Fruit Loops Grain Free Breakfast Cereal

I loved cereal growing up. My dad and I would sit down to Corn Pops or Frosted Flakes and he would pass me the whole milk and sugar. Blissfully, we would sit there and eat cereal. On days when it was just me, I would take the box, milk jug and bowl into the living room in front of the tv. It’s there that I would normally polish off the milk and cereal. I think back on that and shudder just a little. Some of my other faves were Reese’s Peanut Butter Cup, Lucky Charms (marshmallows eaten first), fruit loops, Frosted Cheerios (with added sugar), Raisin Bran Crunch and many others.

These are obviously bad choices because of the amount of sugar and simple carbohydrates which skyrocket bloodsugar. But what about the healthy ones, you ask. Well, as I always say, let’s look at the ingredients!

Let’s look at “Organic Raisin Bran” from Cascadian Farm

INGREDIENTS: ORGANIC WHEAT BRAN WITH OTHER PARTS OF WHEAT, ORGANIC RAISINS, NATURALLY MILLED ORGANIC SUGAR, ORGANIC CANE SYRUP, SEA SALT, ORGANIC MALT SYRUP, SOY LECITHIN (AN EMULSIFIER), IRON AND ZINC (MINERAL NUTRIENTS), VITAMIN C (SODIUM ASCORBATE), A B VITAMIN (NIACINAMIDE), A B VITAMIN (CALCIUM PANTOTHENATE), VITAMIN A (ACETATE),A B VITAMIN (FOLIC ACID), VITAMIN B6 (PYRIDOXINE HYDROCHLORIDE), VITAMIN B1 (THIAMIN MONONITRATE), VITAMIN D (CHOLECALCIFEROL), VITAMIN E (MIXED TOCOPHEROLS) ADDED TO RETAIN FRESHNESS. CONTAINS WHEAT INGREDIENTS.

Now….Raisin Bran from Kelloggs

WHOLE GRAIN WHEAT, RAISINS, WHEAT BRAN, SUGAR, HIGH FRUCTOSE CORN SYRUP,
CONTAINS TWO PERCENT OR LESS OF SALT, MALT FLAVORING, INVERT SUGAR, NIACINAMIDE,
REDUCED IRON, PYRIDOXINE HYDROCHLORIDE (VITAMIN B6), ZINC OXIDE, RIBOFLAVIN
(VITAMIN B2), THIAMIN HYDROCHLORIDE (VITAMIN B1), VITAMIN A PALMITATE, FOLIC
ACID, VITAMIN D, VITAMIN B12

I don’t know about you, but all I see is roughly 4 different kinds of sugars along with wheat and added vitamins to replace the ones that were naturally occurring that were lost during processing. And if you were to argue, Kim, isn’t Organic cereal better than that other stuff? My answer would be unequivocally NO. I do not think processed grains in a box is good for you wallet (current price of Cascadian Farm Raisin Bran=$4.99!!) or your waistline.

If you must have cold cereal (like I had this morning) I suggest giving this a whirl….

Fruit Loops Cereal

Ingredients:

Almond Milk or Light Coconut Milk

Slivered almonds

chopped walnuts

Pumpkin seeds

1 tablespoon Chia seeds

Goji Berries

Blueberries

Strawberries

Blackberries

Raspberries

Cinnamon

Directions:

Put all ingredients in your most favorite cereal bowl, mix together and devour!! It’s DELICIOUS! It tastes just like Fruit Loops. Tucan Sam would be proud of this one! I had it for breakfast and dinner today ;0)