Healthy vegan breakfast cereals (start the day right)
A good way to check if a cereal is healthy is to check the nutrition box (by 100g). It should have over 5g of fibre and less than 5 of sugar (carbs section).
The best-selling brand of cornflakes has just 3g of fibre. You’d be better off eating an apple. The same brand’s cocoa pops up the sugar to 17g and their most sugary cereal (advertised by a tiger) is a whopping 37g sugar.
Keep these cereals away from pets due to chocolate, chia seeds etc. Recycle packaging at supermarket bins, if your kerbside doesn’t recycle.
Grain Up (high-protein vegan overnight oats)
Grain Up is a brand of high-protein vegan overnight oats, in case you’re not up for making it yourself. These gluten-free pots are ready in just 6 minutes, for a nutritious start to your day, or a healthy workout snack. They are also high in fibre, which keeps you full and is good for your heart.
To make, just pour in 90ml of your favourite plant milks and it’s ready in just six minutes. Or add 110ml of plant milk and pop in the fridge overnight for flavours to develop, and your overnight oats to make itself. Wake up to enjoy a delicious and nutritious breakfast.
You can also add plantmilk and heat up on the stove in a pan for a warm hot porridge.
The pots are also available in larger boxes, for better savings and a more practical choice for eating at home. The pots are more for travel. Choose from:
- Berry chia
- Banana bread
- Chocolate brownie
- Blueberry muffin (limited edition)
Loved by thousands, these are a great vegan protein alternative to say eggs for breakfast, rather than a bowl of sugary low-fibre cereal. As a comparison, a large egg has less than 7g of protein, but these pots have 12g.
You can find Grain Up in some stores. If not, then just subscribe online for big savings, and cancel anytime. Or swap flavours or pause if you go on holiday or into hospital etc.
Doves farm organic breakfast cereals
Doves Farm offers organic breakfast cereals, many ideal alternatives to English favourites (like cornflakes, bran flakes and cocoa pops), but this time from a local ethical company that isn’t owned by a corporate giant. The range includes:
- Ancient Grain Breakfast Flakes are made with buckwheat (a seed related to rhubarb), quinoa (an Andean superfood packed with protein and calcium) and teff (the world’s smallest grain, and packed with protein).
- Ancient Grain Fruit & Fibre Flakes are a crunchy mix of buckwheat and wholegrain rice, with banana, coconut, sultanas and apple pieces.
- Organic cornflakes – the ultimate alternative to England’s favourite breakfast cereal. But these ones are a little more expensive, but that’s because they’re organic.
- Wholegrain Cocoa Rice Pops are the alternatives if you have to have chocolate for your breakfast.
Deliciously Ella (tasty nutty granolas)
Deliciously Ella offers a nice line of quality organic cereals and granolas, found in most stores. They are expensive but order in bulk online as a member, for 15% off, which brings them down to everyday prices.
The range includes:
Blackberry & Pecan Deluxe Granola is packed with wild blackberries, red apple, crunchy whole almonds and pecans, with toasted coconut and flame raisins.
Almond, Apple & Raisin Granola contains almonds, pumpkins and sunflower seeds, with coconut chips, raisins and oats.
Cheeky Nibble (granola that tastes like cake!)
Cheeky Nibble is a wonderful little food brand, which creates large chunks of granola (good to just eat out of the compostable packs) that are naturally flavoured to taste like your favourite desserts.
The ingredients are pretty good, like oat and rice flour, puffed rice, and natural sweeteners like golden syrup or molasses.
At time of writing, all items are also gluten-free and nut-free (the ‘almond taste’ is not from almonds, but from a plant that tastes like almonds). And all packaging is easily recycled.
The range includes:
- Cherry Bakewell (almond-flavoured clusters with sour dried cherries).
- Vanilla Latte (coffee and vanilla clusters, topped with vegan white chocolate chips).
- Victoria Sponge (strawberry clusters and freeze-dried strawberry pieces, topped with creamy vegan white chocolate chips).
- Banoffee Pie (banana and caramel flavoured clusters with vegan white chocolate chips, mixed with crunchy dried banana chips).
You can find this granola in many shops. Or order online (subscribe for savings).
