cereal Archives - MomStart

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?

Post Great Grains Protein Blends Cereals: Ingredients You Can See

July 18, 2013 by Momstart 1 Comment

One important part of metabolism is how many calories you burn while at rest. Did you know that eating breakfast to “break the fast” can increase your metabolism by as much as 10%? Start your day with the less-processed whole grain nutrition of Great Grains Protein Blend to help jumpstart your metabolism.

Great Grains Protein Blend cereals add whole grain, natural fiber and protein to the tasty, less processed ingredients the brand has been delivering to breakfast tables across the country for years. Great Grains Protein Blend cereals come in two delicious varieties, Cinnamon Hazelnut and Honey, Oats & Seeds. Cinnamon Hazelnut is full of flavor with just a hint of sweetness. Honey, Oats & Seeds is a tasty mixture with added crunch from pumpkin seeds, almonds, and multigrain clusters with sunflower seeds. This cereal is great for breakfast, but also a popular recipe ingredient.

Post Great Grans Blends Cereals sent me two samples along with a kit showing me in great details what’s really in each cereal. Watch this quick video to see what I’m talking about.

As you can see from the video Post Great Grains Blends Cereals have real size ingredients, healthy nuts, and seeds and grains like whole grain and the flakes are toasted with honey on them. It’s a great crunch cereal.

They gently crack the whole wheat berry and add a mix of grains to our flakes, while some of the competition add artificial sweeteners, flavors or isolated fibers to their flakes. We then add in nutritious fruit, nuts and/or seeds and balance them with our grains for a great taste that’s irresistible. I love crunchy cereal and these Post Great Grains Protein Blends are quite crunchy.

Barbara’s Breakfast Cereal: Puffins, Corn Flakes and Brown Rice Review

April 20, 2013 by Momstart Leave a Comment

Barbara’s cereal

By Lynn:

One of the first things I noticed when my 5 year old daughter had to go gluten free two years ago was the vast number of breakfast cereals that contain gluten. Not only in those that are immediately obvious but those that have it in the ingredients any way. "Rice" or "corn" in the name but it still has gluten as a preservative or malt for flavor.
Barbara’s has made great tasting cereals without that. My daughter got to try a few different kinds (yes, I sampled them too!) She tried the "Puffins" so cute with the puffin on the box. She said she preferred the multi-grain over the honey rice, but I think that’s just personal choice. She also tried and really enjoyed the Corn Flakes. Something she hasn’t been able to have for a while.

I, of course, check to see what the ingredients are, I used to all time for myself, and the when I had children and now especially for my daughter. In the corn flakes there were just 3, yep THREE, ingredients: Corn, pear or apple juice and salt! Same with the “Brown Rice Crisps” 3 ingredients! Rice, pear or apple juice and salt. The grains and fruit are all organic. While I was typing up this review my (very fussy!) 3 year old came and sat down next to me and started helping herself to the rice crisps straight out the box. Isn’t that the best way to eat cereal?

Barbara’s Bakery has been around since 1971 and they consider themselves a pioneer in the natural foods movement. Barbara (17 at the time!) believed in “staying close to nature and keeping things simple”. And what does this mean to them? No refined sugar, hydrogenated oils, artificial food additives, flavors or preservatives.

They have a new product out too, the Snackimals Cereals. Available in two flavors: Vanilla Blast and Cinnamon Crunch. Unfortunately, like the snackimals snacks these are not gluten free but I remember tasting the snacks a while ago and they were yummy! (I guess I could always message them and ask 🙂 ).
I’m sure they’ll be in some stores soon too.

Lastly, I think it’s always good to know when a company supports charities and Barbara’s helps the National Audubon Society celebrate it’s 40^th anniversary of Project Puffin! Project Puffin is helping reintroduce puffins on their historic nesting islands – Eastern Egg Rock – in the Gulf of Maine. You can adopt a puffin for a year, visit www.barbaras.com/adoptapuffin for more info!

