Cold Cereal Confessions
It's pretty warm out, so that means (for me, at least) dispensing with oatmeal for a while and either eating fresh fruit or cold cereal. My favorite kind is the health food store corn flakes that are sweetened with fruit juice.
What's your favorite cold cereal? And, which would you eat if there were no consequences (e.g. I'd go for Cap'n Crunch if I didn't have such a bad time with sugar and if it didn't scratch the top of my palate.)?
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49 Comments:
Ooh, as a kid nothing was better than Saturday morning cartoons with a bowl of cereal--I loved eating flavors in order, so I adored Trixx and Lucky Charms. Later I developed a palate for Peanut Butter Captain Crunch, Golden Grahams, Honeycomb, and Cracklin' Oat Bran, Product 19, and Frosted Flakes.
However, I'm not really into cold cereal right now, other than the rare dish of raisin bran.
Re: the Captain--I can't help you with the sugar, but letting the cereal go soggy helps with the scratch factor. I like soggy cereal, actually.
HeartofGlass at 8:26AM on 06/01/08
Right now, it's the Kashi line. I love Go Lean Crunch. It's incredibly hard so you really have to love crunchy cereal to enjoy it. It's like sweet rocks.
I guess it harkens me back to my beloved Cap'n Crunch. So loud when you eat it that you can't hear someone speaking at the same table!
chiff0nade at 8:52AM on 06/01/08
Cinnamon Toast Crunch is the alpha and omega of sugary breakfast cereals. I used to eat it dry as a snack, and with milk it's like dessert. I haven't had it in years, though because it's 60% sugar, 30% chemicals, and 10% processed wheat. Though I don't really eat much cold cereal of any type, the last time I had a CTC craving I did make cinnamon toast ice cream, which is phenomenal.
butterface at 9:36AM on 06/01/08
I love Life cereal, always have. As a child, I'd make it up in a cup and let it sit on the counter, watch cartoons, return during the next commercial break, and eat it.
I eat Life and Frosted Mini-Wheats, spoon-sized, not the gigantic haystacks. When I eat those, I still let it sit on the counter for a bit.
Guess that is what I'll have for (looking at clock) brunch this morning.
Cassaendra at 10:43AM on 06/01/08
Captain Crunch was the best..but would always scrape up the roof of my mouth. I really did not like it when it got soggy so I would suffer with the discomfort! I haven't had it in years but would probably be my first choice it I was going to get one of those cereals with sugar listed as the first ingredient that mom would never let us get as kids!
mrsmoosie at 10:45AM on 06/01/08
I love Kashi 7-grain puffed cereal! Lucky me, it's the same cereal I would eat no matter what - It has no sugar in it at all, which means I can sweeten it to my taste, and I've loved puffed grains as long as I can remember myself.
brooke29 at 11:36AM on 06/01/08
Rice Krispies, Wheat Chex, or Raisin Bran on the rare occasion I'm eating cereal, preferably with fresh fruit - usually for dinner or midnight snack.
If you are having Cheerios, please warn me so I can clip a clothespin to my nose. That smell makes me hurl instantly.
My poor sister had allergies and had to eat Cheerios with apricot nectar as a milk substitute. Both of those "scents" are hurlicious.
PerkyMac at 11:36AM on 06/01/08
I usually have Honey Bunches of Oats - Honey Roasted flavor. It's sweet and there are a ton of different textures. I also really like cinammon Life.
And if I could have ANY cereal, I'd go for cookie crisp. I consumed that like oxygen as a child.
