So much for making the recipe more natural. People would rather eat artificial ingredients than give up vibrant colors.
The people have spoken. They've had enough of General Mills' attempts to make its breakfast cereal more natural and want the old version back. In a surprising announcement made last Thursday, the company said it would do precisely that -- reintroduce its classic Trix cereal, in all its artificial glory, because that's what people want.
[...] Ever since General Mills announced in 2015 that it would start phasing out artificial colors and flavors from all its cereals (an announcement that boosted sales by 6 percent in early 2016 and pleased many shoppers and scientists who have concerns about the health effects of these petroleum-sourced food dyes), there has been a parallel outpouring of protest from committed cereal lovers. People weren't happy with the way the cereal looked or tasted.
"Petroleum-sourced food dyes," it's what's for breakfast!
(Score: 4, Informative) by Grishnakh on Tuesday September 26 2017, @01:39AM (28 children)
The people who buy stuff like Trix don't care about natural vs. artificial ingredients, and don't think about stuff like how healthy their cereal is. The people who do worry about that aren't buying high-sugar cereals like Trix.
(Score: 3, Insightful) by frojack on Tuesday September 26 2017, @01:44AM (16 children)
There are lots of different food dyes. Food coloring has been around long before petroleum sources were used.
Not much evidence it was any better or worse for you back then, but it was available.
Is there any low sugar cereal that tastes better than the box it comes in?
No, you are mistaken. I've always had this sig.
(Score: 1, Informative) by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday September 26 2017, @01:48AM (1 child)
Made from bugs! http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/red-food-dye-cochineal-bugs_us_56fafd25e4b083f5c605f3dd [huffingtonpost.com]
(Score: 1, Funny) by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday September 26 2017, @06:19AM
You would eat it if it was handed to you.
(Score: 2, Disagree) by stretch611 on Tuesday September 26 2017, @02:21AM (12 children)
Just make sure that you know which cereals are actually low in sugar.
It goes against common sense... when you actually look at the labels nearly all generic and brand name raisin bran have twice the sugar per serving than the majority of "sugar" cereals.
No joke... I do actually look at the nutrition labels...
Most sugar cereals per serving before milk...
1g Fiber
10-13g Sugar
20-25g Total Carb
Most Raisin Bran before milk...
4-5g Fiber
20-25g Sugar
45-50g Total Carb
Seeing how most cereals are also fortified, they all end up with roughly the same vitamins.
IMO, The extra Fiber in Raisin Bran while nice, is not worth all the extra sugar and carbs.
Now with 5 covid vaccine shots/boosters altering my DNA :P
(Score: 4, Interesting) by takyon on Tuesday September 26 2017, @03:12AM (1 child)
Not true. Perhaps you forgot to check the number of grams in the serving size? Once you normalize Post, General Mills, or Kellogg's Raisin Bran to a 27-32g serving size, it has about the same amount or a little less of sugar and calories as the sugar cereals. Not twice as much. If you divide the sugar by the weight, you get around 30-32%, comparable to the sugar cereals. Now, Raisin Bran is hardly the healthiest cereal. Grape-Nuts has comparable fiber and protein at less than 30% of the sugar content of Raisin Bran. But Raisin Bran is a better choice than Fruity Pebbles/etc.
Sugar Cereals
"Healthy" Cereals
[SIG] 10/28/2017: Soylent Upgrade v14 [soylentnews.org]
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday September 26 2017, @07:24PM
Not to mention that most of the sugar in raisin brans come from the raisins.
(Score: 1, Informative) by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday September 26 2017, @03:12AM (2 children)
Bob's Red Mill muesli http://www.bobsredmill.com/shop/cereals/granola-and-muesli/old-country-style-muesli.html [bobsredmill.com] Similar to Swiss Muesli. Comes in a plastic bag, no cardboard box comparisons... Much less sugar than cereals you mentioned, personally I find too much sugar cloying.
Nutritional Facts
Serving Size: 1/4 cup (35g)
Servings Per Container: 15
Amount Per Serving % Daily Value
Calories 140
Calories from Fat 25
Total Fat 2.5 g 4 %
Saturated Fat 0 g 0 %
Trans Fat 0 g 0 %
Cholesterol 0 mg 0 %
Sodium 0 mg 0 %
Total Carbohydrate 24 g 8 %
Dietary Fiber 4 g 16 %
Sugars 5 g N/A
Protein 4 g 8 %
Vitamin A 0 %
Vitamin C 0 %
Calcium 2 %
Iron 6 %
* Percent Daily Values (DV) are based on a 2000 calorie diet. Your daily values may be higher or lower depending on your calorie needs.