About Lynn:

I met Lynn in MOMS Club and she has two children. One of which is the same age as my daughter and they love to giggle and play together. Lynn Hooper is also a local Mary Kay Consultant while also being a full time mom. “A lot of what the business stands for is true to my heart. Mary Kay Inc. has a foundation that donates funds to help end domestic violence and also funds research into cancers that affect women. Mary Kay also has what’s called "The Golden Rule" which means God (faith) first, family second and business third. A great principal for me and nice to know I am part of a team that believes in this too.”

MOM Brands Multigrain Cinnamon, Mixed Berry & Chocolate Spooners Review

April 7, 2013 by Momstart 2 Comments

By Alyson:

Our days regularly start with cereal during the school year. That is what the girls want so who am I to argue? ;) And while we have tried a great variety of brands, I do try to keep our choices limited to ones that have some nutritional value as well as keep the cost down. Let me tell you how thrilled I was to be sent 3 bags of MOM Brands‘ NEW Spooners line in their most popular varieties!

The Multigrain Cinnamon, Mixed Berry and Chocolate flavors were all a big hit with the girls as well as myself. Not only did they taste good but they were good for us. I mean, even the Chocolate Spooners has 38 grams of whole grains per serving!

Here is what the company has to say about this great line of cereals:

Wholesome. Delicious. And sensible. What more do you need? You deserve more. Especially when it comes to your breakfast cereal. That’s why we’ve packed so much healthy goodness into our 12 layers of shredded wheat tastiness!
Your family can have it all. What makes Spooners® such a delicious source of fiber? We leave out artificial flavors, artificial preservatives, high fructose corn syrup and hydrogenated oils, so there’s more room for what you really want in your breakfast bowl – nutritious, delicious, wholesome ingredients.
Look for our innovative packaging in the box section of the cereal aisle. It’s the environmentally friendly stand up bag.

Like they said, this newest line comes in stand-up gusseted bags, which sit on the shelf like a box, yet contain 75% less consumer packaging waste than comparably sized bag-in-box ready-to-eat cereals.

Each bag of Spooners contains biscuits with flavored morsels baked into the middle. The biscuits are based on the MOM Brands award-winning, proprietary 12-layer biscuit, and are made with whole grain wheat. Most varieties also contain triticale – a cross between rye and wheat, with higher levels of essential amino acids. The new cereal is free of artificial flavors and preservatives, with no hydrogenated oils or high fructose corn syrup. All varieties carry the Whole Grain Stamp from the Whole Grains Council and have at least five grams of fiber per serving. Spooners are available in the following flavors:

Mixed Berry Multigrain Spooners: Made with blueberry morsels baked inside and a just-sweet-enough raspberry frosting
Cinnamon Multigrain Spooners: Made with 43 grams of whole grains per serving and cinnamon morsels baked inside
Original Multigrain Spooners: Each serving has 55 grams of whole grains and 7 grams of fiber for a no-nonsense breakfast
Frosted Multigrain Spooners: A 12-layer biscuit with a touch of sweetness baked inside, along with 44 grams of whole grains
Chocolate Spooners with Chocolate Chips: For the kid in all of us…a chocolate fix that’s good for you

While morning may not be Paige’s favorite time of the day, the Chocolate Spooners sure was. When asked what she thought about the cereal, she stated, "It is de-licious!" Well you cannot get much higher of a compliment than that from a sleepy siz year old. lol

I guess the real question is, would I actually buy MOM’s Spooners cereal bags?

The answer is a resounding YES! They are available at most local grocery stores including our small town Brookshire’s and at a very reasonable price.

As a bonus, click here to find a 75 cents off coupon for the bag of your choice!

Now, in case you were wondering just who this MOM Brands is, they are Malt-O-Meal®! That’s right. In 2012 Malt-O-Meal® became MOM Brands®? A simple name change, but one that reflects the company they are today. Part of offering a better breakfast is delivering it in a way that is as gentle as possible on the earth and their sustainability goals are at the forefront of every thing that they do.

