for easy preparation.
As we mentioned above, porridge pots have a wide range of syns according to the brand, size and flavour, to help you compare and find some syn-friendly options we've listed a few popular values down below.
If your looking for a syn-free porridge on the slimming world plan, no porridge is syn-free, but you can use porridge oats up to 45g as your healthy extra B which is your fibre allowance on the plan, anything over this will need to be synned.
To keep oats syn free you can also use up to 125ml of semi-skimmed milk as your healthy extra A dairy allowance or simply make your porridge with water, topping with sweetener and berries to keep the porridge syn free.
If you are looking for a porridge pot you can use as your healthy extra B, make sure they are plain oats with no added flavourings or milk, they should also be within 45g or simply add up the excess syns.
If you find porridge pots to be too high in syns, we've got lots of other low-syn alternatives for you to check out below if you are a porridge lover in the morning.
Overall, porridge pots are very high in syns, having between 7-12 syns, this is due to the large portion size and flavourings which add extra sugar and calories to the porridge. These pots often contain milk powder too. In order to save syns, we recommend choosing either sachets which have a smaller portion size or using 45g of plain oats as your healthy extra B.
Syn values are calculated using a formula based on calories, saturated fat and sugar content per serving. They’re not the same as calories — a product can be low in calories but higher in syns if it’s high in sugar or fat. Always check the official Slimming World app for the most accurate and up-to-date syn values.
Yes. When manufacturers reformulate their products, the syn value can go up or down. This is why we recommend double-checking with the Slimming World app or your consultant, especially if a product’s packaging has changed recently.
Most Slimming World members work with 5 to 15 syns per day. Your consultant will advise on the right amount for you. The key is to use your syns on the things you enjoy most — whether that’s a chocolate bar, a glass of wine, or a packet of crisps.
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