REVIEW: Cheerios Maple Cinnamon Hearty Nut Medley Cereal

It’s Resolution Season, where people rich and poor, young and old, thin and unthin alike proclaim that they will stop smoking, quit cussing, read more, hit the gym, drink less booze, floss daily, spend less on the Lotto, and various other acts of self-improvement/self-harm reduction. For many, “eat healthier” is a popular pledge, and why shouldn’t it be: with the exception of unsalted raw vegetables and nuts, everything we eat is basically garbage. But if you’re in this camp — either because your doctor is telling you that you’re fine to avoid making 5-year-goals or just because you’ve got a pair of Jordache hip-huggers you’re hoping to rock by St. Paddy’s Day — Cheerios has got your back.

2024 has the oat circle cereal brand imbuing it popular cereal with veggies (the new Veggie Blend line featuring Apple Strawberry and Blueberry Banana), and the one I tried that is filled with nuts — the Maple Cinnamon Hearty Nut Medley.

The Maple Cinnamon Hearty Nut Medley Cheerios Cereal — heretofore known as MCHNMC² — features “Crispy Flakes, Cheerios Cereal, Flavorful Almonds, and Hearty Pumpkin Seeds.” That’s right, THOSE pumpkin seeds. And look — if you’re a little perturbed by the idea or simply not sold on their inclusion, fret not: there were, like, eight seeds in my entire bag. That’s it. I don’t know if this was a production issue or if it’s par for the course, but for something that made my eyebrow initially arch mistrustfully, I wasn’t sad there weren’t more.

There were plenty of almonds, however, which is a more common and accepted health cereal nut. They were fine; requisitely tasty and with a crunch that held up in a standard milk-soak. Where this cereal really shined, though, was with the flakes and Cheerios. The flakes were the surprising winner from a cereal that mostly deals in rings. Thicker than Wheaties and smaller than Total, this seemed like a new flake to me. (Though I’ll be the first to admit there are other flake-heavy cereals in the General Mills catalogue with which I am unfamiliar – Raisin Nut Bran and Fiber One, for example.) Whatever it was, it was stellar — crispy with the barest hint of cinnamon. The Cheerios had the same amount of flavoring — enough to add a little excitement to the start of my year, but not enough to make me question if I was really making a healthy choice.

While I didn’t notice much in the way of “maple,” I still found this cereal to be a pleasant, healthy-ish alternative to, oh, say, the new Trix that is stuffed with frosting. (Which, don’t get me wrong, I’m sure is sinfully delightful.)

MCHNMC² was a nice surprise to start my year, and sliding into my Bugle Boys by spring makes the choice that much sweeter.

Purchased Price: $4.49
Size: 20 oz box
Purchased at: Walmart
Rating: 8 out of 10
Nutrition Facts: (54g) 210 calories, 6 grams of fat, 1 gram of saturated fat, 0 grams of trans fat, 0 milligrams of cholesterol, 210 milligrams of sodium, 39 grams of carbohydrates, 6 grams of fiber, 9 grams of sugar, and 6 grams of protein.

REVIEW: Cheerios Veggie Blends Cereal

As we enter a new year, Cheerios wants to be part of our resolutions with a new line of vegetable-forward cereals called Veggie Blends. Because the brand knows us better than we know ourselves, they’ve chosen to hide the vegetables in our breakfasts.

Cheerios Veggie Blends come in two varieties: Blueberry Banana and Apple Strawberry. Each is made with 1/4 cup of fruit and vegetables per serving. The ingredients include fruit purees as well as spinach, carrot, and sweet potato powders. (The asterisk next to this claim on the front of the box leads to a statement indicating that these ingredients are not intended to replace fruit or vegetables in the diet. In other words, don’t throw away that bag of spinach in the back of your refrigerator just yet.)

The sweetened oat and corn hoops are thinner and flatter than original Cheerios, but they have the same crispy crunch, along with the bonus of natural colors to brighten up your cereal bowl.

The Blueberry Banana variety consists of dark purple and light green hoops. The blueberry flavor is deliciously strong in both taste and smell, conjuring associations of summer blueberry fields and, come winter, startlingly expensive grocery store produce departments. That flavor is concentrated in the purple hoops, which overwhelm the light, natural banana flavor of the green hoops.

When eaten with milk, the cereal maintains its texture really well. However, the blueberry flavor deteriorates, leaving an earthy flavor amidst a bit of sweetness. Never would I mistake this cereal for Carrot-Os in milk, but I liked it much better dry.

