REVIEW: Fiber One Protein Cranberry Almond Granola Cereal

A while ago, I reviewed one of Fiber One's new protein granola cereals: the Maple Brown Sugar flavor. It was okay, but not all I thought it was going to be. Oh well. Maybe I just had too high of expectations for the yumminess that is "maple brown sugar." Anyway, today I'm giving Fiber One's new cereal a second chance with their Cranberry Almond variety. I like such a flavor, with its berryish and nutty ways... I don't like Cranberry Almond as much as Brown Sugar, so maybe I won't hold this cereal to such high standards. I know I shouldn't hold any cereals to high standards, but hey! Whatevs! At the end of the day, I try to be as unbiased as possible. And now, I think all my words are sounding like mumbo-jumbo, so let's start the show!

A 15.8 oz. box costs around $3.39.

REVIEW: Nature Valley Blueberry Breakfast Biscuits

Gee, it sure has been awhile since I've reviewed any Nature Valley products. But I guess now's a good as time to get back on track as any! Hey, in my defense, Nature Valley hasn't released any new products in FOREVER. But finally, finally... they're here. Nature Valley's Breakfast Biscuits. A product so innovative, so original, so unique, so one-of-a-kind that-

Just kidding. I mean, where have I heard the term "breakfast biscuits" before? Uhhhhh, duh! belVita!!!

These "new" Nature Valley biscuits are nothing more than a rip on belVita's biscuits. And I should know. I reviewed the Apple Cinnamon belVitas before (which really weren't that good, but that's irrelevant), and they looked COMPLETELY like these Nature Valley biscuits. But, with a perceptive eye, one can also see that these NV biscuits are more granola-like than the belVita biscuits. I suppose that makes sense, because what does Nature Valley specialize in? Yes, granola! Correctomundo!

Well, while these biscuits don't show too many signs of originality, they are new, and they are Nature Valley, and who knows? They could be mighty tasty, even if they are ripoffs. So today, I'll be reviewing the Blueberry Breakfast Biscuits. Why Blueberry? A cuz' Blueberry sounds a lot more tastier than plain ol' Honey, that's why.

Anyway, an 8.85 oz. box with five 1.77 oz. packages costs around $3.39.

REVIEW: Bear Naked Banana Nut Granola

In one of my previous posts, I was tipped off by a reader that one of his favorite granola cereals was Bear Naked. So, I might as well give this brand a review! Now, keep in mind that my reader's favorite favorite was the Fruit & Nut flavor, but this granola review was more of a spur of the moment kind of thing. I was just hanging out at a friend's house, and I looked up at their refrigerator to see a package of Bear Naked granola right sitting there! It wasn't the Fruit & Nut flavor my reader yearned for- it was their Banana Nut flavor. But I guess that's close. Bananas are a fruit, and this granola has nuts in it too. Don't worry, Mr. Reader! I'll get to the Fruit & Nut someday. Till' then, I'll take your word on its deliciousness. But, for today, I'm reviewing Bear Naked's Banana Nut Granola. 

A 12 oz. package costs around $4.09.

REVIEW: Fiber One Protein Maple Brown Sugar Granola Cereal

Welcome to the wonderful world of Fiber One Protein Cereal, where you can fart while lifting weights for muscle mass! ...And now that I think about it, that is NOT such a wonderful world to be in. Well, at least this cereal fills you up, with a two-punch combo of protein and fiber. 

Fiber One already created protein bars a long while ago- and protein meal bars more recently, but they just started making protein cereal now. Which seems a little odd to me, considering Fiber One started out as a cereal company in the first place... riiight? I dunno. Maybe I should do my research a bit more, but I really don't care. As long as Fiber One is making some protein granola now, I don't mind! Seriously, trying a new granola from one of my favorite food brands is pretty exciting, so without further ado, let's dig in!

A 16.2 oz box costs around $3.39.

