Oatmeal Cereal

Yes, I am a horrible mother and my children are deprived but...they think that cereals like Fruit Loops and Lucky Charms are...well...desserts.  I just can't see those super nutritious sugary little pieces of cardboard having much benefit to my cute little kids brains or giving them any sort of sustainable energy for the day. So, a while ago we developed our own quick little cereal that has variety, speed, nutrition, and taste!  They have named it Oatmeal Cereal.  Brace yourselves-it's raw oats.  Yes, raw- But not plain!  We take raw rolled oats-not quick oats (those have been processed extra and more processing means less nutrition!) and put them in a bowl.

I buy a huge 25lb bag of oats and fill a tub we keep in our panty.  We also discovered plain millet and red wheat cereal (the stuff sugar smacks are made of- and we'll get to the homemade healthier version of that later!) which both give the plain oatmeal extra texture and crunch.  I found the millet and wheat cereal at Sprouts or Sunflower market for $1 a bag!

A little of each of those is your base for your cereal!

 

Next comes the add-ins or toppings!!  Yum!!  Here's all our favorites we do!  Peanut butter is a common favorite, cinnamon, apple pieces, honey, syrup, jam, banana slices, whip cream extra frosting from my 2 year olds birthday party, brown sugar, applesauce, chocolate chips, craisens, and raisins, and chopped walnuts or almonds.

I usually make it for them and let them choose which 1 sweet thing will be their flavor and then which extras they want.  Today for fun I let them do it salad bar style-but I still measured their 1 sweet :) So deprived.  

 Here's my 3 kids creations!  One had bananas, craisens, cinnamon, peanut butter, and whip cream!  And they ate it all up!!

Be creative and Enjoy!

STATS:

Better?-its your own creation-definitely better! *check*

Healthier?- don't even have to state that one! *check*

Cheaper?-at the rate cereal is going for these days $3.50 a box or so this is pennies on the dollar-plus it helps you clean out your fridge:) *check*