Jodii at 12:11PM on 06/01/08
Have to agree with Brooke29. Although I've been known to do the cornflakes, adding a few chubby moist raisins. Yummy
AudiB at 12:42PM on 06/01/08
I think this topic was my first comment to Serious Eats back when I was avoiding fall semester exams:
http://www.seriouseats.com/talk/2007/12/my-favorite-cold-cereal-is.html
renzata at 1:54PM on 06/01/08
Butterface, I seriously need a recipe for that ice cream.
renzata at 1:55PM on 06/01/08
Cinnamon Toast Crunch w/ a white russian poured on top. The best hair of the dog ever.
coolname at 2:51PM on 06/01/08
Wishful: Cinnamon Toast Crunch or PB Capt. Crunch
Real life: Kashi Go Lean Crunch and Kashi Shredded Wheat cereals
wookie at 3:01PM on 06/01/08
No concequences: Boo-Berry / Count Chocula / Franken-Berry :-) (they don't sell it anymore I don't think)
I eat cereal for dinner all of the time. My favourites are Lucky Charms, Crispix and Cheerios. Frosted Flakes are good too.
paris221966 at 3:33PM on 06/01/08
I guess I'm the resident health nut, because these are my favorites:
1) Barbara's Grain Shop
2) Nature's Path Smart Bran
3) Nature's Path Granolas (every one but the pomegranate - yuck)
4) Alpen muesli (mixed with yogurt)
5) Nature's Flax Plus
6) Millet puffs
As a kid, I adored Raisin Bran, though I ate my fair share of Cinnamon Toast Crunch and Trix, too.
KarynMC at 3:41PM on 06/01/08
I was always cuckoo for Cocoa Puffs
izatryt at 3:55PM on 06/01/08
Consequences aside, if I were a cold cereal fan, it would be all the ones my mom refused to buy, like Lucky Charms, Count Chocula, and anything else with marshmallows. Does anyone else remember Kaboom? She refused to buy that one, too.
beth1 at 4:16PM on 06/01/08
Love, love, love Wheatabix with plenty of HEAVY cream, tons of sugar and bananas. I know this defeats the whole purpose of the whole grain, healthful cereal but...who cares?
bessfour at 4:19PM on 06/01/08
cocoa krispies............
onepercent99 at 4:26PM on 06/01/08
Favorite, Grape Nut Flakes with fresh blueberries; and if there were no consequences, hmm, probably either Sugar Smacks or Frosted Flakes (no fruit on either of these, but the milk has to be ice cold.
bubbamom at 4:32PM on 06/01/08
I'm very particular about my cereal regimen. Generally I mix two, usually three, different kinds of health-nut cereal (some form of Kashi is always involved), add toasted pecans and/ or walnuts, and drizzle with honey before soaking in whole milk. (I used to do sweetened soymilk, but then I started reading that it's really, really bad for you... So I stopped.)
Sometimes if I'm feeling frisky I'll put a little dollop of cottage cheese on top as a sort of protein-rich garnish to swirl around with my GoLean. Mmm... I'm getting hungry...
sessjess at 4:49PM on 06/01/08
Everyday: Rice Krispies with banana and 1% milk.
No Consequences: Fruity Pebbles with 2%.
Kerosena at 6:26PM on 06/01/08
It's so funny what can be 'done' to cereal, so many choices:
soggy versus crunchy lovers
little versus lots of milk (or no milk at all)
full-fat milk or skim milk or non-dairy milk or yogurt or ice cream or cottage cheese
adding sugar, dried fruit, honey, candy
mixing cereals, eating them in small or large bowls, in different-sized servings
eating cereal as breakfast, dinner, or lunch--or dessert
And let us not forget the crucial cereal prize decisions as a kid!
HeartofGlass at 6:55PM on 06/01/08
I remember Kaboom! It was the one sugary cereal my dad would buy on occasion.
I adored Life and Frosted Mini-Wheats. My absolute favorite, though, was Grape-Nuts, crunchy. When I got a bit older I used to eat them with yogurt and maple syrup. I don't eat any cereal anymore since it's so carb-intensive.
AdamH at 9:10PM on 06/01/08
First choice would be Bob's Red Mill Muesli and 2nd choise would be Kashi Go Lean
Catharine56 at 9:28PM on 06/01/08
Oatmeal Crisp!
smile at 10:31PM on 06/01/08
Snack Cereal: Reeses peanut butter puffs (no milk)
Healthy: Special K Protein Plus (10g protein in 3/4c) (no milk)
Growing up: Complete Cereal, Frosted Mini Wheats, or Craklin' Oat Bran left in a little milk until soggy!
