Cereal – Page 21 – The Impulsive Buy

REVIEW: General Mills Pokemon Berry Bolt Cereal

Holly / January 22, 2021 / Reviews / 5 Comments

What is General Mills Pokémon Berry Bolt Cereal?

As part of the Pokémon franchise’s 25th anniversary, General Mills has created a cereal to mark the occasion. The Berry Bolt flavored cereal is themed around everyone’s sparky little favorite yellow Pokémon, Pikachu. Berry-flavored, sweetened corn puffs with Pikachu and lightning bolt-shaped marshmallows make up this limited offering.

How is it?

Much like many special tie-in cereals, this one doesn’t bring anything new or innovative to the table. The puffs themselves, a vibrant red and blue color, have that truly generic “berry” flavor you find in a lot of cereals that merely say the taste is “berry.” I got a heavy blueberry flavor whereas my husband swears it was cherry. Also, no, the red and blue puffs don’t taste different.

The marshmallows add a small texture difference and more sweetness to an already sweet cereal. It is a cereal that will absolutely satisfy what a kid wants: sugar, sugar, and more sugar.

Anything else you need to know?

I found it odd that there was no toy or card tie-in. After some recon on the Pokémon message boards, apparently, there will be a card tie-in promotion in late February to coincide with the 25th anniversary. The boxes out now have no 25th branding, but there are three different ones based on the three different starter types in the game.

Conclusion:

Unless you or your kids are die-hard Pokémon fans/collectors, I’d pass on this. While the cereal is perfectly serviceable, we live in an age where you have whole aisles dedicated to cereal and offer almost endless choices. I’d also say if you are curious, wait until at least the 25th branded boxes with cards come out.

Purchase Priced: $3.50
Size: 17 oz box
Purchased at: Target
Rating: 6 out of 10
Nutrition Facts: (1 ¼ cup) 150 calories, 1 grams of fat, 0 grams of saturated fat, 0 milligrams of cholesterol, 200 milligrams of sodium, 34 grams of carbohydrates, 1 grams of fiber, 12 grams of sugar, and 2 grams of protein.

REVIEW: Kellogg’s Raisin Bran Toasted Oats & Honey Cereal

Dustin / January 20, 2021 / Reviews / 3 Comments

When I was younger, I developed a fondness for Raisin Bran Crunch. It elevates Raisin Bran to a higher level and brings it closer to Honey Bunches of Oats. From both texture and taste standpoints, it was dramatically improved for me. With the release of Kellogg’s Raisin Bran Toasted Oats & Honey, I wondered if it would be in the same vein.

The box claims that the cereal consists of “Delicious raisins & toasted bran flakes sprinkled with hearty oats and honey.” Based on the box’s image, I knew to not expect the same crunch levels of Raisin Bran Crunch. It appeared to have single oats sprinkled on the flakes.

Upon pouring the cereal, I noticed there were even less oats than the box had led me to believe. There were tiny flecks of oats clinging to the flakes. It was difficult to even distinguish them as being oats.

I tried the cereal dry and it tasted how I expected based on the aesthetics. The bran flakes are slightly crunchier than usual, with a faint oat flavor. The honey is more noticeable and imparts a gentle sweetness on the flakes.

Adding milk allowed the cereal to come together. The honey flavor was significantly more prevalent and each bite was sweeter than those of traditional Raisin Bran. It did not taste like there was actual honey drizzled on the flakes, but it was distinctive enough to know what they were going for. The oats’ flavor remained understated, but they showcased an important feature in milk: they helped the flakes stay crunchy for much longer. This is definitely appreciated.

On the back of the box, there is a random image of a package of Raisin Bran Crunch. I am not sure why it is there, but it feels like Kellogg’s is taunting me. “We know this is what you really wanted,” it seems to say.

While not a radical departure from traditional Raisin Bran, this cereal is an upgrade on the tried-and-true formula. Given the choice, I would pick Kellogg’s Raisin Bran Toasted Oats & Honey over the original, without hesitation. If given yet another choice, I would choose Raisin Bran Crunch over both, every single time.

Purchased Price: $4.99
Size: 15.6 oz box
Purchased at: Safeway
Rating: 7 out of 10
?Nutrition Facts: (1 cup) 190 calories, 1.5 grams of fat, 0 grams of saturated fat, 0 grams of trans fat, 0 milligrams of cholesterol, 160 milligrams of sodium, 46 grams of carbohydrates, 5 grams of fiber, 19 grams of sugar, and 4 grams of protein.

Cereal Kellogg's Raisin Bran

REVIEW: Limited Edition Chocolate Strawberry Cheerios Cereal

Holly / January 13, 2021 / Reviews / 1 Comment

The speed at which retail stores remove Christmas to put up Valentine’s Day merchandise manages to shock me every year. Wednesday, it was aisles of dreamy snowscape mini villages. Thursday, it’s giant stuffed bears, boxes of cards, and food dyed in vibrant red and pink. Peppermint is out and chocolate strawberry is in.

