ALPRO #DESKFEST CHALLENGE

This week I took part in the Deskfest challenge with Alpro, to try and work Alpro milks and yoghurts into 3 healthy breakfasts. As I mentioned in my previous post, I'm not a huge fan of breakfast, so the idea of rustling something up that is a bit more special than the usual toast and butter appealed to me in a big way! I wanted to really experiment with this and see what I could come up with (apart from one of the days when I just didn't have time. That extra ten minutes in bed meant I didn't have time for anything more than cereal. Oops) yet keep things realistic for the amount of time we have to spare in the mornings before rushing off to work. I also wanted to keep in mind the title of the challenge, and think of things that could easily be eaten at the desk when mornings are too hectic for breakfast before leaving the house. Here were my three #deskfest meals...

Day 1:
Hazelnut Milk Pancakes

I made these at the weekend so I did cheat a little here, but these were really quick to make (we're talking a matter of minutes) and tasted delicious hot or cold, so would be a great idea to pack up in a lunch box with some fruit and syrup on a week day. Instead of using regular milk, I opted for the Hazelnut milk instead which gave a really nice flavour to the pancakes. Here's how I made them:

Ingredients: (makes 8 - 10 medium pancakes)
1 Cup of Plain Flour
2 Tbsp Sugar
2 Tsp Baking Powder
1/2 Tsp Salt
1 Cup of Alpro Hazelnut Milk
1 Whole Egg + 1 Egg Yolk - lightly beaten
1 1/2 Tsp Vegetable Oil

Directions:
Sift together all the dry ingredients in a bowl (flour, sugar, baking powder and salt) and make a well in the middle. Pour in all the remaining ingredients and beat with a wooden spoon. The mixture will be slightly lumpy (as pictured).
Lightly oil a heavy based frying pan or griddle pan. Once hot, pour a large spoon of the batter onto the pan. Once the surface of the pancake is bubbling, flip it over and cook until golden on both sides. Et voila!

Day 2:
Granola with Yogurt

This was the day I was in a huge rush, but luckily I had my new favourite cereal, Lizi's Granola, and a carton of Alpro Vanilla Pouring Yogurt to hand. This yogurt has a lovely vanilla taste that went perfectly with the granola, and this was my favourite product from the Alpro range I received so I will definitely be stocking up on this!

Day 3:

Strawberry & Banana Smoothie
The final day of my challenge called for something ultra healthy and refreshing, so I decided to whip up a quick smoothie. I can't actually remember what quantities went into this so I will give you a rough guide as to how it's made, but I pretty much threw this together in seconds and it tasted lovely! Strawberries are my absolute favourite fruit so this was my highlight of the challenge by far!

Ingredients:
Handful of Strawberries, washed and halved
1 Banana, peeled and chopped
1 Cup of Alpro Plain Pouring Yogurt

Drizzle of Honey
Ice Cubes

All you need to do is whizz this together in a liquidiser or blender and Bob's your uncle! This is something you could easily rustle up in the morning and pop in a travel flask or bottle with a couple of ice cubes to keep you going until lunchtime. I'm already thinking of different flavour combinations for this, and even considered making this will the Alpro Almond Milk for a thinner texture!

----

So those were my three Deskfest breakfasts incorporating Alpro products into my diet for 3 days. It's definitely inspired me and my family to think of healthier choices when it comes to breakfasts (My dad has already restocked on Hazelnut milk for his cereal!) and has introduced me to a range of products that I have never tried before. 

Let me know if you've done the challenge! I'd love to see your breakfast recipes.

What would you make with Alpro milks and pouring yogurts?