For more information about MOM Brands® nutrition or to find a retailer near you, visit http://mombrands.com/our-brands/spooners/. To stay up to date on MOM Brands®, join their Email Club.

We received samples and our opinions are our own.

About Alyson

Alyson is a Stay-at-Home Mom blogger and a work-in-progress author. She is blessed to stay home to raise her three crazy, amazing girls and be married to her hero. She loves all things Disney, scrapbooking, reading, travel, cowboys and horses. You can read about her ups, down and craziness on Facebook or Pinterest.

Free DreamWorks Animation DVD Samplers In General Mills Children’s Cereal Giveaway #MyblogSpark

January 24, 2013 by Momstart 47 Comments

For a limited time (until March 15th or while supplies last) Big G and DreamWorks Animation have teamed up to create four collectible DVD samplers containing content from Shrek, How to Train Your Dragon, Kung Fu Panda and Madagascar, just for you. Each DVD contains fun episodes, behind the scenes footage and bonus material from your favorite DreamWorks Animation movies. Hurry and collect all four! Plus, look for an exclusive sneak peak at "The Croods" coming to theaters, March 22, 2013.

We all know how much we’ve grown to love our favorite characters from the DreamWorks Animation films like Shrek, How to Train Your Dragon, Kung Fu Panda, Madagascar and more. You can only receive these four collectible DVD samplers by purchasing specially marked boxes of your favorite Big G cereal, seen below.

Hurry! Your chance to collect all four DreamWorks Animation DVD samplers ends soon.

By purchasing the above cereal boxes or entering here to win the DVD Samplers.

Enter to Win:

•	Set of 4 DreamWorks Animation DVD samplers
•	The Croods: Grub´s Survival Book
•	The Croods: Movie Novelization Book
•	Film Reel tin filled with some of your favorite movie theater treats
	Combined Retail Value: $53

To Enter:

Tell us which General Mills cereal is your favorite

Extra Entries:

Please use the rafflecopter and leave a way for us to verify it

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Samples received. This giveaway ends February 5th. Please see our giveaway rules

Seed to Spoon A Simple Start to Start Right with Kellogg’s

October 2, 2012 by Momstart 7 Comments

Kellogg’s presented the question to me, how important is it for you to know where your cereal comes from, does it have healthy ingredients in it, is it wholesome, is it simple, is it right?

Yes cereal is a very important part of our morning routine. My kids love to eat cereal. Eating in the morning is the best way to give your children a great start in the day. I’ve often heard that breakfast is the most important meal of the day. The energy we get from breakfast is so important so yes I do think about what I purchase for the kids in the morning.

Do we always purchase from Kellogg’s not always but a great deal of the time we do. Kellogg’s makes quite a few really great and wholesome cereals. One of them I like to buy is Kellogg’s special K because I can find it at Costco and buy it in bulk, therefore saving my family money while serving them a healthy start to their day. A few other Kellogg’s options include:

Kellogg’s Raisin Bran
Kellogg’s All Bran
Kellogg’s Corn Flakes
Kellogg’s Rice Krispies Original
Kellogg’s Rice Krispies Gluten Free

At the Kellogg’s "Start Simple, Start Right" you can discover how Kellogg’s keeps things simple for us and our family. The selection for Kellogg’s cereals is easy it’s simply made with seven ingredients or less, plus vitamins and minerals, and all starting with the goodness of a single grain. Start Simple, start right with Kellogg’s.

You should also check out these “Seed to Spoon” Kellogg’s video “takes” showing how they make their cereals.

And if I haven’t fed you enough information yet, this infografic should spoon it up for you.

Be sure to visit the Kellogg’s "Start Simple, Start Right" website.

