I was never a big fan of Kashi cereals or Kashi products in general, but then I received a free sample of their blueberry cereal and loved it, so I decided to try their Cinnamon Harvest. Kashi’s Cinnamon Harvest cereal is simply shredded wheat biscuits flavored with cinnamon.
Packaging and Price
Kashi often has free sample offers on their website, so I received my free sample plus lots of coupons. With a dollar off coupon, this 17.5 ounce (496 gram) box of cereal was less than $3.00 at my local grocery store. Without the coupon, the cereal is fairly and comparably priced, even for organic cereal. The cereal is packaged in the standard cardboard box on the outside containing a plastic-type bag on the inside holding the cereal.
The box features a prominent picture of the cinnamon wheat biscuits for mostly the entire bottom half of the box. At the top of the box is the word Kashi in a green triangular box, with the words “Cinnamon Harvest” written directly below in italics. This cereal is organic. They want to make this easily visible and have it written twice on the front of the box: once on the left side near the middle of the box the words “organic promise” written in green and red colors circling what appears to be a red earth that has a stem coming out, so it also looks like an apple; also, at the bottom right corner of the box in a green and white circle are the words “USDA organic.”
Flavor and Texture
I expected the cereal to taste like standard shredded wheat cereal only with cinnamon flavor rather than frosting or sugary flavor as most brands have. I took my first bite of the Cinnamon Harvest and was pleasantly satisfied with the crispy texture and toasty cinnamon flavor. The cereal has a very substantial texture while still maintaining lightness so it isn’t too dense or too light. The flavor was just right. It was delicious without being overwhelming.
The cereal stayed crispy in milk for quite some time and never got to the point of being soggy or falling apart, although the nature of the cereal does dictate that some small pieces of the shredded wheat will separate when wet. Because of this, there were some strands of loose shredded wheat in my bowl as I finished eating the cereal, as I would expect there to be.
Nutrition and Ingredients
This cereal is much healthier than the standard frosted wheat you might find in your cereal aisle. With only four ingredients (organic whole grain wheat, organic evaporated cane juice, organic cinnamon, and natural cinnamon flavor), this cereal doesn’t have any preservatives, colors, artificial ingredients, or whatever else most of us are trying to avoid these days. Also, it is packed with 5 grams of fiber per serving (24% RDI). Kashi’s Cinnamon Harvest has only 1 gram total fat, with no trans fat nor any saturated fat. There is no cholesterol or sodium and only 4 grams of sugar per recommended serving size of 28 biscuits (or about 55 grams). There is 6 grams of protein per serving, 170 mg potassium (5%) and only 180 calories (10 from fat).
However, with all that good stuff going for it, there is only a small amount of iron (8% RDI) as far as the vitamins go and not much else. With a balanced diet, this cereal would make a great breakfast with a cup of juice and some fresh fruit.
Overall
I really like this cereal and certainly plan to purchase it again in the future. It’s a great was to start my day with a tasty, low-fat cereal. Although it’s lacking in some vitamins, I eat a varied diet with many fruits and vegetables, so it’s easy enough for me to fill that void.
I would recommend this cereal to anyone who likes toasty cinnamon flavor and low-fat options. For those who prefer the fortified cereal with 25-50% of their daily vitamins, this might not be the right choice for you, but it’s certainly tasty and I would even say kid-friendly as well!
Sources
personal experience
product labeling
