What to eat with breakfast cereal?

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Crunchy and sweet, a bowl of breakfast cereal with milk is a light and fun morning starter that offers some essential vitamins, minerals and energy needed to start the day. From plain Corn Flakes to Rice Krispies and Cheerios, there are a variety of flavors including chocolate, maple syrup, cinnamon sugar, honey, fruity, and much more. 

Breakfast is the most frantic meal of the day, yet one of the most easily forgotten meals, especially when in a rush. Therefore, preparing breakfast cereal that goes well with other sides will make a quick and fulfilling meal.

What do you eat with breakfast cereal? Breakfast cereal pairs wonderfully with chopped nuts, scoop of peanut butter, flax, hemp or chia seeds, or fresh fruits such as apples, pears, strawberries or blueberries. Additionally, dried fruits including raisins, cranberries, cherries, and banana is great alternative. 

Other than milk, consider topping cereal with dairy or non-dairy yogurt or Greek yogurt, or serving with ice cream. If milk is not an option, there are many alternatives to cow’s milk including soy, almond, rice, oat, coconut, and hemp milk to name a few. 

Avoid skipping breakfast, cereal is the best option considering it requires zero preparation or cooking. A bowl of cereal is an excellent way to start a day, but it gets dull with time. But how do you jazz up a bowl of cereal? Well, here is how. 

What can you eat with cereal besides milk?

Even though cereal and milk is a perfect match, sometimes there comes a point that milk may not be available. As a result, it’s time to put that bowl and spoon to rest and come up with creative ways besides milk to serve cereal.

Here are ways to eat cereal without milk: 

• Salad croutons: For extra crunch in a salads, go with a box of cereal that is whole-grain with no sweetness. Stick to neutral flavors, but it’s okay if you also like lucky charms, corn flakes, or Crispix, we won’t tell.
• Ice-cream topping: Top a scoops of vanilla ice cream with breakfast cereal, chocolate chips, whipped cream, caramel sauce, and nuts such as peanuts, sliced almonds or walnuts. Go plain ice cream flavor and select Rice Krispies, Wheaties, Cinnamon Toast Crunch, Reese’s Puffs, Apple Jacks, and Captain Crunch for starters. 
• Fried food breading: Instead of the regular bread crumbs, try crushed corn flakes the next time you fry something. These cereals lend an extra-crispy coating to mozzarella, fish sticks, or breaded chicken. Best cereals for breading fried chicken are Captain Crunch, Corn flakes, Rice Krispies, and Fruity pebbles. 
• Pie crust: Treat cereal just like you would graham crackers in a dessert pie crust. Whether it is fruit pie or pumpkin pie, try Crunch Berries, Fruity Pebbles, Trix, Honey Nut Cheerios, or Chex.
• Casserole: For a baked cheese potato or green bean casserole, instead of filling with heavy biscuits, top with crushed cornflakes to add crunch and a layer of flavor that won’t be too heavy in the meal. 

Serving cereal as it is with milk is the classic way, however if milk is not an option then replace with yogurt or plant-based milks for quick bite. Other than that, try these dessert, dinner, and salad options with the remaining breakfast cereal. 

Is cereal with water bad?

No, cereal with water is not bad. Sometimes the milk conflicts with the cereal taste, while water doesn’t by maintaining a relatively neutral taste throughout the dish. 

If the milk is way to sweet when combined with sweet cereal, it can be a problem. However, water never ruins the cereal’s taste while still enjoying a similar texture and mouthfeel. 

Consider checking the nutritional information on the cereal box to see that it has enough protein, fat, and minerals, so it does not require milk. Be aware that water isn’t a good idea for plain cereals such as oat flakes or cornflakes as they’ll taste extraordinarily bland. 

What can I add to plain cereal?

Corn or bran flakes tend to be plain cereal, which makes it inviting to add toppings without overpowering the flavor. Nobody loves wishy-washy boring cereal. 

Some great topping ideas to level up plain cereal include:

• Nuts: To jazz up your morning cereal, go with some chopped nuts. Almonds, walnuts, and cashews add a nutty flavor with a bit of crunch as well. 
• Nut butter: To add a smooth, nutty flavor with a dollop of peanut or almond butter.
• Fruits: The naturally sweet taste of bananas is an excellent reason to add a few slices to the cereal. Blueberries, strawberries, chia seeds, and raisins are great for breakfast cereal as well. 
• Spices: Cinnamon is an ideal way to spice up breakfast cereal. Just add a ⅛ teaspoon of cinnamon, then watch the magic happen. Other options include nutmeg, ginger, and turmeric to sprinkle lightly on top of breakfast cereal.
• Chocolate chips: Small amount of dark or milk chocolate chips adds sweet and earthy flavor to breakfast cereal. Go with less sweetness cereal when utilizing chocolate chips as a topping. 
• Powder: Cocoa or protein powder not only adds an intense chocolaty flavor to breakfast cereal, but also increases protein consumption that is very beneficial. 

What sides to eat with cereal?

Pair your bowl of breakfast cereal with something to balance it out, such as vegetables, eggs, or fruit. Berries, yogurt, nut butter, banana slices, dark chocolate chips, cashews, cherries, grated apples or pear, oats, toasted almonds, granola, and dried fruits are great side dishes for breakfast cereal. 

Here are classic sides to eat with cereal:

• Scrambled eggs
• Bacon
• Toast
• Bagel
• Granola
• Greek yogurt
• Fruit salad
• Parfait

Eat With Cereal for Breakfast: Conclusion 

A bowl of cereal in the morning is not only delicious and inviting, but also keeps you energized and focused to start of the day. Furthermore, it’s easy and quick to prepare, which is the number one reason it has become such a frequent go-to for breakfast. 

However, plain cereal gets boring over time. Jazz things up by adding toppings, fruits, or nuts to add flavor and extra texture.

Top your favorite breakfast cereal with toasted nuts, nut butter, seeds, and fruits. Fresh or dried fruits are a fantastic way to add nutrition and texture, consider everything from apples to raisins when choosing fruit to add in breakfast cereal.

Alternatively, cow’s milk can be substituted for plant based milk or yogurt of your choice. To be extra creative with any type of cereal, use as salad croutons, breading for fried food, pie crust, and ice cream or casserole topping. 

Whether you serve breakfast cereal with milk or water, add nuts, nut butter, fruits, spices, chocolate chips, and cocoa or protein powder to plain cereal. 

To make a complete wholesome meal, serve alongside scrambled eggs, bacon, toast, bagel, granola with Greek yogurt, fruit salad, or parfait to get the morning started with extra energy. As you can see, there is not only one way to eat cereal for breakfast, so explore the many options to find what works best for you!

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