Sponsored by: Van’s Foods

Van’s Foods offers tasty solutions for summer snack boredom featuring its brand new cereals that are indulgent for kids and kids-at-heart — but made simply with gluten-free whole grains. Both cereals, Blissfully Berry and Cocoa Sensation — are great with milk or yogurt, but add a tasty twist in easy recipes like Crunch Chocolate-Banana Sweet-n-Salty Snack Mix and PB & Berry Blast Snack Mix (recipes below).  Each serving of cereal brings 17 grams of whole grains and 5 grams of fiber — all without artificial flavors, high fructose corn syrup, egg, dairy or corn.

These are an easy summer fix — portable for the car, day camp lunches or in the pool bag.

To celebrate the launch of our new cereals, we’re hosting a giveaway event featuring $100 in prizes and free Van’s Foods

Win free Van’s Foods, a Van’s tote, water bottle, plate and wooden spoon along with a set of Chalkboard Glass Canisters with Scoop Set ($100 value).

Crunch Chocolate-Banana Sweet-n-Salty Snack Mix

Makes: 8 cups

Ingredients:

3 cups Van’s Gluten-Free Cocoa Sensation Cereal

1½ cups plantain chips or banana chips

1 cup unsweetened coconut chips or coconut flakes

1 cup roasted salted almonds

½ cup raw pistachios

½ cup dried berries, such as cranberries, cherries or blueberries

½ cup chocolate chips

In a large bowl, toss together all of the ingredients.

PB & Berry Blast Snack Mix

Makes: 8 cups

Ingredients:

3 cups Van’s Gluten-Free Blissfully Berry Cereal

1½ cups gluten-free pretzel sticks

1½ cup roasted salted peanuts

1 cup freeze-dried strawberries

1 cup dried blueberries

In a large bowl, toss together all of the ingredients.

Recipes contributed by Silvana Nardone of Silvana’s Kitchen 

About Van’s new cereals:

Van’s International Foods, maker of whole-grain, gluten-free cereals and other certified gluten-free foods, adds two delicious new varieties to its award-winning cereal line: Blissfully Berry, with natural strawberry flavor, and Cocoa Sensation, made with real cocoa.

Certified gluten-free and made with simple, wholesome ingredients, Van’s Blissfully Berry and Cocoa Sensation cereals offer flavors that both kids and kids at heart will love, yet provide grown-up nutrition featuring:

• 17 grams of nutrient-dense whole grains, including ancient grains millet, quinoa and amaranth
• 5-6 grams of fiber
• 110 calories per ¾-cup serving
• No artificial flavors and no high fructose corn syrup
• No dairy, egg or corn

The two new cereals join Van’s Honey Crunch cereal (winner of a 2013 SELF Healthy Food Award) and Cinnamon Heaven ® cereal (winner of a 2013 Fitness magazine Food Award – Healthiest Cereals) in the cereal line. All Van’s cereal varieties carry the Whole Grains Stamp from The Whole Grains Council and are certified by the Gluten-Free Certification Organization. [Read more…]