MeMeg at 11:01PM on 06/01/08
Wish Cereal: PLAIN Cheerios
Real Life: PLAIN Cheerios
When I lived in a public dorm, the cafeteria provided an assortment of breakfast cereals in large bins. There was a clearly marked HONEY NUT Cheerio bin and a completely separate PLAIN Cheerio bin. However, they often poured whichever type of Cheerio they had into whichever bin looked low. Nothing ruined my day more than anticipating PLAIN Cheerios and receiving HONEY NUT. The raw frustration I often felt still exists today.
lwalther at 11:31PM on 06/01/08
Another vote for Kashi GoLEAN Crunch - my not-so-secret shame.
culinaryrabbit at 1:39AM on 06/02/08
Eating Honey Nut Cheerios as I type, in 1% Lactaid milk. I often have them in yogurt, with fruit mixed in. I'll eat Special K fruit and yogurt, and Kashi Hearts and Os, but lately I've been buying just the Cheerios because both my hubby and I like them, so I can save the $$ of buying two kinds of cereal.
In a dream world, cereal would be Frosted Flakes that stay crispy in milk, with the occasional bowl of Cap'n Crunch with Crunchberries.
AliceBlue at 9:18AM on 06/02/08
barbara's shredded wheat! or lydia's raw cereals.
tudogostoso at 9:51AM on 06/02/08
I LOVE Crispix and Honey Nut Cheerios.
If there were no consequences....Lucky Charms (only the marshmallows) or Frosted Mini Wheats, OR Reese's cup puffs.
embolini9 at 10:08AM on 06/02/08
Lucky Charms without milk, just as a munchie snack. The important thing fot me is the ratio of marshmallow candies to cereral. (about 1:4 is perfect). Lucky for me, my husband saves all the "charmes for me! (He thinks they are too sweet)
I actually eat all cereals without milk-I can't stand them getting the least bit soggy-even Grape Nuts!
giordano1956 at 10:11AM on 06/02/08
Cinnamon Toast Crunch WITHOUT milk. Shamefully, I carry around a bag in my purse to snack on.
Josdean at 12:48PM on 06/02/08
Is it possible for Grape Nuts to get soggy in milk??!! *gasp*
I remember trying a bowl once as a kid when I stayed at my cousin's house. I couldn't hear anything but CRUNCH CRUNCH CRUNCH. It tasted pretty good though.
Cassaendra at 12:55PM on 06/02/08
Oooh cereal. Lately I've been loving the Kashi Go Lean Crunch. I tried their Summer Berry Granola but it's too sweet for me so I'm sticking with the Go Lean Crunch next itme.
As for childhood cereals I LOVED: corn pops and cinnamon toast crunch!
Hillary
Chew on That
Chew on That at 2:37PM on 06/02/08
Cereal is my favorite food! In fact, my surprise bridal shower last year was cereal/breakfast themed.
I try to stay away from sugar cereals now, but past favorites have included cinnamon toast crunch, fruity pebbles, cocoa puffs... and I have gone through grape nuts, LIFE (ooh love that), and raisin bran phases. Right now I'm very in to Puffins in the morning! I usually like to mix 2 or 3 cereals and have with skim milk.
Has anyone ever been to this place? http://www.cereality.com/main.php
I made my friends go there with me on the way to a party in Philly (we are in NYC) and since then I have seen them in Newark Airport but that's it.
sarag22 at 3:29PM on 06/02/08
@lwalther: What a world of difference exists between plain and honey nut cheerios. There are few things more jarring than expecting one and biting into the other. I hear you.
As a responsible adult, I try to limit the sugar and preservatives in cereal, so I stick to the plain stuff (flakes, chex-like derivatives) and make it interesting with berries in the summer, bananas and dried fruit in the winter.