This year, General Mills decided to take a run at the Valentine’s Day market by releasing the Limited Edition Chocolate Strawberry Cheerios cereal. It is described as a “blissful pairing” of “delectable strawberries dipped in rich, chocolatey sauce.” I was beyond excited to give this a try.

For you see, dear readers, I don’t think I’m being too dramatic when I say chocolate strawberry is the absolute best flavor combination we humans have ever discovered. Okay, maybe a little dramatic, but chocolate strawberry flavor is easily my all-time favorite. Chocolate covered strawberries themselves can be difficult to eat, but with the onslaught of chocolate strawberry flavored foods in the past few years, I’m able to enjoy my favorite pairing with a less awkward mess.

The first thing I noticed just by looking at the box was that the flavor would be coming from the cereal itself. Normally it seems companies will just add a handful of chocolate chunks and strawberry bits to their regular product (looking at you, Special K Chocolate Strawberry).

In this case, General Mills blended its Chocolate Cheerios and Strawberry Cheerios to create this treat. The smell of the strawberry cereal was extremely strong upon opening the plastic. I tossed a handful of dry cereal back and found it to be kind of boring. The strawberry was there, but muted. The chocolate was almost nonexistent.

I wasn’t going to let my hopes be dashed. Surely it would get better once I added the milk. It had to, right? RIGHT?! Lucky milk gave it the glow up it needed. The first thing I noticed as I added milk to the cereal was the pinkish hue of strawberry flavor was coming off the O shapes. The chocolate pieces also began to change the milk from white to chocolatey brown. With my first bite of the milk and cereal, I was met with the flavors I had expected. Bright, juicy strawberry and rich, deep chocolate came through with each spoonful.

After finishing the cereal, I was left with a chocolatey milk. Now, normally I’m not a big fan of the milk after I finish the cereal. I know, you can drag me in the comments, but this might have changed my mind. For the sake of getting a thorough review, I gingerly took a sip. The cereal’s flavors soaked deeply into the milk, leaving an absolutely delicious chocolate strawberry flavored milk beverage. I ended up finishing the milk, which is something I never do.

The high expectations I had for this cereal were (thankfully) met. They in no way replace the authentic taste and experience of eating a chocolate-covered strawberry, but this delivered the flavors I was looking for. In the same way Pumpkin Spice Cheerios add a seasonal fall twist to your morning breakfast routine, these will get you in the mood for love, spring, and 50% off candy on February 15th.

Purchased Price: $3.99
Size: 10.9 oz box
Purchased at: Publix
Rating: 9 out of 10
Nutrition Facts: (1 cup) 140 calories, 2 grams of fat, 0 grams of saturated fat, 0 milligrams of cholesterol, 180 milligrams of sodium, 29 grams of carbohydrates, 3 grams of fiber, 11 grams of sugar, and 3 grams of protein.

Cereal Cheerios General Mills

REVIEW: Cinnamon Toast Crunch Chocolate Churros Cereal

Marvo / January 11, 2021 / Reviews / 1 Comment

Churros have provided me with many memories.

A large number of those involve eating churros at a carnival, hopping on amusement rides with names like Zipper, Top Spin, Orbiter, Gravitron, and Fireball during digestion of those churros, then preventing churro regurgitation while being flipped and spun on those rides, and then regretting the carnival churro consumption.

But I also have good churro memories, and the latest is Cinnamon Toast Crunch Chocolate Churros, which I will not refer to as CTCCC (pronounced see-tee-seeeeeeeeeeee).

If you read the print on the box’s front, you’ll know that EVERYTHING is enlarged to show detail and the cereal is naturally flavored chocolate sweetened wheat and rice cereal with a hint of cinnamon. This shouldn’t be confused with Chocolate Toast Crunch, which is naturally flavored chocolate sweetened wheat and rice squares with a hint of cinnamon.

With a description that includes the words “a hint of cinnamon,” you might think this is chocolate-forward. But it’s more of a 40-60 split between the chocolate and cinnamon. With most spoonfuls, I taste the warm spice more than the cocoa. While I wish there was a stronger chocolate punch, this is an excellent and tasty follow-up to the original Cinnamon Toast Crunch Churros Cereal.

However, there’s something about the churros shape that makes them less satisfying than Chocolate Toast Crunch’s square pieces, which I also thought with the regular cinnamon version. Maybe it’s surface area? Or perhaps it’s the way the nooks and crannies capture milk? I dunno.

While I prefer the original square-shaped Chocolate Toast Crunch a smidge, the churro shape helps maintain a crunchiness level in milk that the squares can only dream of. Speaking of milk, if you happen to leave the cereal in it for a decent amount of time, the aftermilk is ex-cinna-llent.

