Bob’s Red Mill offers oatmeal alternative with Gluten-Free Mighty Tasty Hot Cereal

Product: Bob’s Red Mill Gluten-Free Mighty Tasty Hot Cereal – $4.89+

The name should say it all, right?

I mean, when your product has “Mighty Tasty” in the name, you best deliver on that promise!  Bob’s Red Mill does…sort of.

I actually probably never would have purchased this on my own.  In fact, I am the owner of two sample packs that I got at the Gluten-Free Expo in Birmingham, Alabama.  I just had not gotten around to making them.  But that changed this morning.

The cereal itself isn’t difficult to prepare.  It’s a simple blend of brown rice, corn, buckwheat, and sorghum.  I was making enough for two people…myself and my roommate…so I used halved the recipe that was on the product itself.  That wasn’t difficult in the least.  Place water and a dash of salt in a saucepan…bring to boil.  Add cereal.  Immediately turn down heat and stir in until well blended.  Cover and allow to cook, stirring occasionally.  I did exactly as it asked and what emerged at the end of 10 minutes was a healthy serving of hot cereal…resembling grits.

Thankfully, I had it in my head to make something to put into it.  I have organic fresh strawberries in my fridge, so I sliced them up, added them to water, zero calorie baking sweetener, and some cornstarch and made a strawberry compote to pour over the top of it.  I added some walnuts as a garnish.

The cereal on its own would have been beyond bland.  But with the addition of the sweet berry compote and the dash of nuttiness from the walnuts…it wasn’t too bad.  I’ve never been a fan of grits, so the immediate texture took some getting used to…but it wasn’t bad.  And, wow, was it ever filling.  It kept well while I ate the other portion of my breakfast, so it didn’t clump up or become inedible within moments of being off the heat.  That is a good thing.

This hot cereal is loaded with fiber and nutrients that help you stay full and give you energy.  As an endurance athlete…this is very important for me.  A serving is only 150 calories, so it won’t take up your entire morning of calories either.  Love that.  Since oats can be tricky for someone who is gluten-free, this is a nice option to have.  I do recommend adding something to the cereal though instead of eating it as it is from the pan.  Both my roommate and I polished off our bowls this morning quite contentedly…after the first few bites.

If texture of food is an issue or if you don’t like hot cereal, this might not be for you.  Bob’s Red Mill Mighty Tasty Hot Cereal is a good, filling, morning meal.  Mighty Tasty on it’s own…I don’t think so.  So get creative…add what sounds good…touch it up as you feel is appropriate.  And fill up on breakfast again.