Ingredients
Whole Grain Wheat, Dates, Sunflower Seeds, Raisins (Raisins, Sunflower Oil), Whole Grain Rye, Barley, Whole Grain Oats, Whole Grain Triticale (wheat), Almonds, Flaxseed and Walnuts.
*Manufactured in a facility that also uses tree nuts, soy, wheat, and milk
I buy enough of this cereal that I should probably buy stock in the company, but I haven't (yet).
(Score: 2) by takyon on Tuesday September 26 2017, @03:20AM
Grape-Nuts Original (Post)
Serving 58g / 35g
Calories 210 / 126.8
Calories from Fat 10 / 6
Fiber 7g / 4.2g
Protein 6g / 3.6g
Sugars 5g / 3.0g
Carbs 47g / 28.4g
That's Grape-Nuts brought down to 35g serving size. Pretty comparable although I don't know about the taste. Grape-Nuts has been fortified massively in some areas... it has 90% DV for iron, for example.
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(Score: 2) by takyon on Tuesday September 26 2017, @03:25AM
What I like about Bob's Red Mill is that they have gotten some relatively niche products into mainstream supermarkets, like their flours [bobsredmill.com]. Probably helped by the gluten-free craze.
[SIG] 10/28/2017: Soylent Upgrade v14 [soylentnews.org]
(Score: 2, Informative) by khallow on Tuesday September 26 2017, @03:24AM (4 children)
(Score: 2) by takyon on Tuesday September 26 2017, @04:06AM (3 children)
Definitely. Honeycomb with its puffed up and holey shape is 33g in 1.25 cups [postconsumerbrands.com]. Kix has 30g in 1.25 cups [generalmills.com].
Man, Kix has only 3 grams of sugar per serving? I remember it tasting pretty good for that level of sugar.
[SIG] 10/28/2017: Soylent Upgrade v14 [soylentnews.org]
(Score: 2) by steveha on Tuesday September 26 2017, @06:10AM (2 children)
Man, Kix has only 3 grams of sugar per serving? I remember it tasting pretty good for that level of sugar.
I remember a bunch of years ago they announced that they had reduced the amount of sugar in Kix while keeping it tasty. IIRC they said they were more or less spraying the sugar on the outside of the cereal balls, where you would really taste it, rather than mixing it in to the batter used to make those balls. But don't quote me, that's from memory and I have nothing to back it up.
I ought to buy some Kix now. Haven't had it in years. I usually eat cereals with lots of fibre.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday September 26 2017, @01:54PM (1 child)
That's... actually a good way to do healthy without sacrificing flavor.
Assuming it works.
I can't eat Kix though, my mom didn't let me eat anything but Kix, Cheerios and Rice Crispies for breakfast for years, and I can't eat any of them now.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Friday September 29 2017, @01:55AM
Kix is doing something right. Much less sugar than most cereals but still tastes pretty sweet.
No fibre of course, and not exactly a balanced breakfast. I'm not claiming it's health food.
(Score: 3, Informative) by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday September 26 2017, @04:49AM
So what?
there's sugar, but not much, in the flakes. Needed to help bind the flour to make the flakes.
There's definitely sugar in the raisins. LOTS of sugar. Inherent sugar. There are no low- or sugar-free raisins.
There is really no effective difference between sugars from dried fruits vs good ol' white crystal sugar. Except perhaps you get marginally other nutritional components from the dried fruit bits. fructose/glucose vs sucrose, blahblahblah. sugar is sugar.
The generic/store brand raisin bran tends to not put as much sugar on the raisins as Post or General Mills raisin brans cereal.
If you want a true low sugar cereal, there's some granolas that add very little sugar (Great Northern, in the milk box is one). Shredded Wheat (the big biscuits of it, not the mini shredded wheat that's got sugar frosting on it).
Or just eat some plain ol' Cheerios instead.
(Score: 2) by urza9814 on Friday September 29 2017, @04:40PM
Holy hell!
