You may never ascend Mount Everest, but you can eat like Sherpa climbers.

Those extreme climbers who lug gear and scout conditions at dizzying altitudes fuel themselves with Tibetan tsampa, a coarsely whole grain cereal made from sprouted, roasted barley.

The Dalai Lama apparently eats it regularly, too.

Now, Washington manufacturer Peak Sherpa, founded by Tibetans who were born in India, is making the cereal more widely available.

Sherpa Tsampa boasts more dietary fiber than oatmeal, is low in gluten, and boasts prebiotics to improve gut health. It is also low fat, organic and non-GMO.

It comes in six varieties: Traditional with Flakes, Apple Cinnamon Pecan, Cherry Almond Cranberry, Chocolate Almond, Toasted Coconut, and Traditional (with no sugar or salt added, so it can be used as a base for veggie burgers and grain salads).

I had a chance to try some samples recently. What makes it especially convenient is that it doesn’t need to be cooked. It can be eaten hot or cold. Just stir in hot or cold water, milk or most any liquid, or even yogurt. In Tibet, it’s usually mixed with hot tea and butter and eaten at breakfast. But also can be enjoyed other times of the day with sweet or savory accompaniments.

Mixed with a cold liquid, it’s rather like muesli. With a warm liquid, the grains soften more and get a little creamier, though, not nearly as much as oatmeal. It’s more like a grainy porridge. A one-third cup serving is surprisingly filling and only has 160 calories.

It’s a great alternative to instant oatmeal because it’s just as convenient but a whole lot less sugary. I liked the Cherry Almond Cranberry for its bursts of nutty crunchiness and sweet-tart flavor. But my favorite, of course, has to be the Chocolate Almond. Made with roasted almonds and Dutch process cocoa, it tastes chocolate-y but not necessarily sweet. While the other flavors are more austere in taste, the Chocolate Almond is ever so indulgent tasting — not like dessert, but enough to feel like you’re getting a treat.

An 18-ounce resealable bag of the Traditional is $9.99. The other flavors are sold in 10-ounce bags for $7.99 each. They’re available on Amazon.

One percent of revenues is donated to efforts to provide economic support to the people of the Himalayas.

Winner of Last Week’s Contest

In the last Food Gal contest, I asked you to tell me about your favorite pasta dish. The winner will receive one free jar each of Dave’s Gourmet Wild Mushroom, and Butternut Squash past sauces.

Congrats to:

Lisa, who wrote, “Just one?? I’ll have to go with the one time I made meatballs with spaghetti for my extended family. I was skeptical because the recipe called for adding a bit of cinnamon stick. I slow-cooked it all day long and it came out beautifully, however. My son was only about a year old and I recall him blurting out “meatballs!” one of his favorite foods back then. To this day my family talks about how good this dish turned out, but sadly, I’ve never been able to re-create it. Also, my kids turned vegan on me 😉”