I wrote this review while participating in an ambassador program by Mom Central Consulting on behalf of the Kleenex brand and received product samples and a promotional item to thank me for taking the time to participate

MOM Brands™ Better Oats®, Malt-O-Meal®, Mom’s Best® and Three Sisters®

September 15, 2012 by Momstart 8 Comments

A picky palate isn’t something that I deal with in my house I have two really good eaters. They love to try new things and I love serving up new things. From oatmeal to cereal to toast to eggs I try to get it all in. My kids usually just want something simple like cereal and oatmeal. I have found that that a box of cereal has skyrocketed in price in my opinion. So has the price of oatmeal for that matter. Better breakfast on a budget is the MOM Brands motto. MOM Brands’ house of well-known brands, Better Oats®, Malt-O-Meal®, Mom’s Best® and Three Sisters®, offers a better breakfast at a better price – with unique flavors to satisfy any picky palate.

I can’t argue with great taste and great price!!! The first product we are going to eat is that Lavish dark chocolate oatmeal by Better Oats. I can’t wait to dig into that box. Zoe’s been begging for me to open it too. She’s my chocolate loving girl just like me.

· Better Oats instant oatmeal comes in many delicious varieties – 23 flavors in fact, including Lavish® Dark Chocolate and MMM… Muffins® Blueberry Muffin. Kids love Better Oats because it’s fun and delicious, and parents love it because it is not only nutritious, but also earth-friendly and convenient. Better Oats uses 25 percent less packaging than traditional instant oatmeal boxes, and the pouch doubles as a measuring cup! Made with 100% whole grain oats and flax seeds, this complete line offers a simple and healthy option when it comes to instant oatmeal. If that’s not enough to get a parent’s attention, Dr. Oz included Better Oats in his list of foods he wants in your shopping cart!

· Kids and parents alike get really excited about our ready-to-eat Malt-O-Meal cold cereals, including the Cooking Light® Taste Test Awards Grand Prize winning Frosted Mini-Spooners®, as well as Cinnamon Toasters®, Marshmallow Mateys® and more! Malt-O-Meal offers great-tasting, affordable cereals priced 20-30 percent less than other national cereal brands. As an extra bonus, they use 75 percent less consumer packaging by ditching the cardboard box for a resealable bag. Just a few of the many reasons Advertising Age Magazine named Malt-O-Meal one of America’s Hottest Brands of 2011!

· For those looking for natural options, Mom’s Best and Three Sisters cereals are a delicious, affordable way to do what’s best for the people around your breakfast table and around the planet. No artificial flavors or preservatives. No hydrogenated oils. No high fructose corn syrup. Mom’s Best comes in 11 delicious cold cereal varieties plus six mouthwatering flavors of instant oatmeal. Or, try Three Sisters new Cocoa-Snapz and Naked Wheat cereals and organic oatmeal – exclusively available at Whole Foods.

samples received

Excusive Sneak Taste! Gluten Free Apple Cinnamon Chex

June 13, 2012 by Momstart 233 Comments

By: Ashley

I’ve always… ALWAYS loved Chex. It all started with the giant bowl of Chex Mix that would sit on my grandmother’s table during the holidays. I’ve always been the person who picks out the Chex in Chex Mix and leaves the other stuff behind. That’s why, when I heard about this new flavor, I knew I HAD to try it!

This new Apple Cinnamon flavor from Chex has so many of the high standards that we’ve all come to love. It’s made with whole grains, and filled with key nutrients, vitamins and minerals. Add that to great taste, an addictive little crunch, and you’ve got yourself a great cereal.

Apple Cinnamon Chex is flavored with REAL apple and cinnamon. It feels a little funny saying that like it’s a big deal, but if you’re like me, trying to stick to real things versus artificial flavors and sweeteners is important… but sometimes pretty tricky. I could tell that Chex definitely went with the real deal as soon as I opened up the box. A wonderful aroma of REAL apple hit me as I poured my first bowl of these delicious little squares. I was impressed. Real apple just smells better… more real!