I mostly eat two kinds of cereal -- corn flakes and chex. The flakes are 3g sugar per 28g serving; chex are 2g per 27g. And I'd consider the corn flakes to be a fairly sweet cereal actually. Rice Chex are nice and bland, just how I like my food :P
(Score: 2) by sgleysti on Tuesday September 26 2017, @03:51PM
This may not be what you're after, but I love Post Shredded Wheat (spoon size, brown box).
Per 59g serving, 210 cal, 10 from fat
1.5g fat, polyunsaturated
0mg cholesterol/sodium
230mg potassium
47g carbs (1g sol fiber, 7g insol fiber, 0g sugar)
7g protein
This and puffed wheat are the only cereals I eat (unless you count oatmeal) because I'm trying to lower the salt in my diet. Every other cereal I've looked at has a lot of salt.
(Score: 2) by Runaway1956 on Tuesday September 26 2017, @01:46AM
The Firefly series poked fun at mankind's fascination with things that shine, several times. In this case, we prefer poison cereal to non-poison cereal because, "Oooh, SHINEY!"
(Score: 2) by JoeMerchant on Tuesday September 26 2017, @02:35AM (7 children)
"Scientifically Formulated" was a big selling point for food - in the early 1900s. You can do your own research, here's one of the first samples Google returned to me:
https://i.pinimg.com/236x/ca/c1/83/cac183fbbbf8645d0ae9ad6518509b6c.jpg [pinimg.com]
🌻🌻 [google.com]
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday September 26 2017, @05:10AM (3 children)
"For Sale By Delears Everywhere"
Who knew that there were S/N-quality spellers in 1912?
-- OriginalOwner_ [soylentnews.org]
(Score: 1, Funny) by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday September 26 2017, @05:49AM (2 children)
The big dry goods chain in the early 1900s was named Delears.
(Score: 2) by Bill Evans on Tuesday September 26 2017, @09:27AM (1 child)
[citation needed]
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday September 26 2017, @04:49PM
*whoosh*
(Score: 4, Insightful) by FatPhil on Tuesday September 26 2017, @09:09AM (2 children)
Then again, 7-up was advertised to (mothers of) nursing infants as a health drink. I'm pretty sure cigarettes were good for you too for quite a while.
The first order approximation to reality is if one simply concludes that advertisers are bullshit merchants, always have been, and always will be.
Great minds discuss ideas; average minds discuss events; small minds discuss people; the smallest discuss themselves
(Score: 2) by dry on Wednesday September 27 2017, @12:32AM (1 child)
It's not just what the advertisers push, but also what the consumers pull, which the advertisers/merchants respond to.
Case in point, baby food. When first invented, it was pretty simple, perhaps strained carrots. The mothers demanded salt added as when they sampled it, they found it plain though the babies were happy with it.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Wednesday September 27 2017, @12:43AM
not as good as canned cat food.
(Score: 5, Funny) by NotSanguine on Tuesday September 26 2017, @11:38AM (1 child)
A long time ago...
As Dave Barry pointed out in 1985 [miamiherald.com]:
No, no, you're not thinking; you're just being logical. --Niels Bohr
(Score: 2) by istartedi on Tuesday September 26 2017, @08:22PM
I wonder if Barry had the Ozzy Osbourne bat-eating incident in mind when he wrote that. Googling around, Ozzy ate the bat in 1982.
Appended to the end of comments you post. Max: 120 chars.
(Score: 5, Funny) by srobert on Tuesday September 26 2017, @02:15AM
Silly human, natural flavors and colors are for rabbits.
(Score: 4, Informative) by Azuma Hazuki on Tuesday September 26 2017, @02:27AM (13 children)
Seriously, brown rice porridge with chicken or whatever else you want in it keeps you full way longer than this sugary crap. Much healthier for you too, *and* you control what goes in. If your cooker has a timer, it's even easier: dump stuff in at night, set the timer, wake up, shower, dress, nom, and run.
I am "that girl" your mother warned you about...
(Score: 2) by JoeMerchant on Tuesday September 26 2017, @02:37AM (1 child)
Several generations were raised on colorful, sugary breakfast cereals - the kind that turn your milk into a rainbow... Even if it was as bad for you as smoking tobacco, do you think people want to give up their habits?
🌻🌻 [google.com]
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday September 26 2017, @04:58AM
Food Coloring [google.com]
Very affordable and a little goes a long way.
