I've never been a "great" breakfast eater, even now that I start my days at 5:30AM. I don't really get hungry until close to noon, but will enjoy a handful of dry, cold cereal on my way to work, especially if it's chunky, crunchy and just barely sweet. "Cereal with milk" was never a part of my growing up, and I truly can't get my head around the texture no matter what my friends and family say. While the "standard" cold cereals remain drowned in dairy around here, I think I may have found a brand to convert the die-hards: Nature's Path.
This isn't the first time I've written about my love for this organic, largely gluten free cereal brand, and for good reason. Ever since Nature’s Path cereal and granola entered my shopping cart a few years ago, I was hooked on the hearty whole grains, fruit and nuts in products like Flax Plus Pumpkin Raisin Crunch, Crunchy Vanilla Sunrise, and Summer Berries Granola. On the more decadent side, almost the whole Love Crunch® line soon fell into rotation as a topping for applesauce and yogurt at breakfast, "fake baked" (AKA microwaved) apple halves as a mid-afternoon snack or ice cream for dessert. Recently, my oatmeal-loving self has discovered their Gluten Free, Organic Homestyle Instant Oatmeal, which comes in a handy (if somewhat hefty, at 40g vs 28g) pre-portioned pack and (unlike many other brands) doesn't cause my skin to flare up like a bad sunburn after eating it. Finally, the kid in my still loves the sweet, cinnamon-toast crunch of Envirokidz Cinnamon Jungle Munch® Cereal, especially when I mix it with the "grown up", plain Whole O’s™ for my on-the-road "faux-fast".With the Rise Up And Shine II Plan Canada Dance Fitness Fundraiser coming up (featuring my new role as a "Kiddie Korner" supervisor!), I've been playing around with various ingredients in the pantry to come up with an easy, filling, kid-friendly snack mix to serve (and have the kids take home as a "loot bag"). Since I needed to keep nuts out of the equation, and wanted to keep remaining allergens to a minimum, using Nature's Path cereal was an easy choice - as was swapping in roasted chickpeas and soybeans for the traditional nuts. A mix of delicious dried fruit added chewy contrast and just a touch of chocolate bumped up the kid-pleasing power. Best of all, the recipe for one serving (as written here) is so simple it easily scales as you need it, and since all you need is a tablespoon there are precious few things to dirty along the way!
Make sure to stay tuned - more delicious and decadent treats with Nature's Path cereals and granola are coming down the pipeline!
"Tablespoon" Trail Mix
Makes 1 serving
1 tbsp dry-roasted, salted chickpeas
1 tbsp dry-roasted, salted soy nuts
1 tbsp diced dried mangoes
1 tbsp diced dried apples
1 tbsp raisins
1 tbsp dark chocolate covered raisins (I found these vegan ones at the health food store and used them)
1/4 cup (4 tbsp) dry cereal (I used a mix of Nature's Path Whole O’s™ Cereal and Envirokidz Cinnamon Jungle Munch®)
- Combine all the ingredients in a plastic bag or bowl.
- Enjoy!
Calories: 276.1
Total Fat: 5.4 g
Cholesterol: 1.3 mg
Sodium: 161.0 mg
Total Carbs: 52.8 g
Dietary Fiber: 5.3 g
Protein: 7.4 g
Shared with Gluten Free Fridays
Now for the real treat... not one, but two, Nature’s Path #OnMyPath Giveaways!
Now that I've waxed poetic on the subject of these cereals, it would be totally unfair to keep it all to myself. Luckily, the super-awesome team at Nature's Path have furnished quite the prize package for readers of this blog:
One winner will receive^:
- An assortment of Nature’s Path's organic & non-GMO granolas, including their Coconut Chia Granola made with whole-grain rolled oats, omega-rich chia seeds, and coconut flakes.
- Free product vouchers
- A printed copy of the new Nature’s Path 7 Days of Healthy Recipes & Lifestyle Tips Ebook
a Rafflecopter giveaway
But wait, there's more!
There's also a grand prize for one lucky person out there*+:
- ORGANIC GRANOLA FOR A YEAR
- A copy of DIY Vegan, by Nicole Axworthy & Lisa Pitman – a book I'm coveting that includes more than 100 ways to create an awesome plant-based pantry!
- A copy of Un-Junk Your Diet by Desiree Nielsen, R.D. – how to shop, cook and eat to feel better forever (I have this and it's a great read)
Does that sound awesome or what?
To enter the Grand Prize Draw:
Getting back on a healthy path? Running your first marathon? Trying a plant-based diet? We want to know!
Tell us what’s on your path for 2016 by posting on Facebook, Twitter or Instagram using both hashtags: #OnMyPath and #GranolaForAYear.
^ Prize will ship on or after March 1, 2016
+ Grand prize contest closes February 28, 2016
*This prize is open to all blogs participating and their audiences. There will be one grand prize total.
Nature's Path provided me with free product, but did not solicit any opinions or promotion of their giveaway. They're just good people!
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