I know what some of you are thinking, “So this is pretty much Chocolate Toast Crunch, but in tiny churro form?” Pretty much. I know. Kind of a letdown, but I’m not disappointed filling a bowl with it because it’s a solid cereal.

However, if you want to make it somewhat interesting, you could pretend to live in an alternate General Mills universe where square Cinnamon Toast Crunch and Chocolate Toast Crunch don’t exist, but Cinnamon Toast Crunch Churros and Cinnamon Toast Crunch Chocolate Churros do. Also, in this alternate General Mills universe, the oat pieces are the Lucky Charms and Trix is a brand of rabbit food.

Purchased Price: More than anyone should pay on eBay
Size: 19.7 oz box
Purchased at: eBay
Rating: 8 out of 10
Nutrition Facts: (1 cup w/o milk) 170 calories, 5 grams of fat, 0.5 grams of saturated fat, 0 grams of trans fat, 1 gram of polyunsaturated fat, 2.5 grams of monounsaturated fat, 0 milligrams of cholesterol, 230 milligrams of sodium, 31 grams of carbohydrates, 3 grams of fiber, 10 grams of sugar (including 10 grams of added sugar), and 3 grams of protein.

Cereal Cinnamon Toast Crunch General Mills

REVIEW: Cinnamon Toast Crunch and Lucky Charms Soft Baked Bars

Marvo / December 31, 2020 / Reviews / 2 Comments

What are Cinnamon Toast Crunch and Lucky Charms Soft Baked Bars?

They feature the flavors of General Mills’ most popular cereals, Cinnamon Toast Crunch and Lucky Charms (sorry, Raisin Nut Bran), but in soft baked bar form. The CTC one features a cinnamon swirl, while the Lucky Charms one is a marshmallow chip blondie.

How are they?

How I feel about the Cinnamon Toast Crunch bars can be explained by looking at the anthropomorphic cereal piece on the box. No, not the one sticking out its tongue, which would make it seem like I think they’re gross. I’m talking about the one with a smile on its face. Although, my face is less euphoric.

The cinnamon swirl is more like cinnamon sections planted generously throughout the bar. They have a mild, sweet flavor and a streusel-like crunch. Oh, and if you were wondering, the icing doesn’t taste like milk. But even though there’s a pleasant flavor and a bit of a crunch, the bars don’t remind me of Cinnamon Toast Crunch cereal. Don’t get me wrong, they have a nice flavor, but they also taste like other pastries that use the warm spice.

As for the Lucky Charms version, its flavor tastes like the cereal’s marshmallows because there are actual Lucky Charms marbits baked into them.

Unfortunately, because they’re baked, the shaped marbits’ have melted into color blobs, and their usual crunchy texture has turned into something much softer. I mean, they’re not soggy as if they were sitting in milk for half an hour, but they’re soft enough that they end up being the same texture as the cake that surrounds them. Thankfully, there’s no oat cereal flavor.

According to the ingredients, the bars also contain confectionary chips, but they’re soft and unrecognizable like the marshmallows.

Anything else you need to know?

I can’t get the image of Fiber One bars out of my head when I look at these because they have the same shape and icing pattern as Fiber One Brownies and Soft-Baked Bars. Of course, the similarities make sense since they’re also made by General Mills.

If you’re wondering, these don’t contain much fiber. But maybe there’s a Big G Cereals and Fiber One mashup in our fiber futures.

Conclusion:

Both Cinnamon Toast Crunch and Lucky Charms Soft Baked Bars are pleasant treats that I’d eat again. But I wish the CTC variety reminded me of the cereal as much as the Lucky Charms one did. And I wish the Lucky Charms bars had a bit of crunch like the CTC bars did.

DISCLOSURE: I received free samples of the products. Thanks, General Mills! Doing so did not influence my thoughts about them.

Purchased Price: FREE
Size: 4.92 oz box/6 bars
Purchased at: Received from General Mills
Rating: 7 out of 10 (Cinnamon Toast Crunch), 7 out of 10 (Lucky Charms)
Nutrition Facts: (1 bar) Cinnamon Toast Crunch – 90 calories, 3.5 grams of fat, 1.5 grams of saturated fat, 0 milligrams of cholesterol, 75 milligrams of sodium, 16 grams of carbohydrates, 1 gram of fiber, 8 grams of sugar, and less than 1 gram of protein. Lucky Charms – 100 calories, 3.5 grams of fat, 1.5 grams of saturated fat, 0 milligrams of cholesterol, 75 milligrams of sodium, 16 grams of carbohydrates, 1 gram of fiber, 8 grams of sugar, and less than 1 gram of protein.

Cereal Cinnamon Toast Crunch Lucky Charms Snack Bars