Cascadian Farm Hearty Morning Fiber

One of my favorite ways to start the day is with a nice bowl of cereal.  Cereal has always been my go to breakfast, but I used to stick with one variety for a while and then either got sick of it or couldn't find it in store.  Some of my past favorites have been Honey Bunches of Oats with Pecan Bunches and Kashi Good Friends (Cinnamon Raisin Variety).  I loved the Kashi Good Friends because the cereal was nice and crunchy, had granola clusters, and sweet raisins.  Once I added banana to the cereal, it was the perfect way to start the day, and because the cereal was so high in fiber it was super filling.  After about a year of having this cereal everyday and getting attached to it, I was shocked to find out that it had sadly been discontinued.  And what was worse was the fact that they kept the other Kashi Good Friends variety around which to me tasted like cardboard.

Anyway, I then set out on a quest to find contenders for a replacement cereal.  I tried a bunch of different brands, but none of them had what I was looking for.  I wanted a cereal that had crunchy flakes, twigs, granola clusters, and raisins, just like the Kashi kind did.  After analyzing the cereal aisle in Whole Foods and almost being ready to give up hope, I stumbled upon Cascadian Farm Hearty Morning Fiber.  It fit all of my requirements, except it did not have raisins.  I decided to buy it anyway because I could always add raisins if I wanted to.

When I ate this cereal the next morning, I took a deep sigh of relief because I knew I finally found my go to cereal!  It is really crunchy and doesn't get too soggy in the milk, it has granola clusters, and it is high in fiber which makes it very filling.  It also is not overly sweet, but it has just enough sweetness so that it does not taste like cardboard.

Even though I recently have been varying my breakfasts and rotating between different types of cereals, yogurts, muffins, etc., this cereal always remains as a staple on my weekly list.  I love that it is healthy and tasty, and I do not even miss the raisins.  I just add half of a banana to it and it is the perfect way to start the day!

Nature's Path Flax Plus Cereal

I have major issues when it comes to the granola bar/cereal aisle in the grocery store, and I tend to buy something new to try every time I go through the aisle.  It has come to the point where I don't even allow myself to walk down the aisle unless I know I need something (sometimes, this doesn't even work!).  I don't know what it is, but I just love trying all the new varieties!  Anyway, then I get stuck with huge boxes of cereal in my cabinet and if I end up not liking the cereal, I have to force myself to keep eating it so that it does not go to waste.  That is the case with the Nature's Path Flax Plus Cereal.  I originally had high hopes for this cereal because it is organic, very high in fiber, and low in sugar, which meant it was a healthy alternative to other sugary cereals out there.

It is not bad, it just isn't something that I would buy again.  While I commend them for keeping sugar low, it is definitely reflected in the taste.  I tried adding 1/2 banana to my cereal bowl (which I always do anyway) to sweeten it up, but it didn't help too much.  It is one of those products that actually tastes healthy because it has that wheat-y after taste to it. 

Even though I wouldn't buy it again, I would recommend this cereal if you are looking for a healthy breakfast cereal that is not sweet.  In the meantime, I will continue to slowly make my way through the box until I finally finish it.