...and I can get sugar in a bag for 40c/lb these days.
...and buying your grain with as little processing done to it as possible makes it much more affordable.
My major gripe isn't even the lousy nutrition of dry cereals.
It's how much they want for a 10 oz box of the crap.
I'm with Azuma on this one.
Make mine cooked grains.
...though I'm more of a grits or oatmeal or Cream of Wheat kind of guy.
...and being largely nocturnal, I don't tend to eat it for breakfast.
(I have lunch for breakfast.)
-- OriginalOwner_ [soylentnews.org]
(Score: 2) by frojack on Tuesday September 26 2017, @03:20AM (2 children)
Boy aint that the truth.
If I eat cold cereal I will have the shakes by noon.
Don't like all the carbs in brown rice, try Crushed whole oats and little milk, something with some protein, maybe some actual fresh fruit and something with some protein. Not even a lot of protein, just make sure you include protein in the morning meal along with what ever else you like.
No, you are mistaken. I've always had this sig.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday September 26 2017, @03:54AM (1 child)
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday September 26 2017, @04:08PM
Then fry that on a skillet. . . ?
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday September 26 2017, @03:51AM (1 child)
As for me I try to reduce carbs (which includes cereals) because I'm not very physically active. To me consumed carbs should be proportionate to physical activity.
Ketogenic diets are probably an advantage in endurance stuff since there's no metabolic switching which gives many people problems ("hit the wall" etc). But if you're very physically active there are advantages to having a high carb diet. Getting 5000 kcal from protein and animal fats is expensive. Nuts aren't cheap either and many nuts can be high in aflatoxin (it's not just peanuts!). Getting 5000kcal from broccoli is going to be hilarious with all the hours of eating and pooping. Unless your palate and your stomach can cope with drinking cooking oil, you're going to need some carbs like pasta or potato to help it go down better.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday September 26 2017, @05:07PM
in my experience, you actually crap less on a ketogenic diet because you're not eating so much useless crap your body can't use.
(Score: 2) by takyon on Tuesday September 26 2017, @03:52AM (3 children)
Oatmeal is kind of messy and takes a long time in my rice cooker so I just make it on the stove.
Now thinking about the possibilities of a chicken flavored breakfast cereal.
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(Score: 1) by anubi on Tuesday September 26 2017, @05:37AM
I find if I just pour hot water over oatmeal, coffeemaker style, its just right.
Put the bowl with some dry oatmeal where the cup goes, cycle the coffeemaker, sans pod, and let 'er rip.
After a while, you determine how much oatmeal to put under there to have it come to the consistency you like.
Overcooked oatmeal? ugh. Then I gotta add some wheat germ to make it have at least a little texture.
"Prove all things; hold fast that which is good." [KJV: I Thessalonians 5:21]
(Score: 1) by terryk30 on Tuesday September 26 2017, @01:04PM
Get minute oats (as in 1-min, not 3-min), pour serving in bowl. Boil water in kettle (to vigorous boil), immediately pour over oats (stirring w/o spoon via the pouring itself), quickly cover w. plate. Let sit 5 min or so.
You have to learn to gauge the amount of water by eye as you pour. (It would cool off too much if first poured into a measuring cup.) Ideally you use just enough such that when you uncover the oats there's only a bit of unabsorbed water at the bottom. I think what I've been doing is using a little more water than is needed to wet and submerge all the oatmeal.
Now these being 1-min oats, what you get is more gluey than granular so don't forget you're eating breakfast not patching holes.
(Score: 2) by RamiK on Tuesday September 26 2017, @01:50PM
You're using the wrong kind of oats: https://lesliebeck.com/foods/oats [lesliebeck.com]
Do the following:
1. Fill soup bowl halfway through with Quaker quick-cooking white oats.
2. Pour milk fully covering the oats to about 2/3 of the bowl.
3. Throw in the microwave for 2-3minutes.
4. Flavor with 1-2 tbsp strawberry jam or whatever. Experiment with whipping cream and powdered \ canned milk.
There are other brands of rolled oats but if they're too thick or uncut, you might find that 2-3min aren't enough. And seeing how 4-5min might evaporate the milk and burn the oats even when poured to the brim, I recommend you try Quaker's first just to see if you like the texture and taste.
compiling...
