Corn Bitz

Cereal Name: Corn Bitz (Fred Meyer Brand Corn Chex)

Type of Cereal: Snack/Breakfast Cereal

Primary Grain: Corn

Nutrition Information (based on 1-cup serving):
        Calories: 110
        Total Fat: 0g
        Sugar: 3g
        Fiber: less than 1g
        Protein: 2g

Top Five (and only) Ingredients: Corn Meal, Sugar, Salt, Barley Malt Extract, Baking Soda

In all of their glowing glory

Review: Corn Bitz are (obviously) the Fred Meyer store brand version of Corn Chex. As such, they are good at all of the things that Corn Chex are good at. As a dry cereal, they are a pleasant and crunchy snack. As a milk and banana complemented cereal, they are the perfect combination of textures. And as Muddy Buddies, they are a snacky dessert, which is remarkably hard to stop eating.

If you've never had Corn Bitz before, imagine Corn Flakes shaped like tiny cages, and you'll pretty much have it. I'm not sure that I like Corn Bitz as much as Corn Chex, but then again, I haven't had Corn Chex in quite some time so the comparison will have to wait. Overall, I can say with confidence that they are not a disappointment.

Organic Corn Flakes - Trader Joe's

Cereal Name: Organic Corn Flakes (Trader Joe's Brand)

Type of Cereal: Snack Cereal

Primary Grain: Corn

Nutrition Information (based on 1-cup serving):
        Calories: 110
        Total Fat: 0g
        Sugar: 2g
        Fiber: less than 1g
        Protein: 2g

Top Five Ingredients: Organic Milled Corn, Organic Evaporated Cane Juice, Sea Salt, Organic Barley Malt Extract, Soy Lecithin (an emulsifier)

Review: I got fancy Corn Flakes this week. I saw them at Trader Joe's and thought, "Hmmmmmm, I wonder if Organic Corn Flakes really taste any different from Budget Corn Flakes. . ." My hypothesis was that they would all taste exactly the same. However, I was wrong. The, ah, let's call it a "chemical finish" present in all of the Corn Flakes I have tasted thus far was not present in the Organic Corn Flakes. They were lighter and more delicate, and although they have the same amount of sugar as the other Corn Flakes, they  tasted somehow sweeter, in a fresh way.

I can only guess the superiority of the product must be a result of the fancy ingredients. This box was significantly more expensive than the other Corn Flakes I've tried, and I haven't quite decided if the added cost is worth it or not. It's a big decision.

Chocolate Toasted Oats

New Product!!!

Cereal Name: Chocolate Toasted Oats (Fred Meyer Brand)

Type of Cereal: Dessert Cereal/Snack Cereal

Primary Grain: Corn (somewhat ironically considering the name of the cereal)

Nutrition Information (based on  1-cup serving):
         Calories: 133.3
         Total Fat: 2g
         Sugar: 12g
         Fiber: 2.67g
         Protein: 1.33g

Top Five Ingredients: Whole Grain Corn Flour, Sugar, Corn Syrup, Cocoa Processed with Alkali, Whole Grain Oat Flour

But wait, it looks so familiar. . .

Review*: 

Of all of the classy and alluring cereals displayed in the cereal vault of the local Fred Meyer I was drawn to Chocolate Toasted Oats because it was $1.25 a box. My guess is that it has some kind of addictive quality, and the store is trying to get me hooked cheap and then keep me coming back for more, unable to live without Chocolate Toasted Oats as the price inches up further and further. . .

To be quite honest, I like Chocolate Toasted Oats better than Chocolate Cheerios. They have the same nutrition stats and the ingredients have only a slight variance, but somehow the Chocolate Toasted Oats just taste better. Maybe it's their clever name, or perhaps the way they float like little life preservers and spell out words like "oooooo" and "oooooooooo" and "o," or maybe I just like the color brown (I do, though I'm not partial to the word brown, unlike "grey" i really like that word AND color).

Anyway, they're on sale. And they taste good. So I say, go for it.

*This review brought to you by too much coffee and not enough food. My apologies.

