Soooooo… I have a confession to make…
From the time I could ingest solid food, I have been ADDICTED to Cereal.
Now, BEFORE YOU JUDGE ME, who among you does not enjoy a bowl of Honey Nut Cheerios, Frosted Flakes, Cinnamon Toast Crunch, Rice Krispies, Lucky Charms, Raisin Bran (Crunch), Fruit Loops, Cocoa Pebbles, Waffle Crisp, Frosted Mini Wheats, Apple Jacks…
I think most of us can find ourselves somewhere on this list. (Now stop drooling!)
You might say, “What’s the big deal?!”
First, let me explain to you the depths of my obsession.
On any given day, I would eat cereal multiple times a day: First Breakfast, Second Breakfast (yes, I’m a Hobbit), Lunch, Mid-Day Snack, Dinner, Dessert, Late Night Snack, etc.
It was a reward for a job well done on that exam or completion of that project at work.
Happy, sad, bored, anxious, calm, upset, B-Day turn-up, movie night. Cereal was perfect for every occasion.
Those who know me well are aware of my love affair with cereal. It was light work for me to go through a Family Sized box of Honey Bunches of Oats (my personal favorite) in 48 hours. I drove my family and friends crazy eating up all of their cereal stashes when they weren’t looking. During my freshman year of college, instead of receiving care packages of cheap Ramen Noodles from my parents like the rest of the students, they knew to send me cereal instead. And, being in the throes of college stress, I was always elated to receive them.
Nerd Alert! For most of my college days, this was one of my staple T-Shirts:
I thought this play on words was pretty clever! Now, I realize that the joke was on me because CEREAL was actually slowly KILLING me.
Most cereals represent the perfect trifecta of ingredients in the standard American diet:
Wheat, Sugar & Dairy
These “three stooges” are the base for a laundry list of snacks for toddlers, desserts, breakfast items, pasta dishes, etc. But, they also happen to be the leading CAUSE of disease in the developed world. I will go into more detail about the danger of these 3 ingredients in future blogs.
About 4 or 5 years ago now (my, how time flies), I discovered that like most people, I had been long suffering from a wheat sensitivity/intolerance and didn’t know it. Every time, I ingested even a small amount of wheat flour, it wreaked havoc on nearly every system of my body from my skin to my moods.
This meant I HAD to give up my beloved cereal and go GLUTEN. FREE. (Noooooo…the horror…!!! – in my Wicked Witch of The West voice).
Seriously, guys, this was a huge deal for me. For months thereafter, I went through what felt like withdrawals. I even tried “Gluten Free Cereal” but it either tasted like cardboard or still contained processed sugar. UNTIL ONE DAY, I had a clever idea! I decided to make my own healthy version of my coveted snack that eliminates all wheat, sugar & dairy.
This “cereal bowl” is absolutely one of my favorite things to eat. It satisfies my sweet tooth, has a lot of crunch, provides a healthy AND tasty alternative, is easy to make and is much more filling than store-bought cereals. Now, I am sharing it with you!
Fruit and Nut Crunch
Servings: 1
Prep. Time: 5 minutes
Cook Time: 0
# Ingredients: 11
Produce
- 2 or 3 Dates, sliced
- 1 Apple, diced
- 1 Pear, diced
- ⅓ cup Blueberries
- 1 Banana, sliced
Refrigerated
- 1/2 cup Organic Almond Milk, Califia Farms, unsweetened
Spices & Baking
- Cinnamon, a pinch
- Nutmeg, a pinch
- Honey or Date Syrup, drizzle
Nuts & Seeds
- ⅓ cup Almonds
- ⅓ cup Pecans
- ⅓ cup Walnuts
Instructions:
Cut up all fruit, then combine in a bowl with almonds, walnuts and pecans. Top with cinnamon, nutmeg, honey or date syrup (my personal favorite). Pour in almond milk & Enjoy!
Note: You can use sweetened almond milk, any other non-animal fat milk or no milk at all for a dry fruit & nut mix. Feel free to switch out whatever fruits or nuts you prefer. Adjust spice & portions to taste.
I’ve learned that food should not just taste good to you, it should also be good for you. I’ve specifically chosen the above ingredients because they provide a powerhouse of nutritional benefits that help fight Endometriosis & a host of other issues. Let me know if you like this recipe or what personal spin you’ve added to your bowl!!
