Small Changes: Try a new cereal

You've heard it a million times, but breakfast is the most important meal of the day.

I realize a lot of people feel they don't have time to eat before work and I understand! But your body needs the fuel of a slow-burning breakfast; something that will carry you over til lunchtime.

Eating a healthy breakfast is better than nothing, but I shutter to think of people who eat in their car on the way to work. I was once driving on I95 and saw a guy eating a bowl of cereal while he was driving. Are you kidding me? For real? Who does that?

There are a couple of problems I have with eating in the car. The biggest, is that you're not really enjoying the meal, are you? You're doing what I call "trance eating" (I'm guilty of this when I eat lunch and write veganmama updates at the same time!) Trance eating is eating something mindlessly while engaging in another activity. We've all done it, I'm sure.

So this week's small change is twofold. First, find a new healthy cereal to try. Second, eat it away from the computer, the television, the car, your phone, etc.

I have talked about Uncle Sam cereal before, but it bears repeating. It's really good for you and is widely available at supermarkets or online. I get mine through Amazon.com. I like to buy about 6 boxes are a time and get free shipping through Amazon Prime.

 Another good, inexpensive and simple cereal is Shredded Wheat or Grape Nuts, both of which are available in store-brand versions. I love that I can buy two boxes of store-brand Grape Nuts for $4.00. That's about two week's worth of breakfast.

I always encourage people to jazz up their cereal with fruit, a small handful of nuts and a teaspoon of ground flax seed (make sure it's ground).

Have fun and enjoy your mindful breakfasts next week!

What the Bulk?

Welcome back to "What the Bulk" Tuesday!

Today's post isn't so much about something you could buy from a bulk bin, but is about one of my favorite cereals, Uncle Sam!

Have you tried it? Yes, it's a super healthy cereal, BUT doesn't take like sticks or twigs :) I actually have a pretty high tolerance for twig-like cereal, but believe me, I realize it turns most people off!

So, what's the deal with Uncle Sam, anyway?

Well, speaking of DEALS (forgive me, I had to) I just realized you can order packs of six boxes of Uncle Sam from Amazon for $18.42 (free shipping if you have Prime, which I do, and swear by!)
That's a great deal and who doesn't love something delivered right to their door?

Uncle Sam Toasted Whole Wheat Berry Flakes & Flaxseed Original Cereal, 10-Ounce Boxes (Pack of 6)
From Uncle Sam

List Price:	$21.00
Price:	$18.42 & eligible for FREE Super Saver Shipping on orders over $25. Details

Availability: Usually ships in 24 hours
Ships from and sold by Amazon.com

5 new or used available from $18.42
Average customer review:
(68 customer reviews)

Product Description

Save On Uncle Sam Cereal 6x10oz Uncle Sam Cereal. Uncle Sam Cereal Has 10G Fiber Per Serving...That Is 40% Of The Recommended % Daily Value!

So, I just ordered the six pack :) Give Uncle Sam a try!  It's especially good topped with blueberries or sliced banana. 

What the Bulk!?!?!? Muesli

Today's What the Bulk!?!?!? is another yummy cereal blend (muesli) What can I say? Breakfast is my favorite meal of the day. I like this particular recipe from Whole Foods, but want to encourage you to jazz things up any way you like. Think of this as a good base and throw in add-ins or subtractions (cool if you have goji berries in your pantry, but I'm guessing most of us don't!)

Loaded with satisfying textures and flavors, try this delicious breakfast cereal as you would a cold cereal, or cook and serve like oatmeal. This recipe makes enough for a crowd or for you to keep in your pantry for a few weeks.

Ingredients

2 1/4 cups quick-cooking oats (bulk!)
1 cup shelled hemp seeds (bulk!)
1 cup raisins
3/4 cup dried goji berries, coarsely chopped
1/2 cup chopped pitted dates
1/2 cup raw green pumpkin seeds (bulk!)
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger

Method

Combine all ingredients in a bowl and toss to combine. Store in an airtight container for up to 3 weeks.

To serve warm, combine 1/2 cup muesli with 1/2 cup liquid (unsweetened hempmilk, unsweetened soymilk or almond milk) and simmer on the stovetop until oats are softened, 1 to 2 minutes.

Nutrition

Per 1/2-cup serving: 250 calories (80 from fat), 9g total fat, 1g saturated fat, 0mg cholesterol, 45mg sodium, 37g total carbohydrate (6g dietary fiber, 16g sugar), 9g protein

What I ate Wednesday

Welcome to a new weekly post, "What I ate Wednesday" which is something I'm excited to try out. A lot of other food bloggers do the same thing, giving their readers a little sense of what they're eating. Fun and voyeuristic, right? So here is a typical day in the life of veganmama. First up...breakfast!


Here is one of my favorite breakfasts! It's basically Rip's Big Bowl (Rip of Engine 2 Diet fame) topped with whatever fruit I have in the house. The grapes might look strange on cereal, but much to my surprise, they're great! Especially if they are really snappy, right? Cereal with almond or unsweetened soy milk. Cup of decaf green tea (or whatever herbal tea I'm craving that morning.)

The cereal pictured is this mix:

Shredded wheat (save $ and buy the store brand!)
Grape Nuts (store brand)
Uncle Sam (amazing and ZERO sugar)
Ground Flaxseed
Old-fashioned oats
Fresh fruit takes up half the bowl!


Lunch typically consists of some sort of bean-based salad. This is a bed of baby spinach topped with cold lentils (I always have them on hand in the fridge!), part of a sweet potato, tomato, baby carrots, a stuffed grape leaf and some simple oil-free hummus that I made. Lots of variety, but the tastes all blend well together.

My afternoon snack is always a green smoothie of some sort! This is ice, almond milk, a ton of spinach and half a frozen banana, pulverized into a tropical delight. Trust me, you can't taste the spinach, peeps. I threw some unsweetened coconut on top for flare :)



Dinner was simple but YUMMY. I made a stir fry of caramelized onions and cabbage, grilled portobella mushroom, slice or two of avocado, and tiny sweet peppers.