Ahhh, cereal, the great unifier. When life gets hectic (which it often is) or even when you just want a sweet quick treat, grain is a go-to for most of us. It’s quick and easy to “prepare,” and most of the time, it’s fortified, so it’s packing a vitamin and nutrient-dense punch considering what it is. But, beyond a bowl with whatever type of milk you prefer, there are so many more ways to get your fill of the good stuff. Let’s explore some fun and exciting ways to eat more cereal.
1. As Decoration
With hundreds of shows and youtube channels dedicated solely to over-the-top dessert baking and decorating, why not use cereal as an accessory the next time you’re creating a cake masterpiece? You can completely smash the cereal to a fine powder and decorate everything from cupcakes to macarons, or you can leave them whole and artfully place them atop cakes and bars. With so many cereals coming in bright, fun colors and deliciously sweet flavors, this will not only be a visual delight but a tasty one as well. So, ditch the store-bought sprinkles and beads and utilize cereal as the new “cherry on top.”
2. As the Main Ingredient
We all got so excited growing up when our mothers made Rice Krispy Treats. Though this dessert had only a few ingredients and took her no time to whip together, the thrill of seeing them being made was enough to make the minutes pass like hours as we waited for our first bite. But, we’re not limited to Rice Krispies anymore. You can make sweet cereal bars with any of your favorite cereals and get creative with it too. Adding more ingredients like dark cacao nibs, healthy nuts like almonds or tiger nuts can even make your bars become more a healthy snack than a dessert. Have fun with it. The best part? When you bake bars like this, they freeze super quickly, so double batch it and have a sweet treat ready on hand to be defrosted and enjoyed again later.
3. Drink It!
Since childhood, for many of us, the best part of a bowl of cereal was finishing the physical cereal and then holding the bowl to our lips and guzzling down the flavored milk. So much so that spoons that doubled as straws were invented for this purpose. Thankfully, cereal lovers got creative over the decades, and now you can make delightful alcoholic (or virgin if you prefer) drinks flavored by, you guessed it, cereals. A guy even came up with a process of making Fruit Loop flavored tea by mashing the cereal and filling empty tea bags with it, and steeping in milk. A quick online search of how to make a cereal-infused drink will supply you with a treasure trove of ideas; just pick your favorite cereal and go for it. These would be a massive hit for the adults attending a children’s birthday party, just saying.
4. Salad Tossing
Cereal in a salad? Say it isn’t so… Oh, yes it is; and it is delicious! Next time you’re making a salad (even if you have croutons in the pantry), try an unsweetened cereal like Chex or Corn Flakes as a crouton substitute. You’d be amazed at how good it tastes, and the difference in texture when you’re used to the breadiness of a crouton is a real treat.
5. Granola
Granola almost seems like a given, but we’d be remiss not to add it to the list. Granola is one of the most nutrient-dense snacks you can have in your pantry. Especially right now in the summer months, as we’re all doing a ton of traveling, making your own granola just makes sense. Choose a healthy whole-grain cereal and get creative with how you want to sweeten it. Or choose not to sweeten it at all. Some perfect ingredients to complement cereal granola are things like pepitas, raisins, cacao nibs, macadamia nuts. You can really get creative here and add whatever you want to. In fact, your granola may taste so good that you’ll start a new hobby of making granola often and who knows, you could sell it at your local farmers market one day.
The reality is, cereal, mainly not overly processed and sugared cereals are a great source of several essential vitamins and nutrients we need. Not to mention they have a solid potential to lower your harmful cholesterol levels and stave off certain diseases, like cardiovascular disease. It’s worth finding a cereal or two that you love and making them a part of your regular eating routines. So, get creative with your different ways of eating cereal and hopefully get on a path to a healthier lifestyle at the same time!
Article Submitted By Community Writer
