Nutrient clusters for food products and methods of preparation

A food product, comprising:

• (1) a ready-to-eat cereal base;
• and
• (2) a plurality of nutrient clusters admixed with the ready-to-eat cereal base to form a blended product,
• wherein each nutrient cluster comprises:
• A. a plurality of particulates that have been coated with a binder to form sticky particulates, said particulates being selected from the group consisting of dried cooked cereal grain pieces, texturized vegetable protein, dried cooked cereal dough pieces, nut meat pieces, dried fruit, legumes, fruit pastes and mixtures thereof;
• and
• B. a nutrient powder blend applied to the sticky particulates.

A food product, comprising:

• (1) a plurality of nutrient clusters;
• and
• (2) a product selected from the group consisting of ice cream, yogurt, pretzels, stuffing mixes, and salad toppings,
• wherein each nutrient cluster comprises:
• A. a plurality of particulates selected from the group consisting of dried cooked cereal grain pieces, texturized vegetable protein, dried cooked cereal dough pieces, nut meat pieces, dried fruit, legumes, fruit pastes and mixtures thereof;
• B. a nutrient powder blend;
• and
• C. a binder.

A snack food comprising a plurality of nutrient clusters formed into a geometrical or ornamental shape, wherein each nutrient cluster comprises:

• A. a plurality of particulates selected from the group consisting of dried cooked cereal grain pieces, texturized vegetable protein, dried cooked cereal dough pieces, nut meat pieces, dried fruit, legumes, fruit pastes and mixtures thereof;
• B. a nutrient powder blend;
• and
• C. a binder.

A snack mix, comprising:

• a plurality of nutrient clusters combined with additional snack ingredients,
• wherein each nutrient cluster comprises:
• A. a plurality of particulates selected from the group consisting of dried cooked cereal grain pieces, texturized vegetable protein, dried cooked cereal dough pieces, nut meat pieces, dried fruit, legumes, fruit pastes and mixtures thereof;
• B. a nutrient powder blend;
• and
• C. a binder.

A method for customizing a fortified ready-to-eat cereal for an individual consumer, comprising:

• selecting nutrients according to the individual consumer's nutritional needs;
• forming a nutrient cluster comprising a plurality of particulates, said nutrients, and a binder;
• and
• adding said nutrient cluster to a ready-to-eat cereal base.