Marshmallow Mateys

Cereal Name: Marshmallow Mateys

Type of Cereal: Dessert Cereal

Primary Grain: Oat

Nutrition Information (based on 1-cup serving):
        Calories: 120
        Total Fat: 1g
        Sugar: 13g
        Fiber: 1g
        Protein: 2g

Top Five Ingredients: Whole grain oat flour (includes oat bran), Marshmallows (sugar, corn syrup, modified corn starch, dextrose, gelatin, artificial flavor, yellows 5 & 6, red 40, blue 1), Sugar, Corn Syrup, Wheat Starch

Review: I have a special place in my heart for Malt-O-Meal cereals  as I went to college in the same town in which the Malt-O-Meal plant is located. We always had Malt-O-Meal cereals in our cafeteria and the sweet scent of baking cereal wafted through campus on a regular basis.

Marshmallow Mateys are sweet and crunchy with a slight slimy undertone (due to the marshmallows). The marshmallows are very colorful, nothing like the pastel mallows in Mallow Oats and they are also in very distinctive but not identifiable shapes. While Mallow Oats were regarded as ALL NATURAL, Marshmallow Mateys are not. Please let me compare and contrast their first five ingredients.

1) THE SAME
2) Sugar vs. Evaporated Milled Sugar, Artificial Flavors/Colors vs. Blueberry, Pumpkin, and Carrot Concentrates
3) Sugar vs. Evaporated Milled Sugar
4) THE SAME
5) THE SAME

Nutrition Information? Also the same.

I still like Mallow Oats better, but maybe that's just because they are marketed to me specifically.

mmmm, doesn't that red 40 look delicious?

Additionally, this raises an interesting point in that the branding and marketing intents of cereal are aligned more vertically (specific to the type of cereal) than horizontally (to the brand itself). The goal of the cereal is to make it taste like all of the other cereals that are essentially the same (Corn Flakes, Crisp Rice, Marshmallow/Oat, etc.) because that is what the consumer is expecting. Once that pre-requisite is met, the brand can then try to hook the consumer with bargain prices, pro-environment branding, places of distribution, bright colors, etc. But the primary requirement is that the cereal taste how it is supposed to taste. This is very different from many other types of non-consumable brand marketing (ie clothing, shoes, cars, etc.) where the independence and uniqueness of the brand are of utmost importance. I mean, the function is still important (if it's a running shoe, it had better hold up to running), but I think my point still holds true as cereals do not only hold the same purpose and function, they are essentially identical.

Corn Flakes - Hy-Top

Cereal Name: Corn Flakes (Hy-Top Brand)

Type of Cereal: Snack Cereal

Primary Grain: Corn

Nutrition Information (based on 1-cup serving):
         Calories: 130
         Total Fat: 0g
         Sugar: 3g
         Fiber: less than 1g
         Protein: 2g

Top Five Ingredients: Degermed Yellow Corn Meal, Sugar, Salt, Malt Extract

Review: Over the course of my extensive cereal-related research, I have noticed a trend in all Corn Flakes ever tasting the same, regardless of brand. I am pleased with this as I like Corn Flakes. However, I plan to extend my search until all easily accessible brands of Corn Flakes have been savored and compared.

The Hy-Top Corn Flakes have the same ingredients in the same order as both of the Fred Meyer Brands (Fred Meyer and Kroger), but they do not have the same Nutrition Information. The Hy-Top brand has twenty more calories per serving and one more gram of sugar. I have no idea why, and I can say with confidence that the difference is not detectable to the casual taster.

I didn't bother taking a picture of these Corn Flakes as they look the same as every other Corn Flake. However, I did take a picture of the absolutely delicious looking recipe on the side of the box. No Corn-Flake-Coated Chicken for Hy-Top, no way. Instead, they offer the secret recipe for the pined-after potluck favorite: Sour Cream Salmon Loaf. Enjoy.

