Cereal, no matter how healthy it looks on the box, is often full of unhealthy oils to bind it into clusters and often packed with so much (50%) refined sugar, it makes one’s teeth itch. And then there’s the colouring agents, salt, preservatives etc. I pick up a packet of country crisp special edition blueberry crumble breakfast cereal made by a well-known cereal manufacturer. It’s colourful and looks healthy but I quickly put it down once I start reading the ingredients. I whole heartedly agree with the claims that ‘it is a rebellious mix of textures and tastes’ – it’s a cereal killer!

The beauty of making one’s own is that it can be flavoured to taste. I’ve started with a base of jumbo rolled oats and added seeds, nuts, topotopo and coconut shavings and bound it together with unadulterated date syrup, citrus zest and juice and flavoured with vanilla, white pepper and ginger for a tropical taste.

Topotopo is the Quechua word for a physalis which is a small orange fruit encased in a papery husk, similar to a lantern. It has a unique, slightly tangy flavour with smacks of tomato, pineapple and citrus. Roasted in the oven with the granola, it has the texture of a sun-blushed tomato and remains tart and juicy.

This cereal is salutiferous as it is beneficial to one's health and has a positive impact on well-being. Add to cookie dough, use as a topping for cakes/crumbles, blitz and stir in melted butter for a pie crust or just top with a dollop of yoghurt. #May2026 #CA2025