I love cereal and I often have a bowl for a snack, but I never find that it does a good job filling me up. Because of this I rarely have cereal for breakfast, assuming that I am going to be hungry in an hour.
Every morning Eric eats a gigantic bowl of Nature’s Path Spelt cereal, chia seeds, and raisins that holds him over for 4-5 hours. I have cereal envy! If I can make it happen, I just may have to design my own custom cereal.
So, this morning I set on a mission to do justice to the cereal bowl…
My mission was to create a bowl of cereal that had the following elements:
- High in protein (over 25 grams)
- High in fibre (over 15 grams)
- Good dose of Omega healthy fats
- Antioxidants
- Fruit
- Super Crunchy texture
- Light sweetness and an array of flavours
Is it possible? And would it hold me over all morning long?
The first thing I did was make a list of the foods that I wanted to include:
- Nature’s Path Spelt Cereal (love this cereal because it’s 100% spelt flour and just 4 grams sugar per serving)
- Raw Buckwheat Groats- For the crunch, protein/fibre + other nutrients
- Eden Organic Soy Milk– I’ve been using this lately for breakfast because it has 12 grams protein per cup! It is also organic, no additives, and uses non-GMO beans. With that said it doesn’t taste great because I got the unsweetened variety.
- Vega Choc-o-lot Protein Powder– I had the fun idea of sprinkling some of my favourite protein powder onto the cereal for an extra vitamin and protein boost.
- Fruit– For light sweetness, texture, and nutrients (Today I used strawberries, kiwi, and raisins)
- Homemade granola– for the insane crunch!
- Sweetened Shredded Coconut– just a pinch on top for sweetness, aroma, and flavour
- Chia seeds– Antioxidants, protein, fibre, healthy fats, calcium, iron, etc.
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High Protein & High Fibre Cereal
Staple Ingredients:
- 1 cup Nature’s Path Spelt cereal (or cereal of choice)
- 1/4 cup buckwheat groats (soaked overnight, drained, rinsed) *See note below
- 1 tbsp chia seeds
- 1/2-1 teaspoon (not tbsp like I wrote prior) chocolate protein powder (I used Vega choc-o-lot)
- 1.25 cup high-protein non-dairy milk (I used Eden organic soy with 12 grams PRO per cup)
Before I even poured the bowl, I calculated the nutrition info to see if it was where I wanted it to be. After a couple tweaks, I was able to come up with one powerhouse cereal bowl.
Nutritional Info Per basic Bowl (above):
- 532 kcals
- 15 grams fat (1 gram sat fat, mostly healthy fats)
- 222 mg sodium
- 75 grams carbs
- 15 grams fibre
- 9 grams sugar (cereal and protein powder)
- 28 grams protein
Now add on your desired toppings!
I added:
- ~ 1/2 tbsp Raisins
- ~1 tbsp Granola (I used my favourite granola)
- A pinch of Sweetened coconut shreds
- Fruit to equal 1/2 cup (I used 3 strawberries and 1/2 kiwi)
Buckwheat Note: Apparently, raw buckwheat groats can cause GI discomfort in some people Please proceed with caution when using! Toasted buckwheat (Kasha) might be a better option for some.
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The chocolate protein powder was fun! I’ve never had it on cereal before but I loved the chocolaty and sweet flavour it brought to this bowl.
I also loved the combination of chia seeds, protein powder, soy milk, spelt flakes, and buckwheat. The chia seeds created a doughy VOO mixture at the bottom of the bowl that I loved. This was probably one of the most satisfying bowls of cereal I have had in a while. It was SO flavourful and had so many amazing textures!
But how long will it hold me over? I have my doubts, but time will tell. I’ll be sure to report my findings. :)
Are you a cereal fan?
It’s funny how different we people are. :) I find that mysli + soy yoghurt (specially if “soaked” overnight) holds me over best, but cereal is a close second. I usually eat this quinoa cereal, which has a good amount of fiber and protein: http://www.urtekram.com/productdetails1/prodcat//1115/quinoa_flakes_organic_375_g/ – and add some seeds and fresh berries or fruit for sweetness.
I hardly ever eat oatmeal in the morning, because I find that I’m hungry again in an hour when I do. I wonder why this happens, as so many people seem to find oatmeal the most satisfying breakfast food..? :)
By the way, beautiful picture of your cereal!
I love cereal too but I have the same problem. I eat it as a snack. I was shocked at the amount of carbs in your cereal bowl! Don’t you think that is way too much carbs for breakfast?
No I don’t think that is too many carbs, especially when you look at the proportion of fat/fibre/and protein along with it. I think that is a balanced bowl. I workout in the morning and the carbs are burned off all day long. Carbs are not a bad thing…especially when whole grain. :)
Great cereal! I love spelt cereal, and am excited to change it up. Thanks!
Great way to start the day!
This looks AMAZING and I, too, love cereal. I am inspired by your site and your food philosophy. I have adopted a plant based diet over the past 6 months but have noticed that I have trouble keeping my weight in check. I started tracking my food and saw that I was eating an inordinate amount of fat (even though it was good) and carbohydrates. The calories are higher than anything I have previously eaten. I exercise 4 days a week. Any suggestions as to how I can keep weight in check and incorporate this amazing cereal and the avocado pasta on a weekly basis…?