Magic Spoon Cereal an expensive option for low-carb treat

Andrew Gaug, St. Joseph News-Press, Mo.
·2 min read

Jun. 19—When it comes to the latest, hottest low-carb cereal, there's both good and bad news.

The good: Magic Spoon Cereal (magicspoon.com) is the best-tasting version of a low-carb cereal I've ever tried. The bad: For about $10 a box (or as they say, $1.95 per bowl) it's pricey and comes in a package smaller than any cereal I've seen at the grocery store.

If you want to try this, you have to consider the trade-offs that you'll have to make.

If you're doing it for your health, the biggest deal is the nutritional trade-off. Magic Spoon has replacements for all of the biggest brands. Fruity replaces Fruit Loops, Peanut Butter is a good swap for Reese's Puffs, Cinnamon can fill in for Cinnamon Toast Crunch — you get the point.

The difference between Magic Spoon and those original cereals comes down to protein, with Magic Spoon averaging about 12 to 14 grams compared to the usual 2 to 8 grams; sugar, which Magic Spoon has none because it uses a blend of monk fruit, stevia and allulose as a replacement; and carbohydrates, as Magic Spoon has 4 grams of net carbs compared to 17 to 32 from other cereals.

When it comes to taste, Magic Spoon is in the ballpark of trusted Saturday morning institutional cereals like Frosted Flakes and Cocoa Puffs. In my four-box pack, I was blown away by how delicious limited-edition flavors like Jelly Donut and Chocolate Peanut Butter were. They're not as sweet as the original cereals but they also don't have a weird chemical aftertaste like some health-conscious food.

At a $40 price point for four boxes (boxes can't be ordered individually), you're trading the expense on your wallet to have a sweet morning treat for something that has less of an expense on your body. If you have the money and don't want to give up cereal to eat somewhat healthier, I'd say it's worth at least trying. If money is tight, it's probably better to stick to another protein-packed, light-on-sugar option.

Andrew Gaug can be reached at andrew.gaug@newspressnow.com.

Follow him on Twitter: @NPNOWGaug