Cereal – nutritious, easy and versatile

You’ve heard this part: cereal is a breakfast staple with nutrition punch – a nutrient rich food, delivering vitamins and minerals, often with whole grains and fibre, that is generally low in fat and most have 130 Calories or less per 30g serving.  To make it even better, a cereal breakfast usually includes a half-serving of milk.  And with its easy prep to pour cereal in a bowl, add some milk and enjoy, it’s probably one of the first meals children are allowed to make for themselves!  You know that it comes in so many flavours and textures that everyone in the family is sure to find a favourite …

But have you tried it as an after school or evening snack?  How about with warm milk on a cool morning? How about carrying cereal with you for lunch in a reusable container with a freezable section to keep the milk cold?  Want more options?  Ok:

• There are many cereal bars that can be made when you have a few minutes (oven not necessary!) and enjoyed when you are looking for a breakfast or snack on the go.  Why not Multigrain Cheerios Snack Bars, Take Along Oatmeal Bars, or gluten-free Honey Peanut Butter Bars?
• Cereal adds a something special (and nutritious) to baked goods too, like Fibre 1 Flax Seed Morning Glory Muffins or Cheerios Pumpkin Muffins or Double Chocolate Muffins!
• Love a smoothie?  Make it a meal with some yogurt, fruit and cereal … we did with our Berry Banana Smoothie , Honey Nut Peach Smoothie, and several others!
• Speaking of meals, who says cereal is just for breakfast?  Check out our Lemon Chili Tilapia, or a Layered Chex Mex Casserole, and who doesn’t love Blueberry Pancakes for dinner?
• And of course, Whole Grain Snack Mix, Pumpkin Seed Trail Mix or The Big Game Chex Mix make a delicious and good-for-you snack at the kids’ game or while watching a movie after they’ve gone to bed.