Cheerios Are Changing—Will You Be Able to Taste a Difference?

And it’s not the only iconic cereal getting an upgrade.

Cereal is a dependable breakfast for so many reasons: it’s fast, easy, tasty, and even includes vitamins and minerals to get your day going. Well now, some of your favorite cereal brands are changing to give your morning cereal bowl even more bonus points. 

General Mills just announced a nutrition upgrade for most of their breakfast cereals. Big G cereal brands are doubling their Vitamin D content—now offering 20% of the recommended daily value per serving. 

According to the press release, a whopping 96% of all Americans ages 2 years and older are falling short on vitamin D, a key nutrient for building and maintaining strong bones. Luckily, General Mills is working to decrease that statistic by incorporating more vitamin D into something kids (and adults alike) already know and love.

After receiving FDA approval earlier this year to “increase levels of Vitamin D fortification in ready-to-eat cereal” (up to 560 IU of vitamin D3 per 100 grams), General Mills got to work. 

“General Mills Big G Cereals have long been a leader in delivering good nutrition,” said Ricardo Fernandez, President of U.S. Morning Foods. 

“We were proud to be the first major company to make whole grain the first ingredient in our Big G Cereals recipes nearly 20 years ago, a commitment that stands to this day. And with the newly increased Vitamin D fortification of these cereals, we’re proud to remind parents of the goodness they grew up on with Big G and how we continue to deliver nutritious options for their families today,” said Fernandez.

Cheerios and Cinnamon Toast Crunch will be the first brands to get the vitamin boost, and other familiar favorites, including Lucky Charms, Cocoa Puffs, and Cookie Crisp, will roll out their new recipes later this summer.

Can You Taste the Difference?

Luckily, this vitamin enhancement won’t affect the classic look or taste of your favorite breakfast cereals. 

Vitamin D is just one of the supplemental nutrients snuck into your crispy cereal, joining folate, iron, zinc, vitamin A, and many B vitamins. The change may sound extreme, but you won’t notice a difference at all—you can, however, snack happy knowing your cereal is a dependable source of vitamins and minerals.

So, pour yourself a bowl of cereal, sprinkle it over your yogurt, or toss it in your trail mix. Now that we know we're facing a widespread vitamin D deficiency, it sounds like we could all use a vitamin-rich spoonful of Trix right now.