entertain

When I was younger, I had a rule in my house regarding breakfast. “Junky” cereal was only to be eaten on the weekends, and my mom only bought one box at a time. During the week, if I wanted cereal for breakfast, I had to settle for the boring, less colorful and less flavorful kinds, such as Cheerios or Life. So, of course, by the time Saturday came around, I was ravenous for a bowl of Lucky Charms or maybe even Coco Puffs. Thankfully, this rule ended around middle school, when my parents decided there were bigger battles to be fought than trying to control our breakfast choices, and my suppressed cravings went wild. I have become a cereal fiend, literally eating cereal for breakfast, snacks, and sometimes even dinner (yes, it takes a few bowls to fill up, but I always leave satisfied). Now, I have decided to take some time to reflect on the different types of cereal I so absent-mindedly shovel into my mouth, analyzing their pros and cons, in all their nutritional, flavorful, and generally appealing aspects.

Obviously, there is a ridiculous amount of cereal brands, and although I could on for far too long talking about them, there are simply too many to look at each one closely, so I’ve broken some up into a few categories. First, the classic brands, or as I see them, the plain, slightly-nutritional and slightly-boring cereals. This group consists of brands such as Cheerios, Life, and Raisin Bran. Growing up with these cereals, I must admit they have lost any pizzazz the grainy O’s or flakes once had, as well as their somewhat unanimated boxes, usually only flashing the “healthy heart” value; no mazes or games on the back to be found. However, as staples of the cereal industry that have been appreciated by many American families for countless years, I will acknowledge my respect for the stability and value of these brands. I have seldom babysat without finding Cheerios in the kitchen or seen babies at the park teething on the small whole-grains; their necessity for small children is right up there with goldfish.

However, there is a terrible extreme to these “healthy” cereals. Yes, I am talking about things like Kashi, and even the beloved Grapenuts. As much hype as there is over some of these health brands, let’s get past the vitamin and fiber count and face the fact that Grapenuts taste a little too much like horse grain for my liking. I support a healthy diet, but at least throw some bananas or strawberries on these dry grains to spice things up a bit.

There are way too many brands in the fun, colorful, and sweetened category of cereals, so I am just going to focus on a few of my personal favorites. For breakfast eaters who like a little sweetness without having to taste the rainbow, or shovel in chocolate chunks early in the morning, I recommend brands such as Honey Nut Cheerios, Applejacks, Honey Bunches of Oats, or Pops. There is nothing like the cinnamonish mystery flavor of Applejacks (“What is that other flavor? Not apple…”), the sweet essence of Honey Nut Cheerios to spark up your O’s, or the surprising textures of Honey Bunches of Oats, different in each bite, to wake you up in the morning. Occasionally these cereals also have coupons tucked in the box, slightly more exciting then nutritional highlights. And for hardcore cereal connoisseurs like myself, why not bust out the big guns at breakfast time? Yes, I am talking about Lucky Charms, Captain Crunch, Coco Puffs, Fruity Pebbles, or all of the above. Maybe these brands have a little less fiber and a little more sugar, but why not jumpstart your morning with a nice sugar high to get you going? Some other pros: Coco Puffs are a great way to make chocolate milk, you can pick out all the marshmallows from the Lucky Charms box to have a very colorful breakfast, as long as you don’t have any pouty younger siblings. These fun cereals are guaranteed to have a variety of games on the back of the boxes, from mazes to hidden messages to awesome figurines hidden right in your Captain Crunch!

However, it is easy to get carried away with these exotic flavors and entertaining boxes, and reach for a cereal that may be too exotic to be properly enjoyed. There is also an extreme to the sweetened cereal category, taking form in brands such as Cookie Crisp and Reese’s Puffs. These cereals are way too similar to the food they are trying to mimic to be enjoyed as a nourishing breakfast. Although I am a fan of Reese’s peanut butter cups, and I don’t mind some chocolatey flavor in my cereal, Reese’s puffs tasted way too much like eating straight candy, and I prefer my chocolate chip cookies after dinner, and usually warm, with some milk. So, maybe Cookie Crisps would be a nice late night snack, but early in the morning is not for me.

In conclusion, choose your cereal wisely, but do not be afraid to step outside your comfort zone and move down the cereal aisle from the boxes with diet tips along the sides, to the colorful boxes with sugar-rushed animations inviting you to take a bite.