Kellogg's Krave Cereal: Available in Chocolate & Double Chocolate

My breakfast menu varies greatly from one day to the next. I rarely have the same thing two days in a row, and it can be anything from leftover leftovers, to oatmeal, toast, eggs, cereal, or even cottage cheese, soup or sandwich.

However, walking around the store recently (the local Wal*Mart Supercenter), I admit that I yielded to curiosity. I saw Krave's being advertised on the television that was hanging from the ceiling and I actually paid attention to that ad. Being right after the first of the year, I know new products come out, and thought this was just another one. It was actually two products. Krave cereal in chocolate and double chocolate flavor. (Sold separately.)

At first, I didn't even realize it was cereal that was being advertised. I don't associate a name like Krave with a breakfast cereal. So, I thought they were advertising a cat treat!

O.K. I admit I have never tasted cat treats before (nor do I plan on doing so), but at first glance, this LOOKED like a huge box of cat treats.

Size: I thought the picture on the box was the actual size of the cereal. It would have been about the right size for a filled morsel, like perhaps a piece of candy or a cereal like frosted mini-wheats, but I was surprised when I poured a bowl and the cereal was only about 1/3 the size of what is pictured on the 11.4 oz box. They are about the size of two finger nails or (of course) the size of a large, filled cat treat. Another way to describe the size could be: larger than a cat treat but smaller than a Combos snack.

Shape: The cereal pieces are about twice as long as they are wide, and slightly raised or puffed looking in the middle. If you use your imagination, they look like yellow, orange pillows with a hard, rough, sandpaper- like surface.

The double chocolate Krave is the same size and texture as regular chocolate Krave, but, as you may expect, they are brown.

Crunch: I was expecting them to be crunchy, and indeed they are. That being said, however, they are not as crunchy as a hard pretzel. Biting and chewing them will not be too hard on your teeth. They are about as hard as a piece of toast that is not burned.

Soft filling: I expected the filling to be like that of a Pop-Tart or other brand toaster pastry. If you eat the toaster pastry without toasting it, the inside of a Krave nugget is much softer and creamier. If you compare the filling with that of a cream-puff or a pudding filled doughnut, the inside of a Krave nugget is comparatively firm.

Sweet: Yes they are sweet, but not as sweet as a glazed doughnut or many of the pre sweetened cereals on the market such as Froot Loops or Apple Jacks.

Expectation: I expected them to be very sweet, but the reality is a mildly sweet experience, with the chocolate Krave being sweeter than the double chocolate version.

A unique way to experience Krave Cereal is to combine both the chocolate and the double chocolate flavors in one bowl, and if you really like that, combine two bags or boxes of the cereal for multiple bowls of that experience.

Fat: Relatively low in fat , especially when compared with a doughnut, with a serving giving a total of 3.5 grams of total fat and 1 gram of saturated fat, both of which are 5% of the standard daily "allotment". However, while this sounds low, comparable cereals like Cocoa Puffs and Life both have 1.5 grams of fat. According to the label, there is no Cholesterol.

Fiber: Like many breakfast cereals, this is a good way to get fiber without feeling like you are giving up something or missing out on a pleasurable experience. A serving provides 3 grams of Dietary Fiber, which is 12% of a day's suggested consumption. This is more than Cocoa Puffs or Life which each provide 2 grams, but much less than Spoon Size Shredded Wheat, which claims to provide 6 grams.

Nutrition: Chocolate Krave, like many pre sweetened cereals is heavily fortified with Vitamins and Minerals. It's Nutrition Information panel lists most of it's nutrients as having 25% USRDA values.

Sugar: A serving of either variety of Krave contains 11 grams of sugar, comparable to Froot Loops' 12 grams, but far more than Corn Chex cereal which lists 3 grams per serving sugar content.

Tasty: I enjoyed the taste, and the overall experience was good. It was not overly sweet, but I would say it was just sweet enough to make it pleasant. I would buy this product again, and I even think it would be good to snack on even without milk.

However, I don't think I will actually CRAVE KRAVE cereal. I give it 7 out of 10 spoons.