Frosted Flakes

Cereal Name: Frosted Flakes (Trader Joe's)

Type of Cereal: Dessert Cereal

Primary Grain: Corn

Nutrition Information (based on 1-cup serving):
           Calories: 146.67
           Total Fat: 0g
           Sugar: 12g
           Fiber: 0g
           Protein: 2.67g

First Five (and only) Ingredients: Corn, Sugar, Glucose Syrup (Wheat and/or Corn), Barley Malt, Salt

Review: I don't buy frosted flakes, really ever. This box was purchased as a direct result of this blog. I don't know why I never purchase them. . . maybe just because if I'm going to eat a really sugary cereal, I would prefer that it was more special. And if I'm being entirely honest, I think I like regular Corn Flakes better than Frosted Flakes, and they are SO much less unhealthy (please note, I did not say more healthy).

NONETHELESS, the Frosted Flakes were very very good. Their hard sugary coating made them less vulnerable to getting soggy than regular Corn Flakes, and, um, they are a good size for fitting in one's mouth. Not likely to cause oral injury. Likely to be delicious.

Cinnamon Life

Now with classy retro branding!

Cereal Name:  Life (Cinnamon)

Type of Cereal: Breakfast Cereal

Primary Grain: Oat

Nutrition Information (based on 1-cup serving):
         Calories: 160
         Total Fat: 2g
         Sugar: 10.67g
         Fiber: 2.67g
         Protein: 4g

Top Five Ingredients: Whole Grain Oat Flour, Sugar, Corn Flour, Whole Wheat Flour, Rice Flour

(Banana not included in box)

Review: I didn't start seriously eating cereal until college. Somehow, after a few months of excitement with the choices, and the tray, and how everything seemed free, I gravitated to the cereal bar. My cereal compilation of choice was: Frosted Mini Spooners, Cracklin' Oat Bran, and Life (topped with natural peanut butter and banana - with soy milk). I had not experienced the joys of Life until college. And while regular Life cereal is pretty fantastic, CINNAMON Life is beyond fantastic. I think it is the only cereal that I honestly don't mind getting soggy. Those little intricately woven squares float for a blessed moment before becoming plump with milk and sinking with distinguished grace to lie with their fellows in a sweet mound of sodden perfection.

Too many words you say? You have obviously not eaten this cereal.

Do.

Triple Nut and Flakes Cereal

Cereal Name: Triple Nut and Flakes Cereal (Reduced Sugar)

Type of Cereal: Breakfast Cereal

Primary Grain: Wheat, Rice, Oats

Nutrition Information (based on 1-cup serving):
          Calories: 260
          Total Fat: 8g
          Sugar: 4g
          Fiber: 4g
          Protein: 6g

Top Five Ingredients: Whole Wheat Flour, Brown Rice, Whole Rolled Oats, Rice Flour, Almonds

See, it doesn't even look good. 

Review: I decided to branch out from Kashi and try a Trader Joe's breakfast granola option. I was not impressed. On the positive side of things, the ingredients (especially the TRIPLE NUTS) were readily recognizable. I could definitely identify chunks of almonds, hazelnuts and walnuts. But the cereal didn't really taste like anything and the texture was dense and it really was not my favorite. I appreciate that they made the effort to use less sugar, but really, it was just not very good. Not recommended. There are so many things that are so much better.

Crisp Rice Cereal

Cereal Name: Crisp Rice Cereal (Trader Joe's)

Type of Cereal: Breakfast/Snack Cereal

Primary Grain: Rice

Nutrition Information (based on 1-cup serving):
           Calories: 120
           Total Fat: 0g
           Sugar: 3g
           Fiber: 0g
           Protein: 2g

Top (only) Five Ingredients: Milled Rice, Naturally Milled Cane Sugar, Salt, Barley Malt, Mixed Tocopherols (Vitamin E) for added freshness (Soy)

Review: I always like it when my cereal has only five ingredients (even when one of them has four syllables and two different sets of parentheses). Now, if only it was locally sourced and unprocessed. Alas.

I may have forgotten to take a picture. . .

