7 healthy and homemade cold cereal recipes to try that kick that addictive and toxic boxed breakfast cereal habit to the curb!
When adopting a traditional diet for the first time, one of the most difficult processed foods to ditch for all eternity is boxed breakfast cereal.
This stuff is highly addictive! Have you noticed?
The processing necessary to manufacture the flakes, puffs, etc is called extrusion.
It is such a violent manufacturing method that the proteins in the cereal become completely denatured.
They can no longer be fully digested as the warped form of the molecules are completely unrecognizable to the digestive system.
In other words, there are no matching enzymes to metabolize processed cereal fully as would occur with whole foods.
This digestive gap leaves plentiful food for pathogens in the gut to feed on and grow.
Denatured food is also a recipe for the development of food allergies or more serious autoimmune digestive disorders.
Thus, even brands that are organically certified and contain just a few whole ingredients must be avoided!
It’s not just about the ingredients. The processing matters just as much!
Fortunately, there are a number of ways to make cold breakfast cereal yourself that is healthy and satisfying.
You won’t experience the addictive response when you eat these cereals. The result is that you will notice that you eat much less.
This indicates that the nutrition in these homemade cereals is readily available to the body, unlike ultra-processed versions.
I’ve summarized the six recipes I use regularly below along with the processed brand it most closely mimics.
Give them a try if you’re having trouble breaking free of the addictive boxed breakfast cereal habit.
Homemade Corn Flakes
This DIY corn flakes recipe is probably the one I make the most frequently. It’s also perhaps the easiest to make if you have a hankering for a quick bowl!
The picture above is from my most recent batch.
It mimics the taste and texture of Kellogg’s Corn Flakes very well….without all the nasty GMO ingredients and dangerous mineral fortification.
Healthy Rice Krispies
If someone in your family loves the texture of puffed rice, this homemade Rice Krispies recipe is worth a try.
If you are especially inventive, you can even use the results to make healthy rice krispie bars with homemade marshmallow!
Note that I use white long grain rice for this recipe. Brown rice will not work well at all.
Oats & Honey
Try this homemade oats & honey cereal if you are gluten-free or just need a hot weather alternative to a bowl of soaked and cooked oatmeal.
I particularly enjoy this cereal with sliced bananas on top.
Homemade Wheaties or “All Bran”
This homemade “wheaties” recipe is sweetened with fruit instead of sugar.
The flour is soaked using a dairy-free method as well.
This is the first cold breakfast cereal I ever made for my family many years ago that is still a big hit!
Homemade Raisin Bran
This recipe for homemade raisin bran is similar to the wheaties recipe above.
The difference is that the flour is soaked in yogurt and maple syrup is used as the whole sweetener instead of fruit.
The different soaking method seems to work better for replicating the flavor of commercial Raisin Bran with a healthy alternative.
Gluten-free Cinnamon Crunch
This recipe for homemade cinnamon crunch is yummy as cereal with milk or just eating dry as a snack.
Grain-free and sweetened with honey, it works for diets that eliminate disaccharide sugars and grains to heal the gut.
I made this recipe years ago before realizing that cooking honey is an unhealthy practice.
Thus, it would be a good idea to substitute date syrup or drizzle in the honey at the table instead.
Peanut Butter Cookie Cereal (grain-free)
This delicious recipe for homemade peanut butter cookie cereal is my most recent creation.
It is crunch-a-liciously perfect in a bowl with milk or stirred into yogurt (my favorite).
Reminiscent of granola in flavor and texture, this recipe is grain-free with optional added sweetener.
Too many carbs. I will stay away from these.
There are a couple low carb options in there too!
I love this idea and have actually never read recipes for homemade cereals before. I’m a therapist and often discuss the benefit of healthy habits with my clients. Often, healthier foods can be inconvenient or more time consuming. I love that these recipes make healthy eating simple and convenient. Thanks for these ideas.
Why not make one from PORK RINDS??!?!
Wet them slightly, dip them in sweetener and then pour milk over them!
High protein, high fat, high thiamine! Win win win!
Yum. I’m going to try all your cereals! The one thing I miss from the old days is commercial cereal – Wheaties, Cheerios and Shredded Wheat – not the sugar-laden ones though.