I know there are many families out there working on gluten free diets and Chex makes that a little easier. Apple Cinnamon is the sixth gluten-free cereal flavor offered by Chex; additional gluten-free flavors include, Rice, Corn, Honey Nut, Chocolate and Cinnamon. SO many options in an arena that is usually pretty full of gluten.

Want to get your hands on some Apple Cinnamon Chex? I was lucky enough to have a prize package sent to me by Chex to write this post, which is good because you can’t it in stores yet! (Don’t worry! It’s coming in July.) So why tease you with the sweet smell of apple cinnamon if you can’t get it? Because you can! Chex has partnered up with us to giveaway a great personalized Chex prize package for one lucky reader.

This giveaway has ended. Congratulations to the winner, Costana H.

Meet Ashley (Managing Editor at MomStart): Ashley is a mom, wife, sister, daughter, friend, and former teacher working to navigate through the mysterious world of Mommyia. Read more about her adventures at http://www.momicles.com/and follow her @Momicles2010 .

Disclosure- I received product for the purpose of this review. All opinions expressed are my own and not influenced by monetary compensation. Please see the giveaway rules.

Kellogg’s Crunchy Nut Caramel Nut

May 28, 2012 by Momstart 327 Comments

Kellogg’s Crunchy Nut Caramel Nut—a new cereal featuring golden corn flakes drizzled with caramel flavor and is topped with real peanuts—finally giving grown-ups a reason to drink from the bowl.

My family loves eating cereal, even my husband who doesn’t exactly pair well with milk loves to eat cereal in the morning with the kids. So when I get the opportunity to try a new cereal I’m all about it. Plus, I have a tendency to have cereal every now and then especially when it could possibly indulgent like the new Kellogg’s Crunchy Nut Caramel Nut

Ingredients:

Milled corn, sugar, roasted peanuts, contains 2% or less of malt flavoring, brown sugar syrup, salt, molasses, caramel color, natural and artificial flavor, annatto color, BHT for freshness, wheat starch, natural flavor (contains pecan, walnut and almond).

Kellogg’s Crunchy Nut Caramel Nut is the kind of cereal that I could just snack on all day. I’m not a fan of soggy cereal and it’s hard to eat cereal fast enough so I prefer it dry and Crunchy Nut Caramel Nut is a great in your had cereal or in your bowl cereal for the rest of my family.

Want to try it yourself? Go ahead, I have a giveaway for you that you’re just going to go nuts about.

This giveaway has ended. Congratulations to the winner, Renee G.

Please see the giveaway rules.

Our Community Charity Project Matched By Nature’s Path: Box Out Hunger

July 2, 2011 by Momstart 4 Comments

My local MOMS Club chapter held our third annual Box Out Hunger cereal box drive to benefit our community food bank in Maltby, the Maltby Food Bank. From the MOMS, the club collected 44 boxes of cereal. Nature’s Path Organics (a smaller family run, but international, company from B.C. Canada) matched us box-for-box … in fact, they actually sent 48 boxes as each shipping box contained 12 boxes. The idea for the Box Out Hunger cereal drive was formed from the knowledge that free and reduced breakfasts and lunches are no longer offered to local children during the summertime as meals are a school district program, and cereal and other foods categorized as breakfast items are expensive to purchase and not highly donated to food banks in general.

A big THANK YOU to Nature’s Path for their generosity! In addition to finding Nature’s Path Organic on their website, you can find Nature’s Path on Facebook] and Twitter @NaturesPath. You can read more about Nature’s Path on Mom Start in our posts: Every Day is Earth Day, Hemp Plus Granola, SmartBran Chocolate Fudge Cupcakes Recipe, Manna Organics Bread, Love Crunch Cereal, and Ancient Grains Cereal.

About Summer:

Summer is the President of 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.

Summer put this thank you piece together, but I wanted to take a moment to say thank you as well. It’s an amazing opportunity for us to provide high quality organic food to our food bank. Something I’m sure they don’t see very often. Thank you Nature’s Path!!!