If it wasn't quite obvious, Crisp Rice Cereal is Trader Joe's take on Rice Krispies. It has all of the snapping, crackling, and popping with none of the questionable elves or cringe-inducing "K"rispies.

In an ideal situation this cereal is eaten rapidly with milk and a banana (and if for dinner - not recommended due to lack of nutritional value- with almond butter). Not good soggy. Not good dry. The sweet spot is somewhere in the middle. In order to reach this picture of cereal bliss, one must shovel spoonfuls in vertical divots, so that each bite has a bit of soggy on the bottom from the milk and a bit of crunchy on top and maybe a banana slice just for kicks.

Golden Grahams

Cereal Name: Golden Grahams

Type of Cereal: Dessert Cereal

Primary Grain: Wheat

Nutrition Information (based on 1-cup serving):
             Calories: 160
             Total Fat: 1.33g
             Sugar: 13.33g
             Fiber: 2.67g
             Protein: 2.67g

Top Five Ingredients: Whole Grain Wheat, Sugar, Corn Meal, Brown Sugar  Syrup, Canola and/or Rice Bran Oil

Review: This General Mills cereal (a veritable GIANT in the world of cereal and the originator-according to Wikipedia-of the first flaxen Golden Graham) was first introduced to the public in 1976 and has since led an exciting and controversial life which included at one point being banned in the UK for having too much sugar.

Golden Grahams in the raw

However, this blog is not about the history of cereals. It is about the HERE and NOW. And here and now I find Golden Grahams to be really quite good until milk lands on them, at which point they become floppy little slime squares.

So I ate them dry (raw if you will). And they were delicious that way. Crunchy and sweet and texturally appealing.

Overall, I prefer Honey Grahams, but if Golden Grahams are on sale, they are a good alternate, like the very sweet cousin to popcorn.

Muesli - Fred Meyer

Cereal Name: Muesli

Type of Cereal: Breakfast Cereal

Primary Grain: Corn, Barley, Wheat

Nutrition Information (based on 1-cup serving):
           Calories: 315
           Total Fat: 4.5g
           Sugar: 18g
           Fiber: 6g
           Protein: 7.5g

Top Five Ingredients: Degermed Corn Meal, Raisins, Whole Barley, Wheat Bran, Dates

Review: Meh. It was fine. Lots of chunks. Sugary chunks. Sugary chunks that were suspiciously raisin-shaped and were, in fact, raisins. I found this cereal to be best with milk, but I always eat my breakfast cereal with yogurt (because it has more protein and sticks with me longer) and the muesli was too unyielding in texture to be good with the less-invasive moisture of yogurt. In order to live up to its full potential it really needs to be soaked in milk for a good long while.

Cereal and Toast: everyone eats this, right??

On the positive side of things, I really like that the different components of the cereal were readily identifiable. Raisin. Oat. Date. Corn Flake. Wheat Flake. Etc.

Also, I enjoyed that there weren't a huge number of one type of flake and very little of the, um, more premium ingredients. The diversity and spread of the ingredients was consistent throughout the box.

Mallow Oats

MALLOW

Cereal Name: Mallow Oats

Type of Cereal: Dessert Cereal

Primary Grain: Oats

Nutrition Information (based on  1-cup serving):
            Calories: 120
            Total Fat: 1g
            Sugar: 13g
            Fiber: 1g
            Protein: 2g

Top Five Ingredients: Whole Grain Oat Flour (includes oat bran), Marshmallows (evaporated milled sugar, modified corn starch, corn syrup, dextrose, gelatin, blueberry, pumpkin and carrot concentrates for color, natural flavor), Evaporated Milled Sugar, Corn syrup, Wheat starch

Even served in a "green" bowl

Review: This cereal is marketed as "All natural sweetened whole grain oat cereal with natural marshmallow pieces" and I think that, using the more "natural" word MALLOW in the product name is supposed to invoke feelings of "I have done something good for the environment" and "I am a "green" person making wise diet choices that promote sustainability and fuel my body with natural, organic, locally sourced, natural whole food ingredients." In fact, while the "mallow" is a plant, the mallow plant has nothing to do with the natural "mallows" in "Mallow Oats." Three of the top five ingredients in mallow oats are sugar related (marshmallows, evaporated milled sugar, and corn syrup). BUT the marshmallows do have the words blueberry, pumpkin and carrot in their names which makes them healthy and natural and worthy of the title "mallows."