REVIEW: GoLean Crisp! Cinnamon Crumble Cereal

I've progressively been going through all the cereals that Kashi has to offer, whether it be super-protein packed cereal, deliciously fruit-infused cereal, or heart-shaped cereal. There have been hits, there have been misses. It's been a fun journey so far. And now I'm here to review their Cinnamon Crumble Cereal. I've had this cereal once before, but I never really gave it an in-depth taste-test, so now it's time to correct my errors and review this stuff! 

A 14 oz. box costs around $3.99.

REVIEW: Kashi GoLean Crunchy! Honey Almond Flax

Okay guys, major dilemma: I've been reviewing so many Kashi products as of late that it seems all of my witty Kashi review post openers have drained out of my brain. And it doesn't help that the name GoLean Crunch! Honey Almond Flax doesn't really jog the imagination. I mean, what am I supposed to say? This is like a cereal that the grown up Buzz from Honey Nut Cheerios would promote?

...Actually, that's not too bad. Yeah, I guess that works.

And anyway, what is WITH Kashi putting all these flax seeds in everything?! I suppose they ARE a good source of Omega 3's, but it's not like I care about that. Yeah, I'm a bit narcissistic, so sue me!

So, I'm hoping this Kashi cereal tastes as good as their Toasted Berry Crumble, which I found worthy of a perfect score. Fingers crossed!

A 14 oz. box costs around $3.99.

REVIEW: Kashi Chocolate Almond & Sea Salt with Chia Chewy Granola Bars

So, Kashi's had these new Chocolate Almond & Sea Salt granola bars around for awhile (I know, that sentence kinda contradicts itself there), and it seems to have "Made For RiRi" written all over it (Not technically, but still). Sea Salt? I love salty foods! Almonds? They're my favorite nut! Chocolate? I love chocolate!!! (It's not DARK chocolate, but it works). Except for the chia, everything Kashi has put into this bar is making it sound faaaantastic. So I kinda have high hopes for this review! Let's see how it goes.

A 7.4 oz. box with six 1.2 oz. bars costs around $4.09.

REVIEW: Nature Valley Oats 'n Dark Chocolate Protein Crunchy Granola

My previous taste-test of Nature Valley's new protein granola left me and my tummy full of tasty granola deliciousness, so of course I HAD to try another flavor on their line- Oats 'n Honey sounds good and all, but of course my heart belongs to a little ditty titled Oats 'n Dark Chocolate. Not only is it CHOCOLATE, but it's DARK CHOCOLATE! Annnnnd it's full of protein! It's like this granola was made for me!

An 11 oz. bag of granola costs around $3.98.

REVIEW: Kashi Crunchy Granola & Seed Chocolate Chip Chia Bars

Time for another Kashi review! Feel's like awhile since we've done one on here! (Took me FOREVER to stomach that box of Cherry Dark Chocolate bars... Blargh. I actually had to get my stepsister to eat a couple FOR me).

But, as the seasons change, Kashi consistently and steadily generates a slow stream of new product after new product, resulting in, I'm sure- new profit. Kashi's made crunchy granola bars before- akin to the ones by Nature Valley and such -but these new ones are different on account of them being Granola & Seed. See, even Kashi underlined it, right in the picture of the box up over yonder! And what seed shall you find in the bars I will be reviewing today? CHIA! C-C-C-Chia! I wonder if little sprouts will shoot out of these things if I sprinkle over them with water...

Anyway, a 7 oz. box with five 1.4 oz. bars costs around $4.09.

REVIEW: Kellogg's NutriGrain Fruit & Oat Harvest Blueberry Bliss Bar

Sooo... Is it me, or has Kellogg's been releasing an unusual amount of new NutriGrain products lately? For years NutriGrain has been nothing more than a line of commonplace cereal bars- but now they've got these NutriGrain Crunch thingies, and even these super-new Fruit & Oat Harvest Bars as of late. ...Oh yeah, and I guess they had to have released these NutriGrain Waffles sometime in between as well. What's up Kellogg's? NutriGrain not doing so well in the sales market lately? Or is it that they're doing SO well that you wanted to make more varieties to keep things interesting? I'm just curious. I'm also curious to see how these Fruit & Oat Harvest Bars taste, so I'll be trying the Blueberry Bliss flavor today. An 8.8 oz. box with five 1.76 oz. bars costs around $2.78.

