I Retried Every Nostalgic Childhood Cereal With My Family & There Was One Clear Winner
What's a girl to do when her apartment is under construction and she has to temporarily live with her sister, brother-in-law, and their three kids? The only correct answer, of course, is to subject those kids to her favorite nostalgic cereals of her youth and go through the aisles of the grocery store to retry all those wonderful, sugary flavors from decades past (not that many decades, let's chill). While the shelves at home were already stocked with some classics—Lucky Charms, Reese's Puffs, and Cheerios—others needed to join the ranks. We scoured high and low for some of our favorites (my brother-in-law insisted on Captain Crunch, while my sister rightfully picked up Cinnamon Toast Crunch).
After weeks of us starting our days with a sugar rush and finally a return to my own home, the verdict was in: Sugary cereal slaps just as hard when you're in your 30s as it does when you're a kid. Yet, not all are created equal. In fact, while some of the contenders brought back some serious joy, not all lived up to the fond memories. Tear. Here's where we landed.
Best Fruity Cereal
We tried Trix. We tried Froot Loops. We tried Apple Jacks. But nothing quite compares to the vibrantly colored flakes that make up Fruity Pebbles. There's something about that connection to the Flintstones and how they get pleasantly soggy (I know it's usually an oxymoron) in your bowl that just gives them an edge over the competition. But is it really a competition at all? Fruity Pebbles blows other fruit-flavored cereal out of the milk bowl, so to speak. And while these certainly make for a great treat on occasion, they didn't quite hit the mark where we could indulge in a bowl every day, so they didn't take top spot.
Best Chocolate Cereal
From Cocoa Pebbles to Cocoa Puffs, there are endless amounts of chocolatey cereal. While most people save the sweets until after dinner, some like to start their mornings with a pep in their step. Whether you prefer to get your Count Chocula on or stick with Honey Bunches of Oat Chocolate Edition, there's a cocoa-laden cereal out there for you. And this category of kids' cereals is a lot trickier than its fruity counterpart. Many well-known brands have churned out chocolate versions of their cereals over the years—everything from Chocolate Cheerios to Frosted Flakes Chocolate. But if it didn't exist when I was a kid (sorry HBOA), it doesn't count.
While Cocoa Puffs were definitely a favorite in my younger years, they just didn't spark quite that same feeling eating them as an adult. Did the chocolatey flavor I loved dissipate over the years along with my spirit? (Jk, jk.) If we're going purely chocolate, the winner is an underdog—Cocoa Krispies, Cocoa Pebbles' lesser-known brother. These have just the right amount of chocolate without overdoing it, they have that snap, crackle, pop we all love, and they turn your milk into chocolate milk! What's not to love?
However, if we're adding other flavors into the mix, you can't go wrong with Reese's Puffs. They're so good that I've never gone to my parents' house and not seen a box or two in the cupboard. Grandparent approved!
Most Disappointing Cereal
I don't know about you, but I love a sugary, color-laden cereal as much as a healthier, bland Chex cereal. It all depends on how it tastes. Growing up, I was a huge fan of Crispix. Half rice, half corn—it's the best of both worlds. I was super psyched to pick up a box of this cereal and hopeful that I'd add it back into my breakfast circulation, but I was hit with a surprise when I retried it! The recipe has definitely changed, and not for the better. There did not used to be any sugar flavor in this box, and now you can distinctly taste the added sugar in each bite, and I was not a fan. Scrolling through comments online, I was able to find that I wasn't alone in my disappointment: "Why has Kellogg's increased the amount of added sugar to Crispix over the years? Please return to the lower, more healthy, less sugar recipe," one reviewer wrote. Indeed, a look at the packaging confirms that sugar is now the third ingredient in the cereal, with five added grams per serving. No thanks.
Another disappointment was Frosted Flakes. While growing up, these were certainly touted as "greeeeat," but as adults, these weren't as tasty as we remembered. My brother-in-law thought they were the least exciting of the bunch.
Best Traditional Cereal
Special K, Life, Corn Flakes, Wheat Chex, Cheerios, Wheaties...the list goes on. There are tons and tons of cereals on the market and plenty of what some might think of as boring when compared to their more colorful and sugar-filled competition. But that's no reason to discount these breakfast staples. I love a bowl of Wheaties in the morning. And while Cheerios are popular for a good reason, nothing really makes me ready to tackle the day quite like a bowl of Rice Krispies. It has minimal added sugar, a handful of vitamins, plenty of carbs, and even some protein packed in. The texture and taste are always a win, and both kids and adults like them, me included.
The Ones That Don't Quite Fit In A Category
While technically we could start combining cereals into wheat, corn, and rice-based, that's a bit too overwhelming and not very exciting. From Corn Pops to Kix to Frosted Mini-Wheats, there's honestly just too many cereals to remember, and when they don't quite fit into any other category, you just have to lump them all together. Sorry. Frosted Mini-Wheats always hit the spot, if you ask my sister, but Waffle Crisp is the winner if you ask my brother-in-law. And where do Smacks fit in? High on my list, but only once in a while since they're so sweet. Cinnamon Toast Crunch is another top contender, but similar to Smacks, they're just too sugary to be an everyday grab. When you're trying to balance the perfect combo of sweet but subtle, the answer, if you ask me, is Honey Nut Cheerios.
The Winner
But when the battle of all the best is on, who truly is the king of childhood cereals?? TBH a choice has never been harder. However, for the sake of the public, who is obviously dying to know my innermost thoughts on cereal, I had to pick a winner. If I'm going for an everyday cereal, the clear winner is Rice Krispies. They aren't fruity. They aren't chocolatey. They aren't colorful. But they make fun sounds, bring back memories of my childhood, and taste incredible. Plus, I can always throw them in a pot with some marshmallows and make the ultimate treat if I'm craving something sweeter.
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