This is not to say that I don't like Mallow Oats, because I do. I like them very much. I find the Oat pieces to be less sugary than traditional Lucky Charms or Marshmallow Mateys and I do recognize that the sugars used in this cereal are more natural than the sugars used in its MARSHmallow infested competitors. And having all of the marshmallows the same shape makes me less stressed out about eating them in a certain order. So that's nice. I just find it kind of funny that this cereal is trying so hard to be natural. When it has MARSHMALLOWS IN IT.

In summary, this is my favorite cereal that contains marshmallows.

Corn Flakes - Fred Meyer

A box roughly the size of my torso

Cereal Name: Corn Flakes (Fred Meyer Brand)

Type of Cereal: Snack Cereal

Primary Grain: Corn

Nutrition Information (based on 1-cup serving):
               Calories: 100
               Total Fat: 0g
               Sugar: 2g
               Fiber: Less than 1g
               Protein: 2g

Top Five Ingredients: Degermed Yellow Corn Meal, Sugar, Salt, Malt Extract

num-num encrusted almond-butter apple

Review: Well, these corn flakes tasted exactly the same as the Kroger Corn Flakes*. They also have the same ingredients and the same nutritional information which leads me to believe that  perhaps Corn Flakes have been around long enough that the patent on the very secret Corn Flake family recipe has finally been exposed to the public sector. This box (containing 24 cups of Corn Flakes) was $1.99 and worth every penny.

The one critique I have of large boxes of delicate cereal is that there are many more ditters (also known as the num-nums) at the bottom of the bag. I do not like the num-nums. I do not like how they turn into a paste when combined with milk. So, I got some apple slices, spread almond butter on them, and then dipped them in the ditters for a delicious snack.

*Yes, I realize that Kroger and Fred Meyer are the same brand. But they are marketed differently, so they get separate posts. Thank you.

Crispix

Cereal Name: Crispix

Type of Cereal: Snack Cereal

Primary Grain: Corn and Rice

Nutrition Information (based on 1-cup serving): 
            Calories: 110
            Total Fat: 0g
            Sugar: 4g
            Fiber: less than 1g
            Protein: 2g

Top Five Ingredients: Milled Corn, Rice, Sugar, Contains 2% or less of Salt,  Molasses

Review: This was the first time I had ever tasted Crispix (although I have, of course, heard of it before). This fascinatingly hexagonal fusion of corn and rice is reminiscent of Chex. However, even though it does have a similar form and function, it is not Chex, and I don't like it as much as I like Chex. The texture is gently crunchy and the flavor is good, but somehow, it's just not living up to my love of Chex (particularly Corn Chex). And I am unsure that it would be a successful substitute were it used to make Muddy Buddies. But really it's fine. Totally fine. Just fine.

Kashi GoLean Crisp! Cinnamon Crumble

Empty Box

Cereal Name: Kashi GoLean Crisp! Cinnamon Crumble

Type of Cereal: Breakfast Cereal/Dinner Cereal

Primary Grain: Oats and Wheat

Nutrition Information (based on 1-cup serving):
           Calories: 253.33
           Total Fat: 5.3g
           Sugar: 13.33g
           Fiber: 12g
           Protein: 13.33g

Yes, it bears a resemblance to bird food.