REVIEW: Kashi GoLean Crisp! Toasted Berry Crumble Cereal

Sometimes, I'm nervous to try new Kashi cereals. Why? Well, let's be honest- plenty of Kashi products are healthy, but not all of them are very tasty. Kashi GoLean Original and Heart to Heart Warm Cinnamon are two decently healthy cereals, but just aren't all that mindblowing when it comes to taste. They're good, just not good enough to buy again. I mean, I only keep purchasing the GoLean just because it has so much protein to it. If it didn't, then nope- out from my pantry with youuuu!!!

And Kashi's GoLean Crunch!, a cereal much akin to their Toasted Berry Crumble, had a great crunchy texture, but was- like the two other aforementioned Kashi cereals -pretty mild in flavor. Another Kashi cereal I tried? Their GoLean Crisp! Cinnamon Crumble, which I don't have a review on but DID eat. THAT cereal was mild as well, and even shares the same title with Toasted Berry Crumble (You know, the GoLean Crisp! part anyway).

So I think it only made sense for me to be a bit on the wary side when purchasing Kashi's Toasted Berry Crumble. I only did so just because I HAD heard such good things about the cereal already. But I still had my doubts. Hopefully a taste-test would change that. A 14 oz. box costs around $3.99.

REVIEW: Nature Valley Oats 'n Honey Protein Crunchy Granola

I like granola bars a TON, but I've never really had any actual, good ol' granola granola. Like, you know, the kind you have in a bowl of milk or as a topping on yogurt. I think this party has to due with the fact that, for all the calories granola has, most of them are pretty empty. There were always plenty of other higher-fiber, higher-protein cereal choices, with less sugar and fat not to mention, so I always avoided purchasing granola, even though I really, really wanted to. Another reason I never bought it was that I was never really sure WHICH granola brand to start off with. A lot of them- especially the "better for you" ones -are made by kinda obscure brand names, leaving me to wonder if they're any good or not. But now, Nature Valley has released a new protein granola cereal, which a decent 10 grams of the stuff per serving. Nice! And come on, Nature Valley hasn't let me down before, so why would they start now? I doubt they- the granola bar pantheon of the WORLD -would be unsuccessful in their endeavors of creating something as simple as a granola cereal. But I guess we shall find out! An 11 oz. bag costs around $3.98.

REVIEW: Fiber One 90 Calorie Chocolate Peanut Butter Chewy Bars

You've probably heard of Fiber One's 90-Calorie Brownies, but did you know that they make 90-Calorie Chewy Bars as well? Along with the classic Chocolate and delicious-sounding Chocolate Caramel & Pretzel, Fiber One also has made a 90-Calorie Chocolate Peanut Butter Chewy Bar, which I will be reviewing today. An 8.2 oz. value pack box containing ten 0.82 oz. bars costs around $4.99.

REVIEW: Nature Valley Apple Crisp Crunchy Granola Bars

On my latest search for some Nature Valley reviewing material, I wanted to review something new, but when that yielded fruitless results, I decided to try taste-testing a product that wasn't new per se, but a little more obscure. Like, EVERYONE'S had Nature Valley's Oats n' Honey granola bars, but what about their Apple Crisp variety? Nope, I hadn't had it either, until I picked a box up from the store to try. I quite like the sound of Apple Crisp- sooooo desserty -so I was pretty excited to try these out.

An 8.9 oz. box containing six 1.5 oz. bars costs around $3.24.