(Score: 2) by Phoenix666 on Tuesday September 26 2017, @10:33AM (1 child)
The carbohydrates in that aren't much better than the sugar ingested as such. Does the same thing to your blood sugar, with the same effects. Yes, if you're going to spike your blood sugar in the morning with carbohydrates, brown rice is a much better choice than cereal. Agree on the chicken.
Protein and fiber are the best bet for keeping you full and energized through to lunch. A bowl of stew or eggs/tofu scramble are the sort of thing. It's a real adjustment if you're used to eating sweet things first thing, but it quickly seems normal.
Washington DC delenda est.
(Score: 2) by Azuma Hazuki on Tuesday September 26 2017, @08:22PM
Agreed, but there's money to consider here :/ I'm glad I grew up making stocks and using carcasses and organ meats, as it's made protein cheaper for me than if I had the usual American habit of only eating muscle tissue.
I am "that girl" your mother warned you about...
(Score: 2) by MostCynical on Tuesday September 26 2017, @07:50AM (7 children)
so, basically, none of the breakfast cereals should be considered "good".
http://www.businessinsider.com/how-much-sugar-is-in-cereal-2017-1 [businessinsider.com]
https://www.cbsnews.com/pictures/sugary-cereals-which-are-the-10-worst/ [cbsnews.com]
US dentists should all be rich!
"I guess once you start doubting, there's no end to it." -Batou, Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex
(Score: 3, Informative) by sgleysti on Tuesday September 26 2017, @03:56PM (3 children)
Shredded wheat beats the curve: 0g sugar. I love that stuff, as it also has no salt; it's really hard to find a cereal that's low in sodium.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday September 26 2017, @04:10PM (2 children)
I like the shredded wheat "biscuits". Those are the best. :-)
(Score: 1, Funny) by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday September 26 2017, @04:30PM (1 child)
Frosted Mini Wheats are even better.
(Score: 2) by darnkitten on Tuesday September 26 2017, @06:36PM
Especially with sugar heaped on...
(Score: 2) by DannyB on Tuesday September 26 2017, @06:40PM (2 children)
What do you mean not considered good? They're considered guuuuuurreeeaaat! After all, they're LOADED with sugar.
Introducing new Sugarooos! Yes, kids, try new Sugarooos! Delicious kernels of pure sugar frosted with a delicious coating of sugar, then covered in the golden goodness of glucose! And fortified with 12 essential sweeteners!
Frosted Lucky Charms, they're magically delicious!
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(Score: 2) by MostCynical on Tuesday September 26 2017, @08:43PM (1 child)
Don't forget, they come in all your favourite florescent colours! Like nothing found in nature!
"I guess once you start doubting, there's no end to it." -Batou, Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex
(Score: 2) by DannyB on Wednesday September 27 2017, @01:16PM
If we're going for nothing found in nature, then we should be looking for a formula and marketing angle that is truly unique.
How about this! Cereal that makes you glow in the dark! It will be a huge hit! The latest craze!
As long as it has sufficient sugar in it.
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(Score: 3, Insightful) by Nuke on Tuesday September 26 2017, @09:26AM (3 children)
Where is is sourced is not relevant to whether it is bad. Could someone explain seriously what is wrong with that exactly? Some of the water, or wine, you drink today once went via Hitler's shit, but few people seem to mind; and it is another chemical.
(Score: 4, Informative) by FatPhil on Tuesday September 26 2017, @10:35AM (1 child)
Great minds discuss ideas; average minds discuss events; small minds discuss people; the smallest discuss themselves
(Score: 2) by Phoenix666 on Tuesday September 26 2017, @01:37PM
Also, when most people look at a can of Quaker State they don't think, "Food!"
Washington DC delenda est.
(Score: 2) by EvilSS on Tuesday September 26 2017, @04:35PM
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday September 26 2017, @02:21PM
SCREW all you hippie foodies. This is AWESOME news!!
(Score: 2) by DannyB on Tuesday September 26 2017, @06:35PM
The way I heard it when I was a kid . . .
There was a group of people called Trids.
A nearby Giant would periodically come around and kick the Trids.
One day, an Abbot came to town and observed the giant kicking the Trids.
The Abbot said: "hey giant, why don't you kick someone your own size? why don't you try kicking me around?"
The giant replied: "Silly Abbot, kicks are for Trids!"
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