I'd love to sneak some Count Chocula or Golden Grahams in a perfect world though.
savecara at 3:52PM on 06/02/08
First off: Cereal CAN NOT go soggy. It's just inedible at that time. 1% or skim milk.
As a child: Honey Nut Cheerios, Peanut Butter Cap'n Crunch (is there anything better??), Frosted Flakes, and on occasion Cinnamon Toast Crunch/Golden Grahams
Now: Special K Vanilla Almond (MY FAVE!!), Honey Bunches of Oats, or Honey Nut Cheerios
Butrflygirly at 3:56PM on 06/02/08
when i was little, I was a loyal advocate for the Frosted Flakes...
But now, my faves are Honey Bunches of Oats, Special K, regular Kelloggs Corn Flakes and I have a new found passion for Kashi's Heart to Heart.
I am really glad so many people have mentioned the GoLean Crunch, because my mom just gave me a Costco sized bag of it because she can't eat it for a while (on a wheat-free diet) and I have never tried it before...
Madelyn
KarmaFreeCooking
MadelynRodriguez at 4:00PM on 06/02/08
Copious amounts of Cracklin Oat Bran (seriously) and Quaker 100% natural granola. I love this stuff-I just wish it wasnt' so bad for you.
rosielucchesini at 5:22PM on 06/02/08
Cheerios's, Special K and Kashi Go Lean Crunch are my current go-to's...
As a child, whenever my Brother and I visited our Grandmother she made us Rice Krispies with TONS of mini-marshmallows mixed in - I haven't though about that in years! I was pretty amazing if I recall correctly.
MML at 6:59PM on 06/02/08
Wow. So many Kashi fans.
Anyone remember the short-lived Circus Fun cereal? It was a lot like Lucky Charms.
So glad someone mentioned Frosted Flakes. If they didn't get soggy, I would have gone for those too. Ah well.
hereandthe at 1:16PM on 06/03/08
Kashi Heart to Heart is my favorite, and I like their Heart to Heart blueberry oat clustery cereal too. Also Puffins -- love the peanut butter, and have been known to mix the PB and cocoa varieties... yum...
Loved sugar cereals as a kid -- mom never let us have them, but I chowed down many bowls of Capn Crunch (crunchberries please, or crunchberries mixed with PB capn crunch), cocoa krispies and all the cereals in the fruity pebbles-boo berry-count chocula family at friends' houses. Haven't had them in decades but I suspect I wouldn't like them anymore, too sweet.
One thing I cannot stand is raisin bran. Love raisins in anything else, don't mind the bran flakes, but together and with milk it's -- my new favorite word, thanks PerkyMac! -- hurlicious.
CookiePie at 1:44PM on 06/03/08
Life. I like it, Mikey likes it, what isn't to love?
As a side note, not matter how exciting they try to make Kix, it is just terrible. It may be kid tested, but no kid would approve.
feep at 1:52PM on 06/03/08
It's ALL about the Golden Grahams. I could eat them every single day. I think I may have to purchase a box this weekend, in fact-- I love eating cereal for dessert!
men7d at 1:57PM on 06/05/08
I still love PB Cap'n Crunch. When I was pregnant it was corn flakes with bananas and whole milk. I love the original giant shredded wheat biscuits, too, with cinnamon and sugar. I leave them whole and cut bites off with my spoon so that the top stays crisp.
Blood sugar issues, be damned!
Calichef at 5:24PM on 06/07/08
I love cheerios and kix as a child. I like to eat mildly flavoured cold cereals, and not sugary ones.
jo_wang at 9:48PM on 02/07/09
Weirdly enough, I hate most sugary things but LOVE Cinammon Toast Crunch. But I also like plain cheerios.
My college hang out used to be a tiny underground cafe where they had things like endless cups of coffee or cereal for two bucks. You could just keep on getting up and going for more. I had many a late night just eating bowls of Cinammon Toast Crunch while doing school work...
fuuchan at 10:27PM on 02/07/09