Cereal is definitely a classic breakfast item.

Remember waking up as a kid, pouring yourself a bowl of Cornflakes, and drowning it in 2% milk? Or if you were running late, dumping the Cornflakes in a Ziploc bag and practically sprinting to the bus? This was basically my childhood in a nutshell, although sometimes substituted with Cinnamon Toast Crunch or Cheerios, but with cereal as a stable breakfast item nonetheless.

As a kid, I got tired of cereal really quickly. Usually, my sisters and I would be halfway through a box when my mom made her weekly trip to the grocery store and we decided we were over it… and wanted yet another box. This almost always led to at least 10 half-full boxes of rejected & forgotten cereal piling up in the back of our pantry. Eventually, my mom would notice this pile-up and refuse to buy us any more cereal until we finished what we had, and my sisters and I would plead that it was all stale and we couldn’t stand to eat another bite. So we’d throw half of them away and start anew.

In retrospect, my sisters and I probably wasted more money on cereal than we could’ve ever dream of making in summer lemonade stands. And as I get older and suddenly have to think about college, pay for my own clothes, and buy my own breakfast if I’m too lazy to make it at home, I’ve started to realize how crucial making the most out of what you have is. So I’m not as keen on asking for five boxes of various sugar-laden cereals every month, especially when they give me a short sugar high then lead me straight into a pre-lunch crash.

Now if you can believe it, I’ve actually stopped eating cereal recently. Mainly because of the sugar-factor, but also due to the fact that I now have to eat half the box before I’m not actually hungry anymore. But if you’ve ever stopped eating one of your favorite things for an extended period of time, you know that just one mention of it can make you crave it more than ever.

For me, this was my sister asking my mom to buy her more Frosted Flakes from the store. One minute I was worrying about an upcoming AP Chemistry quiz, and the next thing you know I was craving cereal.

Well, being the mostly-healthy baker I am, I decided to create a healthy version of one of my favorite types of cereal. One that would both keep me full and energized until lunchtime, and be absolutely delicious.

These peanut butter cornflakes are both easy to make and about as healthy as possible. Not to mention, they combine two of my favorite things: cereal and peanut butter. Plus, they’re actually not as thin as classic cornflakes, meaning they don’t get soggy two seconds after hitting the milk, and they definitely fill you up longer!

Just whip up a batch on a Sunday, and you have enough cereal to last you through the week. This means that 1 hour of almost all hands-off baking time on the weekend, and you’ve just saved yourself at least 5 minutes everyday for the next 7 days, when you’d otherwise be making a smoothie, scrambling some eggs, or even whipping up a bowl of oatmeal.

And best of all, you don’t have to give up that child-like, cereal-loving part of you… In fact, you can embrace it with open arms, and a healthier approach to the classic breakfast cereal!

Homemade Protein-Packed Peanut Butter Cornflakes

• 1 1/4 c cornmeal
• 1 scoop vanilla whey protein powder
• 2 1/2 tbs stevia
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1/2 c plus 1 1/2 tsp water
• 1/4 c plus 1 tbs peanut butter

Preheat oven to 350°F. Combine 1 c cornmeal, protein powder, 2 tbs stevia, vanilla extract, water, and 1/4 c peanut butter in a bowl. Roll into a thin sheet and lay on a greased cookie sheet. Combine remaining 1/4 c cornmeal, 1/2 tbs stevia, 1 1/2 tsp water, and 1 tbs peanut butter in a small bow. Sprinkle over batter. Bake for 10 minutes, or until cracked & dry. Remove from oven and let sit until cool enough to handle. Reduce the oven temperature to 225°F. Break into small pieces and place back on the cookie sheet. Bake for 40 minutes, or until crispy. Remove & let cool completely. Enjoy alone, with milk, or over yogurt!

Nutrition Information (from myfitnesspal.com)

Calories: 146

Fat: 6g

Carbs: 18g

Protein: 8g

(Yields 8 servings of 1/2 c each)