cereal review Archives

Cheerios Protein Earned a Thumbs Up

July 7, 2014 by Momstart 5 Comments

This is a partnered post and samples received, opinions are always our own.

We received two boxes of Cheerios Protein to test out. My kids love cereal, and over the years have developed their favorites. When we received the Cheerios they really wanted to try them and I wondered if they would go back to their other cereal right away. NOPE, they are working on finishing the box. They’ve had a bowl every days since they tried it. The Cheerios Protein Oats and Honey have a really nice hint of honey and the granola oat clusters are so delicious. I think it’s a great combination and has lots of reasons for mom to stand behind it.

After a bit of research, Cheerios found that breakfast and morning snacks are the highest desired occasions for sustaining energy. They took this information, along with the knowledge that people want to start their day with energy-providing protein, to create their newest product: Cheerios Protein. Making sure my kids have a good breakfast is at the top of my list every day you know!

Cheerios Protein has 11g of protein (with milk), 27g of whole grains, and 13 vitamins and minerals helping families start the day with a breakfast that will keep them going all morning long. I’ve even noticed that my kids aren’t asking for a morning snack.

See, Miles even gave it a thumbs up. Well, that picture was a bit blurry but he likes it enough to give it a thumbs up. I like it because it keeps them full. The one thing I will draw your attention to is that the serving size on the box is larger than most cereal serving sizes. My husband looked at the amount of calories on the side of the box and I said not to worry because the serving size is almost twice the size of most cereal boxes. So proportionally it’s better than most.

Vanilla Chex: New Gluten-Free Breakfast Option

July 29, 2013 by Beeb 8 Comments

Vanilla Chex

Product samples were provided for review purposes.

I love cereal. I’m not gonna lie, there have been more than a few instances where I have poured myself a bowl of cereal for dinner on a busy night! So when I received a box of goodies from Chex, I knew this would be a good option for breakfast and beyond. My package contained samples of Vanilla Chex, their newest variety; I was all out of milk when it arrived, but I opened one of the boxes just so I could have a taste. I was enjoying myself so much that I had to stop myself from snacking on the whole box dry – I can see this being really nice in muddy buddies!

But I did get a gallon of milk the next day and have been eating it “Normally” ever since – ha! We’re digging the sweet vanilla taste; it might be a little too sweet for some tastes, but Jai and I have both been enjoying it. Vanilla Chex actually reminds me of a limited edition cereal I used to eat as a kid that got discontinued in the 1990s. This cereal is also gluten free and clocks in at 120 calories per 3/4 cup serving.

Obol

Another fun item that accompanied my cereal was an Obol. What is an Obol, you ask? This is a specially designed bowl that separates your cereal and milk so that it doesn’t get soggy. The cereal sits on a “Ramp” at the top of the bowl, so you can push it down into the milk whenever you’re ready. (I can picture kids having a lot of fun with this!) I’m one of those weirdos that actually likes soggy cereal, but it’s a pretty neat bowl nonetheless. You can also use the bowl to serve other items, like chips and dip – how clever is that?

Have you tried Vanilla Chex yet?

Kashi Go Lean Crisp Cinnamon Crumble Cereal Review

April 19, 2012 by Momstart 25 Comments

By Summer:

My family had the opportunity to try Kashi GOLEAN Crisp! Cinnamon Crumble. I have to be honest I really didn’t try much as I’m trying to steer away from processed foods including cereals. Let me say however that my husband and sons are not on board with my crazy purchasing habits (though I do the shopping, so they have to deal with it!). The Kashi GOLEAN Crisp! Cinnamon Crumble was gone in only one week. My husband ate a bowl every morning for breakfast and my sons enjoyed it once or twice as a “second breakfast”. [Side note: Do you have little hobbits too, like Lord of the Rings? My sons like to have a breakfast, second breakfast, third breakfast, mid-morning snack, and mid-morning teatime all before lunch!] Needless to say, they all liked it.

Cinnamon Crumble is a new flavor for the Kashi GOLEAN Crisp! line which offers “naturally sweetened multigrain clusters” with 10 grams of protein, 9 grams of fiber, and 20 grams of whole grain per serving so “you stay fuller longer”. With this you also get 10 grams of sugar per serving; a serving is ¾ cup and with 15 ounces per box there are about 8 servings per container. The ingredients consist of whole grain oats, evaporated can 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), brown rice syrup, chicory root fiber, soy grits, expeller pressed canola oil, yellow corn flour, soy protein isolate, cinnamon, oat fiber, baking soda, natural flavor, evaporated salt, mixed tocopherols for freshness, soy lecithin.

If you’re a person on the go and don’t have time to make a whole foods breakfast then an option such as the Kashi GOLEAN Crisp! Cinnamon Crumble is a great “grab and go” choice compared to scrambling eggs with diced vegetables, or making oatmeal or granola. Kashi is a better brand than General Mills or Kellogg with their Frosted Flakes and Lucky Charms! I also like Nature’s Path Organics.