Top Five Ingredients: Whole Grain Oats, Evaporated Cane Juice Crystals, Soy Protein Concentrate, Wheat Sticks (Whole Wheat Flour, Kashi Seven Whole Grains and Sesame Flour (Whole: Oats, Hard Red Wheat, Rye, Brown Rice, Triticale, Barley, Buckwheat, Sesame Seeds), Calcium Carbonate) ___Wheat sticks apparently have MANY ingredients___, Brown Rice Syrup

Review: Well, I ate this cereal last week as well, but I neglected to take a picture of it because I eat it for breakfast, and at 5:50am I am not very enthusiastic about digging around for my phone and photographing my food. I enjoy the gentle crunch of the Cinnamon Crumble, but it lacks the additional chewy texture of the Toasted Berry Crumble. Also, I don't really notice a difference between the two cereals (other than the aforementioned lack in the former). My conclusion is that I would prefer adding a sprinkle of cinnamon to the top of my Toasted Berry Crumble to finding a mix of dried berries and adding it to my Cinnamon Crumble. The one very positive thing I will say about the Cinnamon Crumble is that one of my roommates (who has expressed disdain toward Kashi cereals in the past) stated that IF she were to eat a Kashi cereal, it would be this one. So there you go.

Cocoa Krispies

Shown without milk. The elves had not yet arrived.

Cereal Name: Cocoa Krispies

Type of Cereal: Dessert Cereal

Primary Grain: Rice

Nutrition Information (based on 1-cup serving):
      Calories: 160
      Total Fat: 1.33g
      Sugar: 16g
      Fiber: 1.33g
      Protein: 1.33g

Top Five Ingredients: Rice, Sugar, Cocoa processed with alkali, contains 2% or less of semisweet chocolate (sugar, chocolate, dextrose), partially hydrogenated vegetable oil (coconut, soybean and/or cottonseed)

I neither cut nor shaped

Review: I had never had this cereal before last week. I bought it because it was on sale for $1.99, which is a very good cereal price (the Corn Flakes were an anomaly at $0.99). My first impression was that these krisp rices tasted not at all like chocolatey Rice Krispies, and more like very sweet chemicals. That's not to say that I didn't finish the box, because I did. But I will not be purchasing this cereal again. All in all it was fairly disappointing and I would have much rather spent my two dollars on a cup of coffee and a refill at my local coffee shop.

The best experience I had of this cereal was with soy milk, almond butter, and bananas. It was actually pretty dang tasty that way. But I would rather have had Corn Flakes. Or Chocolate Chex. Or, considering the amount of sugar and lack of nutritional value, some frozen yogurt.

Corn Flakes - Kroger

Best with a banana, but still delicious without.

Cereal Name: Corn Flakes

Type of Cereal: Snack Cereal

Primary Grain: Corn

Nutrition Information (based on 1-cup serving):
             Calories: 100
             Total Fat: 0g
             Sugar: 2g
             Fiber: Less than 1g
             Protein: 2g

Top Five Ingredients: Degermed Yellow Corn Meal, Sugar, Salt, Malt Extract (and that's IT)



Review: 

First, I have to say that this box of cereal was $0.99. I don't even remember the last time I came across a box of cereal that was under a dollar (unless it was a mini-bowl, or maybe someone had eaten part of the box already. . .).

I can't wait to try Fruit Whirls!!

Second, you should know that Corn Flakes are absolutely one of my favorite cereals. I don't know what it is about them, but I ADORE Corn Flakes. And I must say, the knock-off Kroger brand of Corn Flakes (while missing something in the packaging/branding -although quite patriotic-) are JUST as alluringly delicious as their more expensive counterparts (Kellogg's or even Trader Joes, etc.).

My favorite way to eat Corn Flakes is with soy milk and a banana, but I also like them plain, or with another cereal and yogurt, or even on toast with peanut butter. Seriously. Try it before you judge.

Honey Grahams

Cereal Name: Honey Grahams

Type of Cereal: Snack/Dessert Cereal

Primary Grain: Corn/Wheat

Nutrition Information (based on 1-cup serving):
         Calories: 173.33
         Total Fat: 4g
         Sugar: 13.33g
         Fiber: 1.33g
         Protein: 1.33g

Top Five Ingredients: Corn Meal, Whole Grain Wheat, Sugar, Molasses, Partially Hydrogenated Soy Bean Oil

Review: If it's not obvious by the name and the box, this is the Fred Meyer off-brand equivalent of Golden Grahams. Oddly I think that this cereal is actually preferred in our home to Golden Grahams themselves.

