3 INGREDIENT PEANUT BUTTER BITES

3 INGREDIENT PEANUT BUTTER BITES

 

So my disclaimer again?  Like I have said before, I am not going to fight with people out there about what is clean eating, healthy eating, and not!  If you googled "What is the healthiest cereal?", I can guarantee there are people out there ready to fight and argue with you about fiber, refined sugar, natural sugar, whole grains, wheat, and hydrogenated somethings or others!!!  I don't ever book "cereal" as being clean eating simply why?  Because it's processed!  Clean eating means avoiding processed foods! Now having said that, there are recipes I do use that are not 100% clean eating but are healthier treats!  So depending on where you stand....maybe you have a cereal that agrees with your life style, perhaps Barbara's Original Puffins, Kashi, or some Nature Path cereal you use then use it!  If you don't agree that cereal should be in your diet, then don't use it!  This recipe is a "lesser of the evils" recipe for me as I use 1 cup natural peanut butter (ingredients should say PEANUTS...PERIOD!), 1 cup natural honey, and 4-5 cups of  the healthiest cereal of my choice!

 

I do use Barbara's Puffins ( I love Barbara’s Cereals – not only are they crunchy, tasty and hearty, they contain NO artificial colors, flavors, preservatives, refined white sugar or hydrogenated oils. The Original Puffins have 3/4 cup has 90 calories, 5g fiber, 5g sugar and 2g protein) or Kashi's Heart to Heart O's or YES...even plain old Cheerios (has to be the original as the newer versions are a bit sugared up) that has only 110 calories, 3g fiber, 1g sugar, and 3g protein.

 

 

One of the biggest complaints in our area is availability and cost.  People have difficulty finding health foods stores that are convenient and close and when they do, they are more expensive.  I will say that often you can find these types of products online for more reasonable and also, stores are beginning to carry more and more health conscious items.  I do not buy cereal in our house as a regular staple but on occasion I will for special recipes and it is a crazy ingredient game.  A good general rule of thumb that I learned (painfully) is that your cereals should be: 

 

No more than 150 calories per 3/4-1 cup serving

Less than 5-6g of sugar is ideal

At least 4-5g fiber per serving

No dried fruit

The first few ingredients should say “whole grain” or “bran” or “whole wheat”

At least 3g protein per serving

No weird ingredients / preservatives that you can’t pronounce

Back to the cereal bites...the man of the house loves a little something sweet after his meals.  Although I don't claim this particular recipe to be 100% clean, I have no concerns about him having a cereal bite!  If you don't believe me that they are a healthier alternative, just compare them to a candy bar!

If you find something picky eaters love that is 90% or more healthier than normal, then my philosophy is go for it!!