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  reviews

bravely reviewed by mike

Believe me, I am a firm believer in the ridiculousness of the whole low-carb dieting craze. Whatever dietary merit it may or may not have, as a cultural fad and as a marketing gimmick it has far surpassed tolerance. However, this "CarbWell" cereal boasts a high protein content (11g per serving according to the box) thanks to the primary ingredient of "soy grits", and as a vegetarian I am concerned about getting enough protein in my diet. So this seemed like it might be a convenient way to supplement my protein intake with something I normally eat anyway, since I have a Seinfeld-like love for cereal. So, my curiosity piqued at the grocery store recently, I rather sheepishly bought a box, and when some of our friends happened to see the grocery bag in our car, it was a source of embarrassment and ridicule.

Anyway, this stuff smells delicious --- upon opening the box my hopes rose as an aroma like honey graham crackers greeted me. The little cereal bits are dense, square-cornered O's, kind of like Cracklin' Oat Bran, except smaller and smoother. At first bite, the density provides a satisfying crunch and the lightly sweet flavor matches the aroma fairly closely. However, after a few chews, the presence of "soy grits" makes itself apparent, and a kind of legume-y flavor takes over. This definitely conflicts with the mental expectation of having a grain-based flavor, so it's a bit of a weird experience at first.

The cereal maintains its density and crunch very well, though its non-absorbency means that I recommend adding more milk than you would for a "normal" cereal in order to keep it from seeming dry. (I suppose one could use soy milk for even more soy-osity, but we aren't a soy milk family so I haven't tried that.) Once I made the mental adjustment away from expecting it to taste like a regular grain cereal, it wasn't bad or unpleasant to me (though it may not be that way for everyone), and it definitely gets high marks for nutritional convenience. If you're like me and there are those nights when you're too tired, hot, or impatient to actually prepare something for dinner and you find yourself heading for the cereal cupboard, this stuff might help you feel like you're getting something a little more balanced in your diet. Go ahead and give it a try if you can get over the shame of buying something marketed as low-carb --- just keep telling yourself, "it's not low-carb, it's high-protein."