I had the reverse experience with the Apple Strawberry variety. When dry, the orange, yellow-green, and purple hoops do not carry much apple or strawberry flavor. They just taste generically fruity. Think of them as the less sweet, less artificial-tasting, but still delicious cousin of Froot Loops. In milk, the fruity flavor becomes more vibrant, but now with an identifiable strawberry element.

When mixed together, the best of both cereals merge to form a confetti of fruity flavor. Highly recommend.

I like Cheerios Veggie Blends better than most flavored Cheerios varieties I’ve had in the past. The Veggie Blends’ flavors — while imprecise — are comparatively stronger without excessive sweetness. In terms of nutrition, the labels of the Veggie Blends and Original Cheerios are very similar. I didn’t detect a great difference in vitamin and mineral content that I might have expected from the Veggie Blends’ hidden fruits and vegetables. However, these added ingredients enhance the cereal’s color and flavor for a more appealing snack or breakfast option.

Both varieties are worth trying, but seriously, don’t forget about that bag of spinach. I know you bought it with good intentions, but it is going to be slimy by tomorrow.

Purchased Price: $4.93 each
Purchased at: Walmart
Size: 18 oz (510 g) Family Size box
Rating: 8 out of 10 (Blueberry Banana), 7 out of 10 (Apple Strawberry)
Nutrition Facts: (per 1 1/4 cup) Blueberry Banana – 150 calories, 2 grams of fat, 0 grams of saturated fat, 0 grams of trans fat, 0 milligrams of cholesterol, 210 milligrams of sodium, 33 grams of carbohydrates, 2 grams of fiber, 8 grams of sugar, and 3 grams of protein. Apple Strawberry – 150 calories, 2 grams of fat, 0 grams of saturated fat, 0 grams of trans fat, 0 milligrams of cholesterol, 220 milligrams of sodium, 33 grams of carbohydrates, 2 grams of fiber, 8 grams of sugar, and 3 grams of protein.

REVIEW: Vanilla Spice Cheerios Cereal

Vanilla Spice Cheerios is the only Cheerios variety that has ever made me go down a 1990s music rabbit hole because I wanted to know if there was a Vanilla Spice in the Spice Girls. There wasn’t, and in the end, after finding out what Bell Biv DeVoe, Gerardo, and Boyz II Men were up to, I realized I was probably thinking of Vanilla Ice. Vanilla Spice Cheerios is also the least memorable flavor I’ve had.

You’d think combining vanilla and cinnamon cereals together would create something worthwhile, but I’m surprised by how bland this cereal is. Okay, “bland” is a harsh word that was used to describe me in high school…and me in college…and me at various workplaces after college…and this paragraph so far. There is some cinnamon flavor, so it’s definitely not as bland as I’ve been for almost my entire life.

But, um, the vanilla.

Is it there? With every spoonful, I keep asking myself that, and because it’s not noticeable I’m sure I could convince anyone in a blind taste test that this cereal is an equal mixture of Cinnamon Cheerios and original Cheerios. Even when I taste the pieces independently, they don’t scream, speak, or whisper vanilla, but they’re also not exactly plain Cheerios either.

I’m trying to remember if this was also the case with Vanilla Honey Cheerios that came out a year ago, but I don’t remember what it tastes like. Okay, my apologies, Vanilla Spice Cheerios. You and Vanilla Honey Cheerios are tied for the least memorable Cheerios varieties I’ve had.

Vanilla Spice Cheerios is a perfectly fine cinnamon-flavored Cheerios. But if you want that and with more flavor, you might as well get a box that has only Cinnamon Cheerios or purchase the excellent Cinnamon Cheerios Oat Crunch.

DISCLOSURE: I received a free product sample from General Mills. Doing so did not influence my review.

Size: 12 oz box
Rating: 6 out of 10
Nutrition Facts: (1 1/3 cup w/o milk) 150 calories, 1.5 grams of fat, 0 grams of saturated fat, 0.5 grams of polyunsaturated fat, 0.5 grams of monounsaturated fat, 0 milligrams of cholesterol, 140 milligrams of sodium, 32 grams of carbohydrates, 3 grams of fiber, 8 grams of sugar (including 8 grams of added sugar), and 3 grams of protein.

REVIEW: Limited Edition Frosted Lemon Cheerios

As the Northern hemisphere thaws from an icy winter and we drag our allergy-ridden behinds to the grocery store, a fresh ray of hope meets us — Spring Flavored Stuff.

