Taste test: new breakfast foods

By Kathy Saunders, Times Correspondent
In Print: Wednesday, February 22, 2012

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Serving size	3/4 cup	3/4 cup	3/4 cup	1 pack	1 1/4 cups
Calories	110	100	110	230	200
Fat/Fiber	1.5g / 2g	1.5g / 2g	1.5g / 3g	8g / 3g	1.5g / 5g
Sugar/Sodium	9g / 130mg	6g / 135mg	6g / 160mg	11g / 220mg	18g / 220mg
Carbs/Protein	23g / 2g	22g / 2g	23g / 2g	35g / 4g	47g / 4g

The juniors and seniors at St. Petersburg Catholic High School preferred the new peanut butter Cheerios over the new caramel-coated variety during a recent food tasting for Career Day. Our panelists made the same comparison and came to the same conclusion. That's not to say the new Dulce de Leche Cheerios weren't tasty. The new cereals from General Mills were among a group of new breakfast offerings on grocery store shelves. With these choices, our panelists won't be skipping breakfast anytime soon. Kathy Saunders, Times correspondent

Product	Cheerios Multi Grain Peanut Butter	Cheerios Dulce de Leche	Quaker Whole Hearts	BelVita Golden Oat Breakfast Biscuits	Raisin Bran Cinnamon Almond
Judges' comments	The peanut butter flavor was bold and fresh in the Cheerios, but it did not overpower the cereal itself. "The basic oat cereal comes shining through despite the peanut butter and the caramel," said one panelist. "Either would be nice with ice-cold nonfat milk." Only one judge craved more peanut butter flavor. "It's just not strong enough for my palate," she said. "But kids would probably be very satisfied." A couple of panelists said the caramel flavor seemed a bit fake. "Either would be great to keep in a bag in my purse or desk for snacking," said one.		These heart-shaped cereal pieces were shiny and sweet. "They have a great oat and maple syrup flavor and would be a great snack-to-go," said one. "They have a great snap and a good oat taste," said another. "This may be the best thing Quaker has ever brought to the marketplace." One panelist said the heart shapes make the cereal seem "wholesome."	Judges were thrilled with these tasty biscuits. "I will definitely keep these in my desk and car," said one. "These are lovely with a really good flavor and a nice crunch," said another. "They seem akin to a British 'digestive biscuit.' " One said the biscuits looked even better unwrapped than the picture on the package. "The taste is crisp and delightful," he said. "They are very flavorful and would be great with tea or coffee. I will definitely be buying these."	The cereal in this revamped Kellogg's favorite had a nice shiny texture with a good, solid crunch. "I like the sparkle," said one judge. "This is wonderful Raisin Bran with a cinnamon crisp taste," said another. A judge who described the cereal as "assertively cinnamony," said, "This might even get kids to eat Raisin Bran."
Would they buy?	Three of the four judges said yes.		All four judges said yes.	All four judges said yes.	All four judges said yes.
Shopping information	$2.50 for an 11.3-ounce box from Walmart.	$2.50 for a 12-ounce box from Walmart.	$3.29 for a 12.3-ounce bag from Publix.	$2.99 for an 8.8-ounce box of five packs from Sweetbay.	$3.99 for a 14.5-ounce box from Publix.

Panelists: Nan Jensen, registered dietitian; Bob Devin Jones, artistic director of Studio@620; Jim Yockey, aesthetician at Clinique of Plastic Surgery in St. Petersburg; and Laura Reiley, Times food critic.

Send suggestions for product testing to: Taste section, Tampa Bay Times, P.O. Box 1121, St. Petersburg, FL 33731 or email them to jkeeler@tampabay.com. Please put TEST SUGGESTION in the subject line. To read past Taster's Choice columns, go to food.tampabay.com.

[Last modified: Feb 21, 2012 03:30 AM]