I find the Honey Grahams to be more robust than their Golden brethren. They are a bit on the sweet side for me, but they are still very good, and I feel confident that I could easily finish a box by myself in one sitting were this not socially frowned upon.

Some Quotes:

"The generic (Honey Grahams) gets soggier faster, so over time Golden Grahams are better, but at first, Honey Grahams are better. Also they have a delicious sugary coating."

"I am highly addicted to them actually"

So there you have it. Worth trying.

Honey-Comb

Cereal Name: Honey-Comb

Type of Cereal: Snack/Dessert Cereal

Primary Grain: Corn/Oat

Nutrition Information (based on 1 cup serving*):
          Calories: 86.67
          Total Fat: .67g
          Sugar: 6.67g
          Fiber: .67g
          Protein: 1.33g
*Please note that this cereal is hefty in size, so the one cup serving does not actually contain very many pieces of cereal. The nutrition information is therefore a bit misleading, though the proportions are correct.

Top Five Ingredients: Corn Flour, Sugar, Whole Grain Oat Flour, Whole Grain Corn Flour, Honey

          Review: Honey-Comb was chosen for two reasons.
1) It was on sale.
2) I had not eaten it for a really really long time. I think the last time I had Honey-Comb was at my babysitter's house like twenty years ago. I had fond memories of this very special treat (as the only cereals in my home growing up were along the lines of Cheerios, Rice Krispies, and Grape Nuts)

This puffed, gently crunchy cereal is a bit reminiscent of Kix, but in disc-form, with perforations. Despite its questionable tagline ("me want honey-comb") it is quite delicious both with milk and without.

Though it is very white and contains virtually no nutritional value, it is light and delicately satisfying. The perfect cereal to eat outside on a weekend evening, seated on the sun-warmed steps in front of one's home.

"It's like a little bite of heaven." -Roommate

Chocolate Cheerios

Cereal Name: Chocolate Cheerios

Type of Cereal: Snack/Dessert Cereal

Primary Grain: Corn/Oats

Nutrition Information (based on 1 cup serving):
          Calories: 133.33
          Total Fat: 2g
          Sugar: 12g
          Fiber: 2.67g
          Protein: 1.33g


Top Five Ingredients: Whole Grain Corn, Sugar, Corn, Corn Syrup, Cocoa Processed with Alkali

In snack form

Review: The Chocolate Cheerios were given to me by a coworker who knows how much I enjoy cereal (and whose children apparently were unable to make it through the Costco size box). To me, Chocolate Cheerios are the kind of sad gerbil to Chocolate Chex's puppy. I would probably like them a lot if Chocolate Chex didn't exist, but they do.

Chocolate Cheerios get the Cheerio slime coating when they have been in milk for a little while and they just don't have that same chocolate zing that makes Chocolate Chex so irresistible. And honestly, they're just a little too sweet for me. Apparently that extra 1.4g of sugar per serving just threw me over the edge. Overall though, it's a good cereal. I wouldn't buy it, but I did eat an entire box of it by myself this week, so that says something, right?

Kashi GoLean Crunch! Honey Almond Flax

Cereal Name: Kashi GoLean Crunch! Honey Almond Flax

Type of Cereal: Breakfast Cereal/Dinner Cereal

Primary Grain: Everything Ever

Nutrition Information (based on 1 cup serving):
              Calories: 200
              Total Fat: 4.5g
              Sugar: 12g
              Fiber: 8g
              Protein: 9g

Top Five Ingredients: Kashi Seven Whole Grains & Sesame Blend (Whole: Hard Red Wheat, Brown Rice, Barley, Triticale, Oats, Rye, Buckwheat, Sesame Seeds), Evaporated Cane Juice Crystals, Soy Protein Concentrate, Brown Rice Syrup, Chicory Root Fiber

Review: Kashi Cereal (containing GMO's) number two. This was my favorite for a while before I discovered the GoLean Crisp. I enjoy the almond slivers and flax seeds and the overall variety of texture. However, I've found this cereal to be overly crunchy, like could-possibly-break-your-teeth crunchy. For this reason, I would recommend eating this cereal only after it has soaked in milk for quite some time. I did eat it in yogurt (per my usual breakfast), but found that the yogurt didn't have quite the same level of effectiveness in de-crunchifying the cereal as the milk did. Anyway, this cereal has good flavor and was recommended to me by a roommate (when we noticed that all Kashi cereal was on sale, surprise surprise).

