Tuesday, July 17, 2012

the cereal experiment: Post Shredded Wheat


I've talked before about how close frosted shredded wheat is to my heart. I used to eat massive bowls of this stuff for breakfast and lunch in graduate school (I also used to eat tuna helper twice a week, but let's not dredge up my dirty past). I've tested two variations on shredded wheat in the cereal experiment so far. This time, I went back to the classic, Post Shredded Wheat Spoon Size.


Results. Sometimes, simple is best. This cereal is one ingredient, shredded wheat. In a world overflowing with fillers and preservatives, this is a truly beautiful thing. You may think that this one-ingredient cereal might also taste like dirt - but, it doesn't! Maybe it is just me, but there is something I really enjoyed about the hearty, wheat-y flavor of this cereal that I didn't even miss the lack of any added sweetener. And this is coming from someone with a sweet tooth the size of a Chick-fil-A milkshake.


If this cereal has any draw back, it turns soggy easily (as do most shredded wheat cereals). Despite this flaw, I enjoyed the fibrous squares and often found myself pairing them with a crunchier cereal partner. Compared to the other two shredded wheats (Fiber One Frosted Shredded Wheat and Kashi Autumn Wheat), I think these maintain their texture better and I certainly enjoyed their simplicity.

Post Shredded Wheat stands out in the cereal crowd with its low calorie count, fat content, price, and 0% sugar content. I'd say its taste, texture, fiber, and protein content are around average as compared to the other cereals. All things considered, Post Shredded Wheat takes an impressive fifth place finish.


In a world of overly complicated and processed foods, Post Shredded Wheat reminds me how delicious and satisfying one simple ingredient can be.

See other cereal reviews here

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Lastly, I want to share with you that my boyfriend and I are in the process of developing a Cereal Ranking application - that will allow you to input your own cereal and preferences to conduct your very own experiment with a table of results similar to mine. Look for its launch soon! 

 

10 comments:

  1. what a cool idea,I am always looking for cereals that are worth buying the whole box. Of course though I am looking for gluten free ones. my dad lives on shredded wheats!

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    1. ah good point! maybe i will go through and indicate which ones are gluten free - although i'm not sure any so far are. when the app is released you can do your own!

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  2. Okay, your cereal ranking app is going to be epic. How the heck are you two developing that?

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    1. i'm super excited about it! my boyfriend is brilliant and a web programmer (so that helps).

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  3. I love this post. I have been avoiding overly processed and artificially flavored foods for almost 6 months, and it's shockingly crazy hard to find cereals that don't include GMOs or preservatives. Loving the simplicity of the Post Shredded Wheat, just not a huge fan of the BHT that's added to the packaging :( Lately, I've been sticking to Kashi Heart to Heart. Not sure if you've rated that cereal yet, but if not, you definitely should!

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    1. i saw Kashi Heart to the Heart and actually had this in my hand to buy. I will put it on my list to try! Sounds great and healthy!

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  4. I've been trying to eat foods that are not processed for the past few years and I gave up cereal. I used to LIVE on it in college though

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    1. i hear ya. cereal is too close to my heart to give up. love it!

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  5. I love this cereal experiment chart! I used to love shredded wheat sans milk but I am a big fan of things dry not soggy. My favourite shredded wheats though are the massive ones that are just like a huge block!

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    1. oh i haven't tried the big block! i actually considered buying those in the store - but they scared me! i'll have to get some soon.

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