A confession & a solution to a serious addiction…

I need to be honest here.  I’ve never in my life been a binge eater however once my recent cut ended there was a period of about 4-5 days that I went a totally overboard in the cereal department.  I use the term “binge” here lightly and only 1/2 serious because while I know I went slightly crazy, I certainly knew exactly what I was doing, didn’t feel bad or guilty about it, did what I did and moved on from it, and was mindful in my intake for the rest of the day.  However, once I wrapped up my cut, call it being on poverty macros too long, but I would literally eat 3, 4, or 5 HUGE bowls of any cereal I could get my hands on at one time.  I remember dropping my kids off at school in the morning and I would stop at the market just to buy cereal.  Chocolate Chex, Cinnamon Toast Crunch, Kashi Go Lean, Rice Krispies, Pops, Lucky Charms, Frosted Flakes, Cookie Crisp, Honey Smacks… you name the cereal, I wanted it.  I have no idea what it is about cereal, but it’s always been one of my favorite foods in the world (next to hamburgers of course and I actually consider both food groups haha).  If I didn’t stop myself in the heat of moment with a freshly opened package of cereal, I could probably finish off a whole box in one sitting and not think anything of it.  God, how I love cereal.  Cookies?  I can eat one and just move one.  Pizza?  I can have a slice and be satisfied.  Cake?  I’m good with a small sliver.  Cereal though?  Give me ALL of it.  Any time of day, the more the merrier.

Before I get to the point of this post though, let me back track just a bit here… being a flexible dieter, I don’t believe in “good” or “bad” foods and am always deliberate in my choice of words when it comes to foods being “healthy” and “unhealthy”.  As long as my body is getting what it needs in terms of macros (protein, carbs, and fat) and fiber, I’m a happy camper and don’t think OVERLY think or obsess about anything else too much.  So, after about a solid week of my 4-5 bowl cereal craziness, I knew it was time to start coming up with alternatives to my addiction because even though I was reverse dieting and increasing my intake each week, I knew that my body could not handle that amount of food at one time so quickly.  Again, while I don’t consider the cereals I was eating as “bad”, there is ALWAYS a more nutrient dense option and 9 times out of 10, I can find it AND will use it.

Ok, back to my post…

That being said, I hit the nail on the head on my first attempt at creating a cereal option that satisfied my serious cereal cravings AND it’s a bonus that it allowed for MORE VOLUME (which is always a good thing when you are a food lover).  Praise Jesus!!!  I personally think it tastes similar to Honey Smacks!  HOWEVER, one serving of Honey Smacks is only about 3/4 cups and I can eat MORE than double that amount using my substitutions.

Sugar content on Honey Smacks alone for one serving is 15 grams.

Sugars on my creation WITH the cereal, almond butter, Silk unsweetened almond milk, and protein powder is ONLY 3 GRAMS!!!

Not to mention my bowl has at least 26 GRAMS of protein!  I was no stranger to adding a little protein powder to my milk for cereal but this actual combination here, it’s magical!  I’ve been eating at least 4 bowls a day for the past 2 weeks now ever since my Buff Bake arrived at my doorstep… so so so good!

Another thing I love about this “recipe” is that it’s virtually just as simple to whip up as a regular bowls of cereal and I honestly love it just as much (maybe even more because I haven’t ever thought to add nut butter to my cereal, duh)… just an extra step to mix your milk and protein but you’re ready to eat in under a minute!

Ready to see what I’m eating for an afternoon snack each and every single day now???

STEP 1:  Get your ingredients together!

All you will need :

 ** PES Select Snickerdoodle Protein (use coupon code CORINA for 30% off at www.pescience.com) **

** a shaker cup **

** 8 ounces milk of choice (I used unsweetened Silk Almond Vanilla) **

** Arrowhead Mills “Puffed Kamut” (can be purchased at most health food stores, Sprouts, Whole Foods, etc.) **

** Buff Bake “Snickerdoodle” Almond Butter **

 (use coupon code CORINABUFFBAKE for 10% off at www.buffbake.com) **

STEP 2: Mix

Mix milk and protein in a shaker cup or blender bottle.  I only use 1/2 scoop of protein per 8 ounces of milk because that’s what I like to fit for my macros!  Want more protein and flavor, add more!

STEP 3: Add your cereal to a bowl

STEP 4: Drizzle your Buff Bake “Snickerdoodle” almond butter over your cereal

STEP 3: Mix a little bit & Eat Immediately!

It even looks like Honey Smacks huh?  I promise you that this bowl is worth making especially if you are a sucker for cereal like me… flavors are simply amazing and it’s full of all things good for you & your body (protein, healthy fats, high energy grains).  This is a perfect addition to your breakfast (I personally eat a HUGE breakfast so this would only account for a portion of that meal), a nice mid morning or afternoon snack, or can even be eaten pre/post workout!  Just enough food but not too much to get your training on. It’s perfect in every way!