Kashi GoLean Crisp! Toasted Berry Crumble

Breakfast Cereal

Cereal Name: Kashi GoLean Crisp! Toasted   Berry Crumble

Type of Cereal: Breakfast Cereal/Dinner Cereal

Primary Grain: Oats, Soy, Wheat

Nutrition Information (based on 1 cup serving):

        Calories: 240

        Total Fat: 4.66g

        Sugar: 13.33g

        Fiber: 10.66g

        Protein: 12g

        Top Five Ingredients: Whole Grain Oats, Evaporated Cane Juice Crystals, Soy Protein Concentrate (this is the one that gives you x-men style super powers), Wheat Sticks (Whole Wheat Flour, Kashi Seven Whole Grains & Sesame Flour (Whole: Oats, Hard Red Wheat, Rye, Brown Rice, Triticale, Barley, Buckwheat, Sesame Seeds), Calcium Carbonate), Brown Rice Syrup, Chicory Root Fiber

Yes, I know it contains GMO Soy 

Review: Kashi Cereals have been my go-to dinner cereal for a while now. And despite recent developments I still plan to eat it (I feel ultimately defeated by trying to be healthy; it seems like everything could potentially have terrible future consequences, etc. and I'm going to try to make good decisions about my health, but I will not panic over this particular issue). I especially enjoy the GoLean Crisp (vs. the GoLean Crunch) because it has a good, crispy texture and doesn't feel like it is going to break my teeth. It doesn't get soggy easily, and the dried blueberries and cranberries add an intriguing texture. 

As you can see in the picture above, I enjoy it for breakfast (with plain yogurt, banana slices and strawberry slices) or, alternately below, for dinner (with banana slicer, strawberry slices, soy milk, and almond butter). 

I know that cereal for dinner sounds a little bit odd and collegey, and I think I'm going to try transitioning out of this habit, as I often crave WARM food, but it's just so easy and delicious. . .

Dinner Cereal

Chocolate Chex

Cereal Name: Chocolate Chex

Type of Cereal: Dessert Cereal/Snack Cereal

Primary Grain: Rice

Nutrition Information (based on 1 cup serving):
        Calories: 173.3
        Total Fat: 3.33g
        Sugar: 10.6g
        Fiber: 1.3g
        Protein: 2.6g
        Top Five Ingredients: Whole Grain Rice, Rice, Sugar, Fructose, Canola Oil
   
Review: Oh, Chocolate Chex. The esteemed cereal has the privilege of the first review on my blog because it is my current favorite cereal, and has been for approximately 12 months.

I chose to eat my Chocolate Chex with Light Vanilla Silk Soy Milk. I love the gentle sweetness and delicate crunch of Chocolate Chex. The chocolate  tastes like real cocoa powder, not overly sweet like many so-called "sugar" cereals.

Contents of the box include Rice Chex (top) and Chocolatey Rice Chex (bottom)

It appears that sugar does not, in fact, have any nutritional value. Bummer.

I shared with my roommates who responded with the following. . .

"It's kind of like Cocoa Krispies but a lot more mild. Not as sweet. Like Cocoa Krispies for adults"

"Better than Cocoa Krispies, but not as good as Reeses Puffs"

"I think this is more of a snack cereal. Not a dessert, but not a meal."

"I want more"

"That sweet cereal turned me off my wine. My wine door is now closed. I need more sweet things now"

And with that, I must say that the overwhelming response to this cereal was positive. And I highly recommend trying it if it is available in your local grocery.