Review: Giant's Cocoa Magic Cereal

Many people are trying to save money by cutting grocery costs any way they can. I have always been a fan of buying generic when possible, and with the prices of cereal these days, I really cannot afford to pay $4.00 or $5.00 for a box of cereal!
Many cereals are good for your health since they are fortified with vitamins and other nutrients and often contain some whole grains, and although this is a sweeter cereal with lots of sugar and not much fiber or whole grains, it's still fortified with nutrients and healthier than eggs and bacon for breakfast, thus making it a more sensible breakfast, especially when paired with fruit or fruit juice.

I decided to try Giant brand's Cocoa Magic cereal (a generic brand of Cocoa Puffs), which is described as "frosted corn puffs cereal made with real cocoa." Like most cereals, it has no trans fat per serving, no cholesterol, and is a good source of several different vitamins and minerals. They specify that serving size is one cup, with about 11 servings per box, which is comparable to other cereals. One serving (before adding whichever milk you prefer, mine is 8th Continent Soymilk) contains one gram of total fat, 7% of daily recommended sodium intake, 1% of the recommended daily intake of potassium, 1 gram of protein, no fiber, and 14 grams of sugar (26 grams of carbohydrates overall). For a sweeter cereal, this is very similar to other brands. It also has 10% of both vitamin C and calcium, 25% of iron and many B vitamins, and other generous supplies of more vitamins and minerals.

I purchased a box that was 11.8 ounces (334 grams) for its normal price of $2.35 at Martin's. The name brand was selling for about $1.50 more, and I have seen it over $2.00 more at other stores, reaching $4.50 in some stores for the name brand of this cereal in a comparable size. The price was definitely right for the generic!

My partner and I both had some for breakfast this morning, and the taste was almost identical to the name brand. In fact, I don't think if I was doing a taste test that I would be able to tell the difference between the two, because they look and taste the same to me. My boyfriend had two
bowls of the cereal, so I know he definitely loved the flavor as well. The texture was good. The round chocolate balls of corn puffs stayed crispy in milk and some of the cocoa seeped out into the milk just as the more expensive brand does, resulting in milk that kids would probably want to drink since it was chocolatey.

Although the number one ingredient in this cereal is sugar, like many child-friendly cereals, it is enriched with vitamins and minerals with very low fat and no cholesterol. Sometimes I do like to indulge in sweeter cereals, and this one is definitely delicious. It is not the healthiest cereal on the market by any stretch, but it's relatively healthy and a fair choice for breakfast once or twice a week.

I would certainly buy this brand again rather than the name brand when I am desiring some sweet cocoa cereal. The taste, texture, and appearance is identical, but the price is dollars cheaper, and saving money is something that's very important to me, especially if it's virtually the same product. Why would I pay more? Cocoa Magic is a winner and a brand I'll stick with. I will try out other Giant brands soon to compare with other name brands.

Sources:
information from the Cocoa Magic box
my own experience