No Such Thing
Is there such a thing as a Healthy Breakfast Cereal? Breakfast can be a challenge for most people. Mornings are rushing around and most times it’s a grab and go situation or perhaps instant oats at your desk while checking your email. I often hear patients telling me that they eat a “healthy cereal” that contains grains and low sugar. I have yet to find a healthy processed breakfast cereal. My suggestion is to look at the grams of carbohydrates per serving and if it’s under 23g, then it’s within a low glycemic range.[tweetthis] The problem with most packaged cereals is they are so processed that the carbs are too high and that will just spike your blood sugar levels. [/tweetthis]You don’t want this if you want to lose or maintain weight or if you want to stay alert and energized throughout the day.
Healthy Alternative
I’m always looking for good breakfast options that can be made in advance or easily prepared in the morning. This one is from my friend Toni who is an expert when it comes to healthy food options. The great thing about this is it can be made in advance and then you can just grab and go in the morning. Hope you enjoy it.
Kasha (another name for buckwheat groats) is a pseudocereal, which means it’s more of a seed than a grain. It’s gluten-free, higher in protein than cereal grains (like wheat, oats, and rice), and is considered an “ancient grain” having avoided the selective breeding of big agriculture. It’s pretty much the same food as it was a hundred years ago.
Prep Time: 3 min Cook Time: 40 min Total Time: 34 min
Yields: 6
Ingredients
- 3 cups raw buckwheat groats
- ½ cup raw almond butter
- ½ cup chopped raw pecans
- ½ cup raw pumpkin seeds (pepitas)
- 2 tablespoons REAL maple syrup or raw honey (optional)
- ½ teaspoon cinnamon
- pinch of sea salt
- ½ cup unsweetened dried fruit of your choice (optional)
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 300 degrees
- Spread raw buckwheat groats across a large cookie sheet and bake for about 40 minutes, shuffling them around about halfway through, until slightly golden
- Mix all other ingredients in a large bowl as best you can
- Immediately out of the oven, stir in warm toasted groats into the bowl until everything is evenly distributed (the heat from the groats will soften the nut butter and allow it to coat everything nicely)
- Let cool to room temperature
- Place in a tightly sealed glass storage container and store in the fridge
Notes
This recipe is super versatile — you can switch out almond butter for your favorite nut butter, trade the seeds and nuts for other varieties, and play with the amount of maple syrup you use to vary the sweetness. Enjoy Kasha Krunch with milk, yogurt, or as a dry snack.
Enjoy.
Donna
