There are plenty of those folks who will tell you, “Oh, no…I don’t miss ANYTHING from my non-Paleo days!” Not this girl. I mean, there’s a lot of stuff I just don’t really care about anymore (bread, for example…which is totally insane because there was a period of my life when a hunk of bread with butter or jam or cheese and a glass of milk was literally all I ate for every meal of the day…and I wondered why I was anemic…). And then there are those occasional cravings I get for the most random stuff–pizza, pancakes, CAKE–but after a few years I’ve gotten pretty good at either Paleo-ifying said dishes or at least imitating the flavors and textures of my old favorites.
Oh, but then there’s cereal. There’s something about stumbling out of bed in the wee hours of the morning, grabbing the box, dumping a mound of bran flakes in a bowl, and smothering it with ice cold milk. For the most part, Paleo “cereals” just don’t do it for me…they’re almost always nut-based and more granola than cereal. You have to understand, I’m partial to flake or puff-like cereals like your Raisin Bran, Reese’s Peanut Butter Puffs, Special K, Honey Nut Cheerios, Oh’s…you get the idea. Since I’ve been dabbling with the higher carb Perfect Health Diet protocol lately, I’ve thought about trying some organic rice-based cereals, but for one I have yet to find one that’s not either brown rice based or full of wacky additives (the second ingredient on Chocolate Chex is corn syrup) and for another I’m not as crazy about white rice as a carb source because it’s so devoid of nutrients. OK, sorry…that’s another conversation completely. So, cereal.
I’ve been playing around with some different stuff, trying to come up with something fast, easy, and with good texture. And then I got a little artsy-fartsy and made The Cereal Matrix.
All you gots ta do is pick an item(s) from each column to build your cereal. Boom. It’s kinda fun, and in the process I made some good ones–like my recipe for Carrot Cake Cereal. Kind’ve a big deal. But if that’s not your bag of chips, try some bananas. Get wacky and add some exotic dried fruit (or veggies! I won’t judge!). Can’t eat nuts? Don’t add nuts. On a Whole30 or 21DSD? Nix the sweetener. Did you think of something awesome not listed on The Matrix? Add it anyway! (And share in the comments!) Democracy is fun 
And now for my personal best of the weekend…
- 1 Large Carrot, grated
- ¼ c Raisins
- ¼ c Diced Pineapple
- ¼ c Slivered Almonds
- 2 T Unsweetened Coconut
- 1 T Maple Syrup (nix if you’re on the Whole30 or 21DSD)
- Pinch Salt
- Pinch Cinnamon
- ¼ t Vanilla
- Milk of Choice
- Mix everything up in a cereal bowl.
- Top with milk of choice.
- Dig in!
This is a great resource, and I love carrot cake! I will definitely be trying this recipe soon. Thank you for sharing!
This is great! I’ve been getting a little tired of eggs or leftovers for breakfast. Going to give your cereal matrix a try.
What a great idea!!!!
Amazing idea, I’ve been doing something similar but also adding some pressed cottage cheese for the added protein (the pressed one doesn’t have any of the crap that the regular cottage cheese in a tub has, just milk and bacteria). That carrot recipe will be happening in the near future!
This is genius! The carrot idea is great! I just did raspberries, chopped prunes, grated carrot, coconut flakes, maple syrup, cinnamon, vanilla, nutmeg, salt with coconut milk. yum!
I made this the day you posted it and have continued to make it weekly ever since because it is so good! I haven’t tried ‘”carrot cake” yet but can’t wait to. My favorite combo so far is butternut squash cubes warmed in the oven, then topped with banana, dried cranberries, a mix of toasted nuts (pecans are the best!), coconut flakes, maple syrup, cinnamon, vanilla, sea salt, and coconut milk. I like it best a little warm. Thanks!