If you’re not familiar with Kashi you can find out more about them on their website and even join their communications list to receive coupons, recipes, newsletters, as well as to stay connected with others. You can also follow Kashi on Facebook.

About Summer:

Summer is very active in our Local MOMS Club chapter, she is the mother of two adorable active boys, and is always thinking of ways to help others. She is a friend, a wife, and always busy as all mommies are. She is very active on Facebook, addicted to Geocaching and very interested in organic and green living while cooking up a storm.

All About Nature’s Path Love Crunch

February 11, 2012 by Momstart 6 Comments

By Summer:

I enjoy food! I enjoy making it (as you may know from my Thursday Treats each week) and I enjoy eating it (which you also may know since I have reviewed some fitness products for Mom Start … I still have some pounds to go). I’m to the point in my life where I can choose I eat or chose to eat well; if I want a burger I want a fully loaded grass feed beef burger, for chocolate I don’t want a Hershey’s bar I’d prefer Fran’s or Theo’s, and I personally LOVE Nature’s Path granola over any other brand.

Nature’s Path Love Crunch premium granolas are top of the line – like Nordstrom’s, Café Vivace, Lexus. My family doesn’t buy cereal, but we do purchase Nature’s Path granolas. Nature’s Path Organic makes top of the line foods. They are a brand I stand behind for their food (AND their eco issues – species conservation and going green – and their company’s philanthropic nature, but those are other Mom Start articles).

Love Crunch will come not in the traditional box, but in a bag, to forgo excess cardboard. For each bag of Love Crunch sold, Nature’s Path will donate the equivalent in cereal or cash (up to $1 million) to food banks. Through the “Spread the Love Project” [or Bite4Bite is what you’ll find written on the bags], Nature’s Path will bundle the goodwill of all the consumers buying Love Crunch into what Nature’s Path Organics calls “love miracles” by helping to ease hunger for those who need it most.

Our first Nature’s Path Organic granola love was Ancient Grains which my family first discovered at Costco. At Costco we also would purchase Nature’s Path Organics toast pastries. Last year at Valentine’s, Nature’s Path asked me to try their new Love Crunch cereal which was only going to be at Whole Foods. YUM!

To celebrate Valentine’s Day, Nature’s Path introduced the original Love Crunch – called Dark Chocolate & Red Berries – which was the perfect marriage of flax granola, strawberries, raspberries, coconut and dark chocolate chunks. Inspired by a true-life love story and philanthropic endeavor, it was created by Arjan Stephens, son of Nature’s Path’s founder Arran Stephens, and his wife, Rimjhim, as a wedding favor for those who helped celebrate their marriage. In lieu of wedding gifts, the two asked guests to volunteer in their communities and post photos on a project page which they aptly named “The Experience Giving Project.” Nature’s Path then actually created Love Crunch as a limited edition cereal with a portion or proceeds benefiting the Whole Planet Foundation.

Well, my Whole Foods location didn’t bring in Love Crunch, so I was out of luck as far as stocking up since it was a limited time release in 2011. In January this year I was so happy that Costco had a large 26.4 ounce bag of Love Crunch Dark Chocolate & Red Berries.

Then the best thing happened just recently, Nature’s Path Organic asked me to try their new Love Crunch varieties – Carrot Cake, Apple Crumble, and Aloha Blend! Each of these are so delish! Even though I was looking forward to Carrot Cake, wanted the Apple Crumble for my husband, and thought I won’t like the Aloha Blend … I’m here to report they’re ALL awesome! Though my favorite is still “the original” Love Crunch Dark Chocolate & Red Berries.

Here’s a look inside the cereals:

· Aloha Blend – Rolled oats*, evaporated cane juice*, soy oil*, dried coconut*, spelt*, dried coconut*, white chocolate chunks* (cane sugar*, cocoa butter*, whole milk powder*, soy lecithin [non-GMO], vanilla extract*, ground vanilla*), freeze-dried pineapple*, rice starch*, sea salt, natural pineapple flavor, cinnamon*, tocopherol (natural vitamin E).
Contains soy and dairy. Produced in a facility that uses wheat, peanuts, and tree nuts.

· Carrot Cake – Rolled Oats*, evaporated cane juice*, rolled spelt*, soy oil*, raisins* (coated with sunflower oil*), pecans*, yogurt chips* (sugar*, palm kernel oil*, non-fat milk*, lactic acid, soy lecithin*, salt, vanilla*), dried carrots*, freeze-dried pineapple*, rice starch*, sea salt, cinnamon*, natural vanilla flavor, cloves*, tocopherols (natural vitamin E).
Contains soy, tree nuts, and dairy. Produced in a facility that uses wheat and peanut.

· Apple Crumble – Rolled oats*, evaporated cane juice*, rolled spelt*, soy oil*, pecans*, freeze-dried apples*, chia seeds*, rice starch*, sea salt, molasses*, cinnamon*, natural vanilla flavor, tocopherols (natural vitamin E).
Contains soy and tree nuts. Produced in a facility that uses wheat and peanuts.

