Cereal your way
Courtesy Custom Choice Cereal
Are you the kind of person who wishes your Honey Bunches of Oats contained pumpkin seeds and dried strawberries rather than almonds and raisins? I only ask because I am. In fact, I have a huge appetite for dried fruits and nuts. I eat them with yogurt in the morning, keep them in my desk drawer for snacking and toss them into salads at nights. My children suspect I am part squirrel.
That’s why I have become interested in the sudden proliferation of online custom cereal blenders. These companies, such as Moja Mix and Me and Goji allow you pick a base, such as granola or corn flakes, and then add the dried fruits and nuts that you like.
I am particularly interested in a company out of North Carolina called Custom Choice Cereal, which offers plenty of healthy options and mixed them all in a gluten-free facility. You can start with a base of corn flakes enriched with flax and quinoa, then add such diverse garnishes as goji berries, dried pears, hazelnuts, macadamia nuts and coconut.
If you’re the kind of person who believes Raisin Bran isn’t worth its asking price unless each bite yields enough raisins to make your teeth clamp together, then this service is for you. You can add as many portions of a favorite ingredient as you like.
It does add up. One 12-ounce portion of cereal with two kinds of fruit and two kinds of nuts can cost in excess of $10. Then again, it sounds delicious.
Has anyone tried one of these services? I’m about to put my first order in.
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12 comments Add your comment
Hajo (Custom Choice Cereal)
January 21st, 2010
1:17 pm
John, thank you for the article. As you point out there are several “of us” out there, and everyone interested in customizing their cereal has to decide for themselves which company to go with.
I just wanted to clarify that all bases and ingredients at Custom Choice Cereal are gluten-free. We also test all incoming ingredients for potential cross-contamination to ensure that all cereal is safe to consume for those with celiac disease, wheat allergies, or gluten intolerance.
Steve
January 21st, 2010
2:39 pm
Cool idea, but seems pretty expensive. Your dropping over $10 on a box of cereal and then another $3-5 for shipping (depending on website). Might as well get some flakes, fruits, and nuts from the farmers market.
dave
January 21st, 2010
3:11 pm
Very interesting, John! Fun to read about, less fun to pay for . . . back to Corn Flakes and a sliced banana for me. My reality.
Tammy
January 21st, 2010
3:20 pm
Yeah, it’s expensive, but for those of us with celiac disease the gluten free cereal options are few and far between, and all of them, with the exception of Trader Joe’s gluten free granola, are expensive to begin with, if you want something more filling than rice chex. For people with celiac disease, the peace of mind knowing the product isn’t going to become cross-contaminated by the cereal being manufactured in the next room is worth a few extra dollars in shipping.
dave
January 21st, 2010
5:28 pm
Good to have options, Tammy. Sorry for your condition, I consider myself very fortunate.
Art
January 21st, 2010
5:57 pm
Never been a cereal person… Corned beef hash, eggs sunny-side up and rye toast is my fav… Don’t do it very often… Most mornings it’s a cup of coffee and the radio.
Henry
January 21st, 2010
10:11 pm
Been mixing my own cereal for years. I usually mix 4 kinds and add frozen blueberries or strawberries. Much less expensive, but the gluten free enviro is a cool deal.
Amy
January 21st, 2010
11:02 pm
Too expensive for my budget. I, too, am fortunate to have no dietary restrictions. My dissatisfaction with granola choices — all too sweet — led me to make my own. It’s easy and $10 goes a long way. . .
Cereal Your Way | Food and More with John Kessler | Georgia Today
January 21st, 2010
11:53 pm
[...] View original here: Cereal Your Way | Food and More with John Kessler [...]
Reds
January 22nd, 2010
8:14 am
It’s a great thought, and perfect for those who have the medical necessity, and/or the finances. I would have to pass on this service, but I have made my own combinations in the past. I love dried fruit and nuts, but cereal is touch and go, unless it’s dry, as a snack. Just one of my quirks. Let us know how it goes though!
Greg
January 22nd, 2010
12:42 pm
You would have to feel pretty strongly about cereal to be willing to pay the prices that these services will demand. I think plain old cereal, bought in the grocery store, is easily customizeable, without having to go through this kind of expense.
Ally
January 22nd, 2010
11:53 pm
I’m with Greg. Why in the world is this necessary? What’s wrong with customizing your own plain cereal with bags of nuts, fruit, etc.? You can mix your own, get a mondo tupperware cereal container (they make those, y’know) and you’re done. For a lot less. Ridiculous! Wouldn’t it also be cheaper for those with celiac to make their own with certified gluten-free ingredients? My son has a wheat allergy (I know, not the same at all but I have a feel for the issue) and I can find gluten free things and Whole Foods, no problem. Or order cases of GF oatmeal from Amazon, etc. John, I’m with you, love the fruit and nuts, but this idea is just laughable.