Ah, seasonal flavors, you tasty little tropes. Pumpkin spice might have a choke hold on the fall, but which flavor will prevail to rule the spring? Carrots have tried, but they taste like nothing. For a moment, I thought this would be the Age of Raspberry, but it seemed that was a Valentine’s red flash in the pan. Therefore, I would like to present my case for lemon. The Year of Lemon is upon us. Will this drastically underrated flavor finally prevail? Cheerios is willing to find out with its new Frosted Lemon variety.

The delicate aromas of lemon and sugar are the first to meet my senses. Yep, smells like lemon. I was also pleased to see no signs of yellow color, natural or otherwise. Cheerios kept it au naturel in the appearance department. If you put these next to standard Frosted Cheerios, I don’t think I’d be able to pinpoint which one was which just by looking at them. The lemon scent is delightful and suggests they won’t be too strong.

Digging into a bowl prepared with 2% milk, I’m immediately reminded of Fruit Loops. Only these are a better, more sophisticated version. Think Fruit Loops’ older cousin who sometimes buys them alcohol. The lemon is not at all overwhelming. In fact, I wouldn’t mind if it was a bit stronger. The flavor is citrusy and sweet, reminiscent of a lemon cookie or lemon cake, but not too sweet. I should note that there is no actual lemon in the ingredient line here. It’s just a perfectly chosen and mindfully balanced natural lemon flavor. Hats off to you, Big G. These are great.

I also gave these a whirl as the topping for my fruit and yogurt breakfast. The lemon flavor gets lost easily in this application, so I’d stick to your standard milk and cereal preparation to get the full effect.

Overall, this seasonal variety is well done. The lemon is fresh, bright, and not overpowering. It’s a great way to start or end your day and a fine introduction to The Year of Lemon (please let this catch and become an actual thing).

Purchased Price: $5.99
Size: 14.7 oz box
Rating: 8 out of 10
Nutrition Facts: (1 cup without milk) 140 calories, 1.5 grams of fat, 0 grams of saturated fat, 0 milligrams of cholesterol, 150 milligrams of sodium, 29 grams of carbohydrates, 3 grams of fiber, 11 grams of sugar (including 11 grams of added sugar), and 3 grams of protein.

REVIEW: Cheerios Oat Crunch Berry Cereal

The informational PDF I got from General Mills promoting its new Cheerios Oat Crunch Berry Cereal says that the whole grains provide “long-lasting energy,” but I have no way to prove that. However, having had a few Cheerios Oat Crunch varieties over the years, including this new Berry flavor, I can definitely say the cereal maintains a long-lasting crunchiness while sitting in milk.

Like regular Cheerios varieties, the whole grain cereal part eventually gets soggy. But the oats in the center of those pieces provide an auxiliary crunch that’ll be around even for the slowest cereal eaters.

This new Berry version joins Cinnamon, Oats ‘N Honey, and Almond in the Cheerios Oat Crunch lineup, and it features a blend of raspberry, strawberry, and blueberry purees with natural flavors. When I sit, focus, and become one of the slowest cereal eaters, my taste buds can pick out the different berries. But when I’m mindlessly shoveling the cereal with milk into my mouth while I mindlessly scroll through suggested Instagram Reels that, for some reason, are about home organization and natural disasters, I mostly notice the raspberry and blueberry. Whether I eat it slow or fast, this cereal’s flavor is delightful.

However, while the berry taste starts strong with the first few spoonfuls with milk, that flavor noticeably fades before I’m halfway through the bowl. Does it wash into the milk and get diluted? Did Cheerios make a deal with The Devil by offering some of the cereal’s flavor in return for helping maintain the cereal’s crunch? Also, hold up. There’s a Cheerios Oat Crunch Almond variety? When did that happen?

I’m a fan of Cheerios Oat Crunch Cinnamon Cereal, and I’m a fan of this new berry variety. I can’t tell if it gives me long-lasting energy, but its tasty berry taste makes me long for it. Also, as I mentioned in my review of the Cinnamon one, I want a chocolate version from General Mills.

DISCLOSURE: I received a free product sample from General Mills. Doing so did not influence my review.

Purchased Price: FREE
Size: 18 oz box (Large Size)
Purchased at: Received from General Mills
Rating: 8 out of 10
Nutrition Facts: (1 cup) 220 calories, 5 grams of fat, 0.5 grams of saturated fat, 0 grams of trans fat, 1.5 grams of polyunsaturated fat, 2.5 grams of monounsaturated fat, 0 milligrams of cholesterol, 230 milligrams of sodium, 42 grams of carbohydrates, 3 grams of fiber, 11 grams of sugar (including 10 grams of added sugar), and 4 grams of protein.