REVIEW: Kashi GoLean Crunch! Cereal

When it comes to an everyday breakfast, GoLean Original is usually the Kashi cereal of choice. But when I told my dad I needed Kashi when he went out grocery shopping, he brought home a box of GoLean CRUNCH instead. So either the store was all out of the typical Original Kashi or I need to start being more specific with my food requests. But it's not all doom and gloom! I can get a review out of this cereal, can't I? So, time to taste-test!

A 13.8 ox. box costs around $3.12.

A 1 cup (53g) serving contains 200 calories, 30 of them being from fat, 3g of total fat, 0g of saturated fat, 0g of trans fat, 1g of polunsaturated fat, 1g of monounsaturated fat, 0mg of cholesterol, 100mg of sodium, 320mg of potassium, 38g of total carbohydrates, 8g of dietary fiber, 6g of soluble fiber, 2g of insoluble fiber, and 9g of protein.

Based on the nutrition information, this isn't THE healthiest cereal that Kashi has produced, but it still beats out a lot of other products out there. At least this cereal has a reasonable amount of fiber and protein. It's just- at 200 calories for 53g  -there ARE healthier cereals out there. Just sayin'. But this cereal isn't SO bad that I wouldn't eat it for breakfast or lunch, or plain as a snack, like little granola bites. And, yes, even though this cereal isn't specifically marketed as granola, as far as I'm concerned, that's what it is. GoLean Crunch! has a lot of similar qualities to granola- It's crunchy and hard, with different-sized clusters made up of cereal and rolled oats. One thing that makes Kashi's cereal different from typical granola, however, is the fact that these clusters have puffed rice pieces in them. A lot of them too. I honestly don't know of any REAL granola that has puffed rice pieces. I suppose they're there for filler, so that Kashi's granola stays reasonably healthier than others.

Eaten plain, this cereal is VERY hard and VERY crunchy. Well, except for the times when you'd have a cluster of puffed rice, which were airy and light and chewy. The taste is very mild and nondescript. There is a slight accent of warm cinnamon, but other than that, this cereal is more enjoyable for its granola-esque texture, not its flavorful taste. This cereal was supposed to have a touch of honey flavor to it based on Kashi's description, but I didn't taste any. The sweetness content in this cereal is very mild, but not so mild that I'd be reckoned to say it was boring or bland to eat. The oats gave the clusters a very hearty, oatmeal-like quality. By itself, the cereal was dry, and not sticky, like I'd expect granola to be by all the granola bars I've consumed.

I had some of this cereal for lunch accompanied by some ice-cold milk, and I was happily surprised to find that the cereal held up VERY well in the milk. It stayed consistently crunchy throughout (except for the puffed rice pieces, which became soft as all get out), but softened up just enough so that it wasn't such a feat to chew through. The clusters, for the most part, remained intact. The cereal pieces didn't split up from each other due to the milk getting in the way. I found this cereal to be sweet and tasty in milk, but of course I used some sweetener in my bowl of cereal to make it sweeter, so that might have had something to do with it. The cereal, however, did remain hearty in taste, and I don't think that's something you can produce with sweetener packets. In a way, this cereal somehwat reminded me of eating uncooked instant oatmeal. Which I really didn't mind, but some people might.

Overall, this was an enjoyable cereal, but I mostly only liked it for the texture. It didn't have much of a taste. I think this cereal would be better if it were given a more definite flavoring, but of course Kashi has released GoLean Crunch! varieties like that as well, so I dunno. This is a really good cereal choice when you want something akin to plain granola without as much sugar and fat and really enjoy a hard, crunchy texture. I DO prefer my cereal to be on the crunchier side, so I fairly enjoyed this one. Although I DO think this cereal requires some sweetener before consuming. This isn't a cereal I'd want to have in my pantry 24/7, but I could see myself buying it every now and again.
I'd give Kashi's GoLean Crunch! a 7.5/10.

Need other views from those who chewed? Crazy Food Dude also has this one reviewed.

What do YOU think of Kashi's GoLean Crunch? Do YOU prefer your cereal crunchy or with a more lighter, airier texture? Tell us your thoughts down below in the comments!

