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.

A 1/2 cup (50g) serving contains 210 calories, 40 of them being from fat, 4.5g of total fat, 0.5g of saturated fat, 0g of trans fat, 1g of polyunsaturated fat, 2.5g of monounsaturated fat, 0mg of cholesterol, 135mg of sodium, 125mg of potassium, 32g of total carbohydrates, 3g of dietary fiber, 12g of sugar, and 10g of protein.
I also think the fact the ingredient list can be read off rather quickly should be noted as well: Whole Grain Oats, Sugar, Soy Protein Isolate, Canola Oil, Refiner's Syrup, Honey, Rice Starch, Soy Lecithin, Salt, Baking Soda, Natural Flavor, Corn Starch, Vitamin E. Not bad.

Eaten dry, this granola is very crunchy and certainly gives your mouth a good workout. It's made out of oats and soy protein isolate- basically crisped buds. This granola tastes strikingly similar to Nature Valley's Oats 'n Honey bars. Eating this stuff is essentially like eating those bars, only broken up into a bunch of smaller pieces. It's sweet and addictive, with a yummy undertone of honey. There are plenty of oats, making for a very hearty feeling.

This granola also delivered a fine taste in milk, becoming slightly less crunchy after the bowl was left to sit for awhile. The granola was still plenty crunchy though- enough to appease most anybody. The taste of the granola remained sweet and delicious. It was as if you were to toss a couple of Nature Valley granola bars into a bowl of milk- sounds tasty, right? It was.

So, how much did I enjoy Nature Valley's granola cereal? Welllll... If my eating the whole entire bag in less than 24 hours serves as any indication of my feelings towards it, then yes, I did. That would be pretty crazy if it weren't for the fact that this granola comes packaged with only about HALF the amount of servings of regular boxes of cereal. But then again... Each serving of this granola is about TWICE as large as regular cereal servings. So... the statistics kinda cancel each other out... Hm. Alright, call me crazy.
Yes, yes- Eating this granola cereal reminded me so very much of eating Nature Valley's Oats 'n Honey granola bars, but this cereal has the slight nutritional advantage with the extra amount of protein in it. You could just break up your Nature Valley bars and stick em' in milk, but spare yourself the odd looks and try this granola cereal. It's a solid and totally addictive choice. I'd definitely but some more of this granola cereal again. And try not to eat the whole entire bag in less than a day again while I'm at it.

I'd give Nature Valley's Oats 'n Honey Protein Crunchy Granola an 8/10.

What is YOUR favorite granola cereal? Tell us your thoughts in the comments below!

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