What was your favorite cereal as a kid?
Frosted Mini Wheats, Cap’n Crunch, Honey Nut Cheerios and Rice Krispies were DEFINITELY “up there” on my list as well.
AIP Paleo Rice Krispies
Thankfully, I added bananas to make them “healthy”—but had I known then what I know now about how processed cereals and sugar wreaked havoc on my gut microbiome, I may have thought differently.
We are what we eat. Rephrase: Our gut bacteria are what we eat. So, I will share with you my own AIP Paleo Rice Krispies recipe.
(And if you were a processed food kid junkie like me, your gut bacteria definitely took a “hit” early on in life!).
I often joke that I NEVER saw a “real food” until about age 24.
From breakfast cereals, Pop-tarts, and Lunchables, to Slim Fast shakes, Lean Cuisine frozen dinners, Zone Bars and Wheat Thins crackers paired with Starkist canned tuna and mustard, my gut “made due” with my poor quality nutrition.
It wasn’t until years later that I realized: Regular bloating, gas IBS and constipation did not have to be my normal!
In short: A healthy gut equals a well-fed gut (at least with “80/20” balance):
80% of the time, eat nutrient-dense, real whole foods.
20% of the time, let life “happen” (Rice Krispies included).
The good news?
If you grew up on processed foods, your gut bacteria have amazing SUPER powers to “heal” and regenerate themselves (beginning in as little as 3 days) when given the RIGHT TOOLS…(and that doesn’t just mean green juice).
Choosing nutrient-dense, real foods (foods with 1 ingredient on their label) is a great place to start—like the ingredients found in this my version of AIP-Paleo Rice Krispies and bananas!
Take a bite…
Ingredients
- 1 cup water
- 3 tbsp gelatin
- 1/2 cup raw honey or pure maple syrup or monk fruit sweetener (granulated)
- 4 cups toasted coconut flakes (no sugar added)
- 2 tbsp coconut oil, melted
- 1 tbsp apple cider vinegar
- 1/8 tsp pink Himalayan sea salt
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
Directions
- Line an 8×8″ (or slightly larger) baking pan with parchment paper and brush with coconut oil. Set aside.
- Pour 1/2 cup of water into a small bowl and add gelatin. Stir gently to ensure the gelatin is combined. Set aside.
- Using a medium-sized pot slowly heat the sweetener combined with the other 1/2 cup of water. Slowly bring the temperature to a simmer on low heat for 3 to 5 minutes.
- Remove pot from heat immediately.
- Whisk honey or maple-water mixture with an electric hand mixer or fork (vigorously).
- Slowly add in apple cider vinegar, vanilla extract, sea salt, gelatin mix and continue whisking for 10-12 minutes until it thickens, and marshmallow peaks should start to form.
- Stir in the toasted coconut flakes and mix until thoroughly combined.
- Pour mix into the baking pan and place in the fridge to harden for at least 4 hours.
- After the “marshmallow” forms, remove from the pan and place on a cutting board.
- Grease a sharp knife with the coconut oil and slice the AIP Paleo Rice Krispies into 8-10 small bars.
- If you want to eat as a cereal, crush the bars individually in a bowl with a meat hammer, spoon or kneading tool.
- Add in some dairy free milk or kefir and sliced bananas. Bon apetit!