Breakfast and cereal go collectively simply as easily as peanut butter and jelly, in all probability as a result of there’s simply nothing simpler to make within the wee hours of the morning. Add cereal and milk to a bowl and also you’re good to go—a process so easy, you may virtually do it together with your eyes closed (which they very a lot is perhaps relying on the time of your wakeup name).

Whereas nothing beats the comfort of breakfast cereal, its different qualities is perhaps rather less spectacular. Most varieties are made primarily of carbs—that are nice for offering hits of fast vitality—however fall quick in different vitamins, particularly these we have to really feel happy, like protein, Cara Harbstreet, MS, RD, of Avenue Sensible Diet, tells SELF.

Protein is answerable for so many roles within the physique, from constructing muscular tissues to stabilizing blood sugar ranges. With out it—and with plenty of carbs—you’ll be able to count on that quick vitality increase from cereal, adopted by a crash and a grumbling abdomen effectively earlier than it’s truly time to sit down down for lunch.

If solely there have been a approach to get the very best of each worlds—a candy, nostalgic, and handy breakfast and the happy abdomen and sustained vitality ranges you count on from a strong meal. Based on Harbstreet, there simply is perhaps, and the trick doesn’t contain any out-there extras or additions, like mixing in nuts and seeds or a scoop of protein powder: Simply swap common milk for an ultra-filtered different.

If you happen to aren’t already accustomed to the newest dairy darling, ultra-filtered milk is making waves as a result of it incorporates twice as a lot protein as normal milk, minus all of the lactose, the sugar in milk that may be an issue for some people unable to digest it. It’s all due to an ultra-filtration course of designed to pay attention the protein. “The consequence has fewer carbs, extra protein, and—an enormous profit for many individuals—extra calcium and little to no lactose,” says Harbstreet.

Chief among the many record of how to make use of this new dairy beverage is in a bowl of cereal, not less than for Harbstreet, who has made the swap herself and solely has good issues to say. Not solely do you get extra filling protein, however you don’t have to fret about an entire new taste messing together with your bowl, both. Ultrafiltered milk tastes just like the common stuff—albeit with a barely sweeter notice, which may truly be a boon for blander cereals like Raisin Bran and the like.

“UF milk tends to style sweeter as a result of lactose, a easy carbohydrate naturally present in milk, is ‘pre-digested’ or metabolized and damaged down into glucose and galactose,” she explains. As an additional precaution, many manufacturers additionally add lactase to their product to ensure not even hint quantities of lactose stay. Extremely-filtered milk additionally has a barely thicker texture, she says, however you in all probability received’t discover it until you’re consuming it straight—not between bites of crunchy cereal.

Precisely how far more protein will you get from utilizing choosing UF milk in your subsequent bowl? Between 13 and 18 grams per cup, relying on the model. That’s fairly an enchancment from the comparatively meager eight grams in a single cup of standard milk—and may also help you get nearer to reaching the really helpful 15 to twenty grams of protein per meal, says Harbstreet.

One little snag: a barely increased worth. Along with providing double the protein, the fee additionally tends to be about twice as excessive—about $4.48 for 52 fluid ounces of Fairlife at Walmart, in comparison with simply $2.18 for 64 ounces of regular milk. However Harbstreet says she doesn’t thoughts paying somewhat further, as a result of not solely is it extra nutritious, it additionally has an extended shelf-life. “This offsets the upper value as a result of I truly use a whole carton vs. unintentionally losing it attributable to spoilage,” she says.

So, should you’re uninterested in your cereal leaving you hungry for extra, and also you don’t have any qualms with consuming dairy, don’t hesitate to present this trick a strive. “I like how we’ve got new choices like increased protein and better fiber cereals and UF milk to prioritize the diet we want whereas preserving the nostalgia and pleasure,” says Harbstreet.

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