Food Feature Friday #14: Chia in Cereal Form?!

In the past I've spoken briefly of my love for chia seeds. I've done a post about adding it to yogurt (see HERE) and how to create a glorious smoothie with it as an additive (see that one HERE). All in all I've used chia seeds in quite variety of ways, including adding it to my morning bowl of cereal. Personally I've only combined chia on my own to cocoa pebbles with some fruit, but I've never actually had a cereal with chia infused into the flakes. That is, until recently. 

As you know I'm rather fond of Trader Joe's and all it's uniquely scrumptious creations. Sometimes when they are joined together cohabiting in a mouthwatering dish and sometimes by themselves as they come. Well today is a review about a product that needs no real explanation as to what's inside - as the "name" blatantly tells you - but it also doesn't need anything added. I present to you all, the Trader Joe's "Organic Coconut Almond Chia Cereal". This mouth full - literally and figuratively - will run you $3.99 at your local Trader Joe's. It's meant to give you a sort of cluster cereal with flakes and a whole lot of healthy benefits. 

In case you don't know already, chia seeds are amazing and can provide a ton of health benefits. They deliver a massive amount of nutrition with very few calories, chia is loaded with antioxidants, and it's a great protein source. This is only a few of the awesome qualities chia seeds can say about itself - if it was able to that is - making it stupendous. It's also extremely easy to incorporate into your daily meals. 

Now that you've been given a brief description into why chia seeds are the bomb.com, let's get into the cereal review itself. 

I am a coconut fan, an almond fan, and a chia fan, so this entire mixture was a product made in heaven for someone like me. I was a bit concerned that it would be too overpowered with one of the tastes, but I can attest to that not being the case at all. 

Each bowl will have a lovely mixture of oat clusters, almond slivers, and the flakes infused with chia seeds. The oat clusters taste mostly of honey and molasses, in a reformed way, while the flakes themselves remind me of a honey/rice flavor. 

Also, I'd like to point out that when they said "organic", they meant "organic". In the ingredients section on the box, almost every single ingredient listed has the word "organic" in front of it. 

I eat mine with cold rice milk - no it's not Horchata and yes it's delicious, it's from Trader Joe's - which seems to bring out the richness of each item. The bran, almonds, coconut, and honey are a little more prominent when they are soaked in milky goodness. Of course I can't say what they'd taste like with regular ol' cow's milk - or any other milk for that matter - but I can say that without a doubt, this is my new favorite cereal. 

With each flavor working together to give you this healthy, almost "vanillay" taste, it makes me feel like I'm eating an overly priced breakfast bar - the one's that are decadent, but cost more than they should - without the extreme stickiness. 

The flakes aren't too grainy, the clusters aren't too tough, and the chia is hardly noticeable - which is how they are anyways - but the bowl as a whole is just what I need to start the day. 

It goes great with a cup of coffee (check out my morning coffee recommendation HERE) or hot tea, depending on your preference. It also makes for a scrumptious snack during the day, giving it a slightly "dryer" flavor, but still easily enjoyable. I would've liked a hint more of coconut to be perfectly honest, but I could see how quickly that could overwhelm the blend. 

If you want a sweet at night without too much regret, sprinkle a dash of extra organic cane sugar (I get mine from Trader Joe's as well) and you'll instantly ramp up your cereal into a sweet treat. Not too much, but just right. Of course it's no chocolate cake, but it will get you through a decent sweets craving. 

As a breakfast cereal I would rate it a 4.2 out of 5, only because I personally would've like vanilla chunks added as well (no I didn't mention them above, but now that I think about it, it would've been delicious). Overall it's a definite re-buy for me and a recommendation to you all. 

If you do decide to try out my newest find, be sure to snap a photo and tag me on social media or use #TWRC to be featured!

Happy weekend everyone! Hopefully you guys have been staying warm, dry, and stress free. If not, go build a tent, eat something mouthwatering, watch a movie, or stay in bed until Monday comes. Whatever it takes to make you relax, you deserve it Jedi's!