We’re fast approaching the start of a new year, a demarcation of time in which many people across the globe resolve to change something about their habits or behaviors in an effort to improve themselves. They make a resolution, as it were, in the New Year. And while a lot of these resolutions involve giving something up— junk food, smoking, illegal cockfighting— others are about adopting something new— exercising, speaking out against illegal cockfighting, a healthier diet.

And as health aficionados the world over will tell you, protein, for most people in most situations, is pretty healthy. General Mills knows this and is adding protein to its already “heart-healthy” Cheerios to capture some of that sweet Resolution Cash. The new protein-packed cereals come in two versions— Cinnamon and Strawberry. I tried both.

Strawberry

Opening the Strawberry bag, I was hit with an overwhelming aroma of, well, strawberry. Visually, they’re also a little pink, but not blindingly so. One thing that threw me for a loop with my first bite was just how crunchy these are. While I’m not a regular Cheerios consumer, I have been known to eat a bowl of Honey Nut when the mood strikes, and they’re definitely not as crunchy as these new heavily protein-ed versions. The strawberry taste is very subtle, which seems to suit Cheerios — given that they’re not known for being cloyingly sweet in the first place.

Rating: 7 out of 10
Nutrition Facts: (37g) 150 calories, 2.5 grams of fat, 0 grams of saturated fat, 0 grams of trans fat, 0 milligrams of cholesterol, 210 milligrams of sodium, 24 grams of carbohydrates, 2 grams of fiber, 12 grams of sugar (11 grams of added sugar), and 8 grams of protein.

Cinnamon

The Cinnamon kind doesn’t have as strong of a cinnamon scent, but the actual cinnamon TASTE is a bit stronger, so if you like cinnamon-flavored things, you’re in luck. Texturally, they’re about the same — incredibly crunchy. But as an avowed cinnamon lover, these ended up a point higher than their fruity brethren.

Rating: 8 out of 10
Nutrition Facts: (37g) 150 calories, 2.5 grams of fat, 0 grams of saturated fat, 0 grams of trans fat, 0 milligrams of cholesterol, 210 milligrams of sodium, 24 grams of carbohydrates, 2 grams of fiber, 12 grams of sugar (12 grams of added sugar), and 8 grams of protein.

Overall, these taste great. But the selling point, really, is the protein, right? A cup of these (the standard cereal serving that seems impossibly tiny when accurately measured out) is good for eight grams. What else gets you eight grams of protein in the morning? A single large egg is around 6-7 grams, so a couple of those would put you over. A cup of Greek yogurt will get you well beyond eight grams. A couple of spoons of peanut butter will do the trick. Regular oatmeal is a tick under, but close.

The point is that plenty of typical breakfast foods are good protein sources. But if you don’t have time to whip up some eggs — and you don’t wanna drink them Rocky-style raw — new Protein Cheerios are a reasonably decent (and tasty!) solution. That said, most of the foods I listed above have significantly less added sugar. Despite the decent amount of protein, these things are sugary-sweet, on par with the sugariest things the Cap’n, the Rabbit, or the uh, Cinnamon Toaster (?) have to offer.

Purchased Price: $5.49
Purchased at: Hy-Vee