Time to give
Toucan Sam and his
Fruit Loops the BOOT, cause I found something
BETTER! 
Cascadian Farms makes tasty foods, ranging from cereals, granolas, frozen foods, cereal bars, etc. that are all organic. According to Cascadian Farms, “Our organic foods are grown without the use of synthetic pesticides, chemical fertilizers or genetically engineered ingredients.” This also means no preservatives or nasty artificial colors or flavors. As a bonus- the companies farming methods help protect and preserve our environment. Way to be, Cascadian Farms!
So I went to Waldbaums the other day and I went to pick up my usual cereals, when I spotted this new cereal Fruitful O’s. They sure looked like Fruit Loops from the outside of the box, but they were naturally fruit flavored, instead of artificially flavored. I decided to revel in my childhood and buy a box. It was a bit pricey, all organic food usually is, but I wanted to try this new cereal that would hopefully recreate my old days with Toucan Sam (in case you guys are confused- Toucan Sam is the mascot of Fruit Loops cereal).
So, I opened up the box when I got home and poured myself a bowl. The sure looked like Fruit Loops, except they only came in colors yellow, orange and purple instead of the whole rainbow. They were also a bit smaller in size, not as small as a cheerio, but not as big as Fruit Loops. I really liked how the serving size was 1 cup (not 3/4 of a cup, that’s annoying!), and still only had 120 calories. Plus, there was a LOT of Fruitful O’s in my bowl with just 1 cup!
The taste was actually quite good, however it was much better in some vanilla almond breeze or skim milk than dry. When they were dry, they were sweet and crunchy, with a mostly
orangy fruity flavor. However, when I had them with milk or almond milk, the flavors really shown through, and they were actually
sweeter. Normally when I add milk to my cereals, I notice it gets soggy fast and the flavor disperses in the milk. This didn’t happen as quickly with this cereal. I usually have a method for this, as I like my cereal when it’s a
tad soggy from the milk, but still has a crunch. I measure out how much I want, put half in a bowl (usually with a sliced banana), add the milk (and ice cube, of course!
) and then I add more cereal as I go along. Keeps the flavor and the crunch going!
Overall, I was impressed. These do taste like Fruit Loops a lot, except just a tad less sweet (good in my opinion. Those kiddie cereals are just LADEN with sugar). Cascadian Farms’ brand is also made with whole grain oat flour and has 3 grams of fiber per serving. There is also no partially hydrogenated oils or artificial colors/dyes like Fruit Loops has. CLEARLY, this is the better pick (just in case you haven’t caught on to my hinting yet
).
I give Fruitful O’s 4 stars. I think it’s good to mix in with some higher fiber cereals, or to have a bowl as a snack (the cereal alone probably won’t hold you over very long). Hmm.. I wonder if this tastes like the fruity flavored variety Annie’s Homegrown (Fruity Bunnies Cereal) has to offer? Anyone tried it?
1 cup is 120 calories, 1 gram of fat, 27 carbohydrates, 3 grams of fiber, and 2 grams of protein. It is also fortified with vitamins and minerals, like calcium (10% per bowl), iron (25% per bowl) and zinc (35% per bowl).
la la loving the organic ingredients
Whole Grain Oat Flour, Corn Meal, Sugar (from cane), Tapioca Syrup, Oat Fiber, Wheat Starch, Sea Salt, Sunflower Oil, Color (elderberry juice concentrate, turmeric and annatto), Fructose, Natural Flavor.