Till' then, this has been RiRi ri-porting!

REVIEW: Atkins Advantage Peanut Butter Granola Bar

Recently, my mum and step dad have been on a low-carb diet. I'm not a follower of the trend, but I like to watch others do take it on. Basically, in a low-carb diet, you can eat anything and everything you want, as long as it's low in carbohydrates. I know that might SOUND easy- you can eat all you want of cheese curds, string cheese, steak, chicken, pork, bacon, fish, eggs, nuts, cream, beef jerky, yogurt, milk, most vegetables, most dressings, some types of mayonnaise even, as long as they're low in sugars -and everything seems fine and dandy, but then you gotta think of everything you CAN'T eat. Pizza, bread, pasta, chips, muffins, granola bars- NO SUGAR. NO SWEETS. WHATSOEVER. Nothing even CLOSE to sweets. NOT. EVEN. CEREAL.

That would just right-out kill me! I love my precious Cinnamon Toast Crunch WAY too much to give it up. See, this diet would never work for me. And now my step dad is all bummed out, because HE can't eat any of the foods HE wants at the moment. I thought I'd never see the day where that man would get tired of cheese.

But in the darkness that is the Atkins Diet, there is a ray of light with Atkins' frozen meals and bars. And only for the low, low price of $8.29 on the Atkins site (sarcasm intended), you too can have an 8.5 ox. box of five 1.7 oz. low-carb, Peanut Butter Granola Bars. Highway robbery, I know. But at Woodman's, these only cost about $6.99, which is clearly a better deal.

REVIEW: Nature Valley Chocolate Pretzel Nut Sweet & Salty Nut Granola Bar

Maybe this craze has been around longer than I've believed it to be, but it seems like people nowadays just can't get enough of sweet and salty food pairings. Salty fried chicken and sweet, syrup-y waffles; salty cheddar cheese and sweet, cinnamon-y apple pie; salty, meaty ham and sweet, juicy pineapple; salty....... uh....... salt and sweet, buttery caramel- and let's not forget this one! Salty, crunchy pretzels and sweet, creamy milk chocolate. Oh yeah. Can't resist em'.
Odd sweet n' salty combinations have been on the rise for quite awhile now (Heck, they were even serving chocolate-covered mozzarella cheese up at the State Fair), but chocolate-covered pretzels have been a no-brainer since 1544, when pretzel-man Herr Joseph Franz von Liebniz hooked up with the chocolatier next door in Hamburg, Germany to make a truly special food combo. Ahh, Hamburg... Raising up The Beatles AND the sweet n' salty trend.
So why DOES a chocolate pretzel granola bar sound so strange to me? Maybe it's the fact that salty foods like pretzels just seem ODD in typically sweet granola bars, even if said pretzels ARE accompanied by chocolate? I don't know. But anyway, I decided to embrace this growing sweet n' salty trend by testing out Nature Valley's Chocolate Pretzel Nut Bar. One 7.4 oz. box containing six 1.2 oz. bars costs around $3.38.

REVIEW: Fiber One Oats & Chocolate Bar

Hey everybody!!! I know it's been awhile- a terribly LONG while- but I've been swamped! Well, not really during the summertime, I don't really have an excuse for that other than feeling too lazy to do even a degree of work- but certainly since school's started! Not only have I had to go to THAT for seven hours, five days a week, but I also had cross country practice on top of that. But since the cross season is now officially OVER, I guess I can start to play catch-up.
Like I said, I'm really, really sorry I haven't written up a post in awhile. I almost feel traitorous, completely dropping out when my blog just grew and grew in popularity. In fact, I was even mentioned over at the Impulsive Buy!!! That hit me hard, seeing I was getting all this recognition and doing no work...
But let bygones be bygones, am I right? So here's a new review!

This time I'm reviewing Fiber One's Oats & Chocolate Chewy Bar. It was 99 cents for a single unit.