· Dark Chocolate & Red Berries – Rolled oats*, evaporated cane juice*, soy oil*, spelt*, dark chocolate chunks* (evaporated cane juice*, chocolate liquor*, cocoa butter*, soy lecithin*, vanilla*), flax seeds*, dried coconut*, cocoa*, freeze-dried berry blend* (freeze-dried strawberries*, freeze-dried raspberries*), rice starch*, sea salt, natural chocolate flavor, natural vanilla flavor, tocopherols (natural vitamin E).
Contains soy. Produced in a facility that uses dairy, peanuts, and tree nuts.

* Organic

If you want some Nature’s Path recipes, Mom Start has made SmartBran Chocolate Fudge Cupcakes and Diane Henderik’s Strawberry Cheesecake; only the strawberry cheesecake is made with Nature’s Path Organic’s Love Crunch Dark Chocolate & Red Berries. (However, there are many different Nature’s Path recipes both savory and sweet on their site). Mom Start has also featured Manna Organics Bavarian Style Sourdough loaves last year which are distributed by Nature’s Path Organics. BUT you should see the whole line of Nature’s Path Organic products!

Stay connected with Nature’s Path Organic on their website, via the Nature’s Path Organics blog, on Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube. Add Love Crunch to your shopping … go ahead, we’ll wait; you won’t regret it!

We have received samples in the past but we truly love Nature’s Path

About Summer:

Kid Tested Mother Approved Prize Pack Giveaway

November 23, 2010 by Momstart 42 Comments

You know before I had kids, I never every tried Kix before. Then after having kids, I think my husband brought home a box of Kix once. I thought to myself, they can’t eat that, they have to eat cheerios. Well, I took one really good look at the nutritional content and said, yep, I approve, they can eat it. I even tried it, I was surprised that I actually liked it too.

Today´s busy schedules and hectic morning routines can leave you looking for simple, nutritious solutions to help your little ones grow into "big kids."

When it comes to starting off your day right, a new survey from Kix found that 84 percent of parents turn to cereal with milk for a quick and healthy breakfast. With the same great taste kids have loved for more than 70 years, Kix makes it easy to serve your family a simple and healthy breakfast! Whether you choose to serve Original Kix or Honey Kix, you can be sure that your kids are getting a wholesome food with nutrients they need to grow.
The "Kid-Tested Mother-Approved^®"cereal is made with whole grain corn and is an excellent source of iron. It also is a good source of calcium, fiber, and Vitamins C and D. Original Kix has no artificial colors, flavors or preservatives.
To find out more, visit the recently launched Kix website, www.KixCereal.com, featuring background on the history of Kix, nutritional content, and special offers.

Enter to Win:

Kix "Kid-Tested, Mother-Approved" prize pack including a 24-piece counting-themed floor puzzle, fun learn-to-count flashcards, a sippy cup, a portable snack container and a box each of Original Kix and Honey Kix cereals

To Enter:

Leave A comment on this post telling me How you make your busy morning routine special for your family?

Extra Entries:

Tweet: Kid Tested Mother Approved Prize Pack #MyBlogSpark #giveaway http://bit.ly/ePK1uV

List this giveaway on any giveaway site, dig or stumble
Blog About this Giveaway (linking to the giveaway)
Add my blog button to your sidebar.

This giveaway ends December 13th, I received a product as compensation from MyBlogSpark on behalf of Kix! All rules can be found under giveaway rules.

[me] & goji cereal review

June 18, 2009 by MomStart 1 Comment

Oh yes it is as fresh as this picture looks. It was wonderful. I would say that it’s even better than the other company that I reviewed last month. Yes they sent me a free sample but I’m still working on my last sample and this one is almost gone.

[me] & goji is a site where you can build your mix or pick a custom mix. I picked a mix and loved everything I put in it and the best part was the surprise in my children. If there was something that one of them didn’t like then the other one liked it and vice versa. Of course I was more than pleased to finish anything that they didn’t want.

My favorite addition to my mix was the chocolate covered goji berries. My daughter Zoe kept calling them chocolate chips so she didn’t even know what she was eating something that was semi-healthy. I’m amazed at how many options there were. I’m really impressed.

The nutrition information is included as you build your mix, you can also find out the individual nutritional information, for example the goji berry according to their site:

health benefits: 11 essential and 22 trace dietary minerals – Rich in antioxidants, particularly carotenoids such as beta-carotene and zeaxanthin – 18 amino acids – 6 essential vitamins – 8 polysaccharides and 6 monosaccharides – 5 unsaturated fatty acids, including linoleic acid and alpha-linolenic acid beta-sitosterol and other phytosterols – 5 carotenoids including beta-carotene and zeaxanthin, lutein, lycopene and cryptoxanthin, a xanthophylls – numerous phenolic pigments

It was much easier to make selections, I feel that they have an excellent well laid out site. I love dragging the options to the food bowl. You should check it out, it’s fun to order and to eat. Create your mix.