Post doesn’t release limited-edition Honey Bunches of Oats flavors very often, so when it does, pay attention!
Except this new Frosted Bunches variety, sadly, isn’t worth paying much attention to. Really, the most interesting part of the whole cereal is the wintry box with a yeti theme. (Why are yetis having a moment now?)
I happened to have the bottom half of a box of Honey Bunches of Oats with Almonds, so I was able to make a few comparisons between the new one and the classic.
With “Frosted Bunches” as the name of this new cereal, I assumed the oat clusters would be different. And yet, I* can’t really taste a difference between the bunches. If they are different, I don’t know what it is.
(*See what I did there? “yet, I”? “yeti”?)
The real difference is actually in the flakes. All of them in the Frosted Bunches variety are lighter in color and sweeter. This cereal would be better called Honey Bunches of Oats Frosted Flakes instead of Frosted Bunches. So, basically, this is a sweeter version of regular Honey Bunches of Oats, and the nutrition facts bear that out.
And despite an extra dose of “Bunches” in this cereal’s name, it seems to have fewer, not more, bunches in the cereal itself.
Look, Honey Bunches of Oats has long been one of my favorite cereals, so I will gladly finish this box. But it is not significantly different from the regular varieties. I only notice the differences because I’m looking for them. The ingredient lists have mostly the same ingredients, just in a different order.
The differences are not significant enough for me to make it worth the extra sugar in this Frosted Bunches edition, mainly because the regular version has more textural and flavor contrasts.
This cereal might be boring, but I hope to see more exciting limited edition offerings from Honey Bunches of Oats in the future. (How have we not yet seen a pumpkin spice variety?!)
Purchased Price: $2.99
Size: 11 oz. box
Purchased at: Smith’s (Kroger)
Rating: 6 out of 10
Nutrition Facts: (1 cup/40 grams) 160 calories, 2 grams of fat, 0 grams of saturated fat, 0 grams of trans fat, 0.5 grams of polyunsaturated fat, 1 gram of monounsaturated fat, 0 milligrams of cholesterol, 180 milligrams of sodium, 34 grams of carbohydrates, 1 gram of dietary fiber, 11 grams of sugar including 11 grams of added sugar, and 2 grams of protein.
Based on sugar content, the box on the left is the frosted variety. I think you may be onto something with fewer clusters. The calorie count is 10 less. The granola clusters would mean more calories. Since there are fewer calories, I can also assume fewer clusters. I am bummed. This cereal sounded so promising! I’d love a collaboration between Post and State Fair granola so the Honey Bunches of Oats could have more flavors of clusters….state fair does some great ones. Their gingerbread is very good.
Hopefully this doesn’t come off as pedantic, but the frosted box says that a serving is 40 grams, while the other one says that a serving is 42 grams. If they’re approximating that 40 grams is 160 calories, that means that each gram is worth 4 calories. So at 42 grams, it would be 168 calories, only 2 less than the other box, and I figure they’d round up since calorie numbers in the US always end in 5 or 0. Again not trying to be pedantic about it when I say all of that, but I imagine that the frosted one having additional added sugars makes up for the decrease in anything else, in terms of calories.
With all of that being said – I loved the frosted bunches a lot, but I strongly agree that they’re definitely skimping on the bunches. This review sadly reaffirmed that for me. I was hoping that I maybe just get a lousy bag.
I had not noticed the slight serving difference so your point is a good one. Others made good points about cereals in general. At the end of the day, it’s about personal choice. I work in a school so I firmly believe education is the key. Teach people about nutrition and biology, and that’s a good thing! I’m a fan of cereal mixing. I’ve made some better combinations, both nutritional-wise snd taste-wise, that way.
I haven’t tried the cereal yet but I like wintery box so much it was well worth whatever I paid for it.
Same here, hehe…
More sugar, less protein & fiber and less nutritious (fewer essential vitamins).
Since when does cereal have to be nutritious? I generally eat cereal because I like it and it tastes good, not for the nutrition.
A lot of people eat cereal high in fiber for overall digestive health.
Some cereal producers have high protein lines: Magic Spoon, Kellogs, Post, Catalina Crunch.
Yeah and standard Honey Bunches of Oats isn’t marketed as one of those healthy cereal options, or high in fiber/protein/essential vitamins/anything else.
Which is why Elizabeth asked “since when does cereal **have to** be nutritious” – your initial comment was about this flavor being less healthy than the normal one, when that isn’t an issue for a cereal brand that isn’t presenting itself as healthy in the first place
Exactly! And I feel sad for people who eat cereal only for the health benefits. They’re missing out on all the amazing cereals out there that aren’t “healthy.” Magic Spoon cereal looks disgusting anyway.
Welp happy holidays and happy 2024! We’ll see if this is the last post of 2023 or we get another one before the year is over! 😉
That’s what I’m wondering too! It’s been almost a week
Moi, aussi! I was literally just wondering about that, earlier this afternoon. Having said that, this time of year is over-the-top busy and demanding, for most people, so I wouldn’t be surprised if this is the last one for 2023.
I’d love to see another one (or two or…), but 100% get why folks might not have the time (and/or the energy) to do so, until beginning of 2024.
At any rate, Happy Holidays, to our entire wonderful TIB community!
Happy Holidays to all! Just wanted to give the TIB folks a heads up that for a $3 donation you can purchase a little key tag at Wendy’s that gives you a free Jr. Frosty (with any other purchase – even if its another Frosty ) for all of 2024. The donation to the Dave Thomas Foundation for Adoption can be made at any Wendy’s and they will provide you with the key tag. So, for $3 you get a year’s worth of yummy shakes 🙂
I’m glad I didn’t bother to get this one, seems like nothing special/bit of a let-down…especially when I have a backlog of other ltd ed/seasonal cereals to try…