Independent Food Festival & Awards: Best Breakfast for Changing the World

Today is Day 4 of the Second Annual Independent Food Festival & Awards, hosted by Hillel of the outstanding food blog Tasting Menu and its sister site Taste Everything. The idea is simple:   food bloggers from all over the world pick a food product, a food company, or an individual involved in the preparation of food, and each of us then presents a unique award by providing the product, company or individual with some well-deserved recognition on our blog.   I am honored to have been invited to participate in this year's event, and I am pleased to present the award for the Best Breakfast for Changing the World to Peace Cereal.

Now, I should confess at the outset that my relationship with breakfast is constantly in a state of flux.   Sometimes I go with fresh fruit, ricotta and honey, occasionally I get on a yogurt kick, and most commonly I opt for nothing more than my favorite coffee.   But because I grew up fully conversant in the product lines of Kellogg's and Post, every once in a while I feel compelled to venture back into the cereal realm.   And that's how I stumbled across the great offerings from Peace Cereal.

Of the many great attributes associated with these products, first and foremost is their taste.   From the distinctive kick of the Raspberry Ginger variety to the perfect blend of cinnamon, molasses and apple in the Apple Cinnamon flavor, one bite will open your eyes to what cereal can taste like when done well.   My current favorite is Mango Passion, with delicous dried mango, crisp corn flakes, and tasty oat clusters all infused with a bright and fruity flavor.   I can't imagine anybody sitting down to a bowl of this cereal and not finding their day off to a good start.

Another laudable aspect of Peace's cereals is their ingredients.   This is a company that clearly understands the importance of using high-quality inputs when making their products, and I have no doubt that the outstanding taste that they achieve is directly attributable to this fact.   So, for example, you'll find several cereals that are certified organic, many others that are made using a high percentage of organic ingredients, and a majority that boast no genetically modified organisms.   Furthermore, several of Peace's cereals are low fat, vegan, and have no preservatives or artificial flavors.

Finally, what I find particularly impressive about the Peace Cereal company is that it donates 10% of its profits directly to organizations seeking to advance peace in the world.   This includes outfits devoted to ending domestic violence, to enforcing human rights, to ending nuclear proliferation, to saving rainforests and endangered species, to distributing medical supplies to developing nations, to combatting hunger around the world, and to providing relief efforts to victims of natural disasters such as the 2004 tsunami that hit Southeast Asia.   The list of entities that have received grants from Peace Cereal is long and impressive, and the company is equally committed to practicing and promoting socially responsible business practices.

So, as you can see, Peace Cereal's products taste good, they're good for you, and their sales are making a tangible contribution to improving life on the planet.   In short, I cannot think of a more deserving company to receive the award for Best Breakfast for Changing the World!