Follow Me Foodie to Kashi’s new cereals and granola bars!
Kashi introduces new gluten-free and Non-GMO Project Verified products.
Whoa! That’s a lot of cereal. I don’t know why I have to make breakfast so complicated, but I like to have fun with my food. I used to mix 5-8 different cereals at a time and I still sometimes do. You might expect me to go all out for breakfast by making omelettes, French toast and sausage, but I actually keep it fairly “simple” unless I’m entertaining. When you eat out so often, sometimes the fullness of dinner extends to the next morning, and that’s when fruit, yogurt, or cereal does the trick.
When Kashi Canada announced their new line of gluten-free and Non-GMO Project Verified products, I wasn’t really phased. I don’t require a gluten-free diet, so I don’t go out of my way to seek these products, although I’ve been introduced to some good ones. Their initiative for Non-GMO Project Verified products was something I valued though. It’s no doubt consumers are seeking more of both, and these new products encourage healthier eating and positive initiatives.
Kashi’s new gluten-free and Non-GMO Project Verified products #KashiCanada
Kashi Organic Promise Indigo Morning cereal combines a blend of puffed golden corn flakes with real blueberries and blackberries for a tangy sweet flavour. See ingredients and nutritional info here.
This was actually my favourite of the three cereals. I did’t expect the corn flakes to be so puffy, large and hearty, and they were almost like mini rice crackers. I enjoyed them as a snack even without milk. The organic blueberries and blackberries are freeze dried so they are light and crisp as well. The sweetener is dried cane syrup and there is 6g of sugar for a ¾ cup serving which isn’t too bad at all, and the same amount includes 22g of whole grains.
Kashi Nutty Chia Flax Multigrain cereal is supposed to have a nutty flavour and light crunch. It blends chia, flax and walnuts, but I actually couldn’t get much walnut. Each ¾ cup serving provides a source of Omega-3 polyunsaturates, 5g of fibre and 6g of sugar. The sweetener is cane syrup and honey and it is not organic, but still made with health-conscious ingredients. See nutritional info here.
Kashi Organic Promise Simply Maize cereal is similar to the Kashi Organic Promise Indigo Morning and it was my second favourite. It features the same hearty and crisp whole organic puffed corn flakes, but has a hint of molasses for sweetness. See nutritional info here.
It has four ingredients (organic whole grain corn, organic dried cane syrup, salt, organic molasses) and a ¾ cup serving has 24g of whole grains, 6g of sugar and only 1g of fat. All the new cereals are low in fat, so just pick the one you think tastes good… or maybe even mix them!
The new Kashi Chia Granola Bars come in Cranberry Lemon and Dark Chocolate, Almond & Sea Salt flavours. Each bar (35g) has 0.2g of Omega-3 and 4g of fibre, and they are sweetened with brown rice syrup, cane syrup and honey. Both have 7g of sugar for one bar and no high fructose corn syrup.
I don’t have an organic only diet, but some ingredients I prefer organic and cranberries are one of them. The Cranberry Lemon granola bar is not organic and has a tangy sweet flavour from the dried cranberries and a bit of wildflower honey and sesame seeds.
I liked the Dark Chocolate, Almond & Sea Salt granola bars more because I like sweet and salty and it wasn’t too sweet. The semi-sweet chocolate bits are on one side only and I liked the whole roasted almonds rather than slivered or sliced. It’s more substantial than the Cranberry Lemon bar and the salt comes in the aftertaste.
Kashi has a lot more up their sleeves in the next while, but I can’t share their plans just yet. It is more than expanding their gluten-free and GMO-free product offerings, which is only a start. I am working with them to spread the word on upcoming plans and I’ll “plant a seed in your head”, but don’t get too many ideas. In the following weeks I’ll have more to share and there is likely a cool giveaway too, so check back for details!
Kashi is a Kellogg’s brand and was caught two years ago using GMO ingredients. Millions of consumers are boycotting *all* of Kellogg’s products and brands since Kellogg’s uses GMO ingredients extensively in its products and non-organic brands, and because Kellogg’s has spent millions in an effort to defeat mandatory GMO labeling laws. Wonder why Kashi is always on sale in supermarkets? Because of the Kellogg’s boycotts, very few people are currently buying it, so it sits on store shelves and often exceeds its expiration dates…then it shows up in dollar stores and is donated to food pantries. Don’t get sucked in by Kellogg’s efforts to resuscitate this brand…they ruined it and now it’s a lost cause because consumers know not to trust Kellogg’s.
@Greg Lannit – Totally respect your opinion and thank you for your informative comment. Bringing this to the table is what drives discussion and change.