It’s January and I’m freezing. That means I need to write about something warm. Not just something warm, but something that is filling, nutritious, and the perfect way to start off you day. That’s right, I’m writing about hot cereal for breakfast! How many of you love hot cereal? Sure, hot cereal takes a bit more work than cold cereal, but it is so worth it in my opinion.

What are some of your favorite hot cereals? These are some of mine... (Since I recently wrote an article about oatmeal, I will skip oatmeal as one of the hot cereals I discuss, but know that I still love and adore oatmeal for breakfast).

Cream of Wheat: Cream of Wheat, how I love you! You are easy, fast, and super filling. Cream of Wheat is amazing with fruit on top. We also love to put a little bit of honey and cream on ours. I have a neighbor that loves to put a scoop of vanilla ice cream in her Cream of Wheat… Sounds delish!

Grits: Those of you from the southern United States are well acquainted with grits. Grits are made from corn that is ground into a coarse meal. The meal is then boiled until soft and creamy. There are whole kernel girts and quick grits. We usually make quick grits at our house; they are fast to prepare and also very filling.

Quinoa: Quinoa is very versatile and makes a great hot breakfast! Quinoa can be savory or sweet. It usually takes about 15 minutes to prepare on the stove top. It has more protein than most other hot cereals, which is a great way to start off your day. (I have included a fabulous breakfast quinoa recipe for the Instant Pot at the end).

Teff: I was introduced to Teff several years ago while participating in a health and wellness challenge. Teff is native to Ethiopia. It is actually a seed from a species of lovegrass. Teff is high in dietary fiber and iron. It cooks similar to quinoa, but because the seed is smaller it cooks faster. I would highly recommend it as a nutritious, hot breakfast cereal!

Amaranth – Amaranth is an ancient grain used by the Aztecs. It is in the same family as quinoa and is also high in protein. It also contains a high amount of lysine, an amino acid that is not found in high amounts in most other grains. In addition to a breakfast cereal, amaranth can be popped and eaten like popcorn.

I have enjoyed learning how to prepare some of these breakfast cereals in the Instant Pot. Here is a wonderful recipe for breakfast quinoa. Enjoy!

Instant Pot Breakfast Quinoa

½ tsp vanilla

2 ¼ cups water

2 T pure maple syrup

¼ tsp ground cinnamon

1 ½ cups quinoa

Directions: Rinse the quinoa. Place all of the ingredients into the Instant Pot. Mix together well. Close and secure lid. Turn valve to sealed. Cook on Manual-High for one minute. Allow the quinoa to naturally release the pressure for 10 minutes. After 10 minutes, use a quick release to release any remaining pressure. Open lid and fluff quinoa with a fork. Top with milk, cream, fruit, honey or any other desired toppings.

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