The 9g of protein in Kay’s Naturals Honey Almond Cereal builds muscle, not fat, in the morning

Product: Kay’s Naturals Better Balance Honey Almond Cereal – $6.29+

It’s the plight of the gluten-free vegetarian athlete.  Protein…protein…protein.  I sometimes really have to monitor my intake to make sure that I am getting enough.  That’s why Greek yogurt (Chobani for the win!) has become my friend.  But one can’t live on Greek yogurt alone.  And the more places that protein can be found…the better.

I never would have thought cereal.  And I never would have even dreamed of picking up this brand…as we don’t have it in my area.  But Milwaukee had it on the shelves of the Gluten-Free Trading Company…and on my second visit there…I grabbed a box.  For some reason…I just really wanted to try it.

The cereal is from Kay’s Naturals, a company that basically scoured the growing supply of so-called nutritious foods and discovered that the missing link in it all was a more balanced blend of protein, carbohydrates, fiber and fats.  The fact that the products put out by Kay’s Naturals are all-natural and gluten-free definitely helps promote a better diet.  Not only that, they focus on providing a healthy balance of low calories, lean soy protein, no cholesterol, lower carbohydrates, higher fiber…and, most importantly…great tasting products.  Doing this with a gluten-free line is even more valuable to those who do have to eat gluten-free because a recent study out of Harvard Medical School found that most gluten-free products that are currently on the market place are high in starch and tend to lack essential nutrients.

So, that’s the gap Kay’s Natural’s sought to fill.  And fill it…they have.

I don’t know what compelled me, out of all the items in the Gluten-Free Trading Company in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, to pick up a box of this cereal.  I think a lot of it was the declaration of PROTEIN on the front of the box.  Like I said…protein is a huge issue for me and I’m trying to work on that.  There were actually three flavors available: Apple Cinnamon, French Vanilla, and Honey Almond.  I chose Honey Almond…because I figured it would taste like Honey Nut Cheerios if nothing else.

Woke up on the morning of a 4 mile race and discovered I was out of Honey Nut Chex.  No problem.  This box was in my pantry and ready to be tested.  So, I poured out a serving (28g…which I measured to be 3/4 cup) and added a splash of unsweetened original almond milk.  I took my first spoonful, really expecting cardboard.  I mean…it was a line of products I knew nothing about nor had seen.  I hadn’t even seen it mentioned on any of the gluten-free sites I frequent.

However…it was really good.  And, to answer the question…no…they did not taste like Honey Nut Cheerios at all.  Instead, they sort of tasted like vanilla ice cream…if vanilla ice cream was crunchy.  Seriously.  No joke.  I mean…sure it isn’t even the French Vanilla variety, but the Honey Almond was really delicious.  I was very happy sitting down to this bowl at breakfast and getting set for my race.  Really good.

I am so impressed I am really considering ordering their products online…in the sample pack…and then probably by what I end up liking more from the line.

But in one bite…Kay’s Naturals’ won me over.  It helps, now that I know what this company set out to do for gluten-free foods, to support companies that are looking to lean up gluten-free products.  So many gluten-free products are high in calories and fat…but it’s quite the opposite with these.  In fact, the Kay’s Natural Honey Almond Protein Cereal has only 100 calories in a serving.  Out of that, only 1.5 grams of fat as well.  Lean protein, 9 grams worth, is what really kicks this cereal up a notch.

If you can find it…I encourage you to buy it.  If you can’t…order it online.  I was so happy with it.