Whole30 Friendly Coconut Almond "Cereal" ~ For the Love of My Carb-Craving Husband

Love can make a person do crazy things.  I'm talking crazy, crazy, crazy, crazy, crazy.

For example, agreeing to embark upon the Whole30 with your husband during the season where football, birthdays, and Halloween inspirations make the the diary-carb-sugar possibilities extra yummy.

{95%of husbands believe that muscle flexing will convince their wives to give up chocolate and cream in their coffee for an entire month.  Or something like that.}

As I was processing Steve's request to tackle this detachment-from-all-things-delicious-diet my pregnancy brain freaked out a little knowing that baby #7 loves to remind me of his/her presence with frequent bouts of nausea. If macaroni and cheese is the only food that sounds remotely edible at 3 a.m., then you eat the macaroni, right?

Just the thought of a slab of bacon or pound of raw hamburger staring at me like roadkill from the fridge did not have a positive effect on my gag reflex.

But, when the one you love has spent two years fighting Lyme Disease with little improvement, and he's desperately seeking a little relief from his symptoms, you don't think about macaroni or road-kill, you think about him and you say, YES.

Now, I've been through the Whole30 six times (thoughts on that here, here and here) and this is the third time partnering up with Steve. At the end of those 30 day experiences with him, I have the same conclusion about my husband: He will never, ever, ever, ever, never, give up grains.

He's just a meat and potatoes with a side of bread (like a loaf of bread) kind of guy.  And, lucky for him, his Usain Bolt metabolism can handle the same caloric intake as a horse. But, I do think the reduction of grains in his diet, helps tremendously with the inflammation in his joints.

Every night, since we've been married, he's either eaten a pb&j or a bowl of cereal before bed, but of course that's all a big no-no on this diet.  So, this time around, I thought that surely I could find a recipe that would resemble cereal in some way, and still be Whole30 approved.

Luckily, I found this recipe a few days ago, and after making a few alterations, asked Steve to give it a try. Judging by his reaction, I seriously think he fell in love with me all over again! 

If you're a lover of sugary cereals, this probably will not fulfill your every expectation for a bowl of nourishment, but since that's not the case for us, this cereal is more than satisfying.

Whadda ya pour on top?

We substitute canned coconut milk for regular milk, this is not the coconut milk in the refrigerated section (because of all of the fillers and additives, it is not Whole30 approved).

Tip: Pour a can of coconut milk into a glass jar with a tight fitting lid, add a couple of ice cubes and shake vigorously. After the milk and cream are combined, remove the ice cubes and store milk in the fridge until you're ready to use it.  A shaker bottle, the ones that come with the stainless steal ball whisk, work great, too.

Coconut Almond Cereal

{Printable Recipe}

- 1-7oz. bag (about 2 cups) of unsweetened coconut flakes {I like this brand}

- 1 cup sliced almonds

- Cinnamon (about a tablespoon)

- Nutmeg (about a teaspoon)

- Ginger (about a teaspoon)

- Salt (about 1/4 teaspoon)

Mix the almonds and coconut flakes together and spread out evenly on a rimmed baking sheet. Combine all of the spices together and sprinkle liberally over the top of the coconut/almond mixture.* Do not stir. Bake at 250 stirring after 5 minutes and every 2-3 minutes after until the coconut is lightly toasted. Watch it carefully, as the coconut can turn dark quickly.  Store in an air-tight container.

* Adjust the spices according to your own tastes.  For me, the more spices, the more flavorful the cereal, and most of the time, I don't measure, I just sprinkle away.  Just remember that nutmeg and ginger are very pungent, so I recommend using a significantly greater amount of cinnamon than nutmeg and ginger.

Our favorite toppings: sliced banana, fresh blueberries, sliced fresh strawberries, apple juice-sweetened, dried cranberries (in limited amounts).