Chennai baker’s innovative cereal options become an instant hit

Most of us love our morning cereals. Not only there’s less prep time involved in making a wholesome meal out of them, but they are also an excellent source of fibre, keeping us full for a longer time.

But, most of the store-bought cereals have artificial additives. After understanding its negative impact on health, Swarna Chander started making cereals with healthy alternatives like ragi and jowar flakes. 

“Being a mother, I wanted to give preservative and chemical-free breakfast cereals to my children. After experimenting with a few combinations, I came up with two healthy cereal options — apple cinnamon cereal (made with ragi, jowar flakes, cinnamon oat clusters, nuts, dried dates, cranberries and moist apple balls) and blueberry cereals (blueberry-flavoured cereal flakes with oats clusters, nuts and dried blueberries). These cereals are free from chemicals, preservatives, refined sugars and artificial essence. Instead of using fruit essence, I make fruit puree and mix it with the dough to make the flakes. After seeing its popularity among my family and friends, I wanted everyone to taste a product that is rarely made at home, ensuring zero adulteration and free from processed flours and sugars and launched the venture Snack-una Matata,” says Swarna Chander.

The creative baker informs us that the cereals are not just kid-friendly, but are also good for adults. “The bakes are natural and as a mother, I was eager to enhance the taste of packaged foods that kids enjoy — like cereals, cookies, etc. I achieved this with simple wholesome ingredients like ragi, jowar and oats which are a powerhouse of essential vitamins, antioxidants and minerals. Adults who consume oats regularly would find the cereals a healthy, fun and tasty twist — filling their taste buds with lots of nuts, dried fruits and berries,” she adds.

Apart from cereals, Swarna also bakes granola in cinnamon and chocolate flavours, vegan savoury crackers and more.