Cereals ready-to-eat, wheat, puffed, fortified

Puffed wheat is a light, airy breakfast cereal made by expanding whole wheat kernels under heat and pressure until they are hollow and crisp. It has a neutral, faintly toasted wheat flavor and a delicate crunch that softens quickly once milk is added, so it is best eaten soon after pouring rather than left to sit in the bowl. Beyond the cereal bowl, puffed wheat also turns up in homemade snack mixes and no-bake cereal bars, sometimes bound together with melted marshmallow or honey, or scattered over yogurt for a bit of crunch in place of granola.

Store it sealed in its box or an airtight container to keep the pieces crisp, since puffed cereals go stale and soft quickly once exposed to air. The 364 calories per 100 grams looks substantial, but the cereal is extremely light, with a cup serving weighing only about 12 grams, so an actual bowl provides far fewer calories than the per-100-gram figure suggests. Because it is fortified, it stands out for iron at about 176% of the Daily Value per 100 grams, along with 29% for protein and 16% for fiber, making a milk-topped bowl a straightforward way to add iron to a light breakfast, especially for anyone who otherwise eats a small, plain morning meal.