Why not veggies?

We're on a roll. Innovation is in full gear this year, evidenced by some recent posts highlighting cereal that doesn't require milk and some made from beans. The novel use of ingredients may be a significant way for new companies to gain a foothold in this challenging market.

Now we turn our attention to cereal made with vegetables! Bitsy's Brainfood is a company that's been making children's "smart snack foods" for a couple of years. Recently they expanded their offerings to include three vegan cereals that include veggies among other ingredients. This does make the cereals stand out from competition, especially for parents that are wanting highly nutritious foods for their children. Perhaps this is about marketing to a large degree, but the company highlights the highly nutritious qualities including the fact that they are organic, good sources of some key nutrients, without GMOs, among other things.

Currently the three varieties are Banana Squash Squares, Carrot Raisin Crunch and Fruit & Veggie 1,2,3. With limited retail distribution I haven't actually seen these for sale, but look forward to getting my hands on some to try.

So, what's next?

Beans for Breakfast?

If you think my recent post on cereal with water marks innovation, you may be even more impressed with what Love Grown Foods has to offer. The health food cereal company has introduced Power O's, a new line of cereals made from navy beans, garbanzo beans, lentils and brown rice. The rice sounds right, but beans?

Why not? As more and more people seek after highly nutritious foods, the use of beans might be a unique selling point that stands out in the market. Of course, this cereal had better taste good if it's really going to make a difference. Power O's currently come in strawberry, honey, chocolate and original flavors, and that sounds intriguing. Nutritiously they contain 4-6g of protein per serving, low sodium, and 1.5g fat or less per serving.

I haven't tried Power O's yet. In fact, apart from online sales they don't appear to have wide retail distribution. Nevertheless, when I do get my hands on some I will definitely give them a spin for a review.

Mornflake - just add water!

Life has been extremely busy the last month, and I haven't posted here for quite some time. With things starting to get back to normal, watch for lots over the next week!

In order to turn around the slump facing big brand cereals it is going to take innovation. And, one aspect innovation needs to address is convenience. From the across the pond in Great Britain we just might have one of those solutions.

Mornflake claims to be the oldest cereal company in the UK, but their latest idea is fresh and new. Their new Superfast cereal pots contain dried skimmed milk powder meaning that all you have to do is add cold water and you are ready to eat breakfast. No need to have milk around. A great idea for eating on the run, etc.

The biggest challenge is changing consumers habits and perceptions. The convenience factor could help people change their habits, but powdered milk also has mental barriers for some people to overcome. Nevertheless, if the cereal tastes great and is well marketed this could be a breakthrough.

There's no word when will these will be available in the U.S. Perhaps this is an idea some enterprising American company wants to undertake?

Strategies

Cereal sales are in decline. We know that, and so do the cereal companies.

In going over some of last month's chatter from big cereal CEO's it is interesting to read what they think the solution is. They all recognize that cereal is core to their business, and that some fine-tuned strategies are required to get back to the prominence they once had.

I encourage you to read some of the reports on the CEO's comments (see links below), but here are the major highlights:

Kellogg recognizes the need to reinforce the benefits and value of cereal at breakfast.

General Mills is planning on more product innovation and targeting marketing to four growth sectors: older consumers, millenials, middle-class consumers in emerging markets, and multicultural families (particularly Hispanics).

Easy to say. Hard to do. But are these strategies that will really turn things around? Only time will tell, but while these general statements are on the right track implementation will be critical, and I wonder whether the big companies have what it takes to really respond to what consumers are looking for.

Sources: brandchannel, and BakeryandSnacks.com

Ingredient trends

Innovation in the cereal industry takes many different directions. One of the ways that companies try to gain attention is by incorporating ingredients that are either novel or in high demand. In recent years we have seen various ingredient trends emerge, everything from chocolate to chia. Industry publication, BakeryandSnacks.com has recently identified a couple of current hot ingredients to watch.

One is green tea, something already being used in South Africa. Green tea has been shown to assist in weight loss, and with the obsession of many people to lose the bulge this could be appealing to consumers looking for an edge.

Another ingredient is carob. The dark brown flour is being researched for its antioxidant properties, and could offer some unique qualities in a breakfast cereal.

We'll keep watching. Of course, we will want to taste as well. In order for cereals based on unconventional ingredients to take off they have to be flavorful and something people will love to eat!

Perfecting Cereal Milk

It's not a new concept. For several years now a number of attempts have been made to convert the cereal experience into a beverage. So far nothing has really stuck. Breakfast drinks themselves have been around for years and are still readily available. The deliberate introduction of a cereal-flavored drink goes back nine years, and several have tried since, even has recently as this past year. But, as a category this has not become the sought after breakfast alternative.

The latest entrant to the race is an upstart simply called "Cereal Milk". Even though the product isn't even available yet, I am intrigued with their creativity. They are still working on the formulas and trying to arrange licensing agreements with major brands (no easy feat), but if they can get it right their vision could be the breakthrough that will make this fly. I especially like the glass bottles!

Check out their website, including the video. It will be worth watching their progress.

Sink Bowl

Over the years it's been fun to report on new concepts for cereal bowls. Inventors try to overcome some of the challenges we face when eating cereal, mostly the issue of sogginess. The latest is the "Sink Bowl" a design concept by Sherwood Forlee.

The Sink Bowl is actually two bowls, one stacked on top of the other. The top bowl has a small plug in the bottom. When your cereal has been in milk for just the right amount of time you simply pull the plug to let the milk drain out to the lower bowl.

Perfect? The Sink Bowl does not appear to be available for sale so I haven't actually tried it, but for those are picky about soggy cereal this could be a solution. My concern is with the small little plug and the attached cord. There's got to be a better way to handle that, but then of course it wouldn't be a sink!

When all else fails change the box

A regular topic on this blog over the years concerns the struggles of General Mills' Wheaties and the various attempts to revitalize this brand. So far nothing has really worked.

With Wheaties' sports emphasis it's no surprise that they just unveiled two new boxes featuring two Sochi gold medalists. Even though General Mills is not an official sponsor of the Olympics they are capitalizing on the athletes themselves, this time Mikaela Shiffrin and Sage Kotsenburg. This post-Olympics strategy has been going on for quite some time, 2012 and 2010 as recent examples.

The story here, however, is not more Wheaties boxes with athletes on them. It is that this is an opportunity for General Mills to highlight a major redesign of the core Wheaties box itself, the first such move in many years. In actuality they released a generic version of the new design back in the fall, but now with these star athletes the fresh look is fully expressed and promoted.

The boxes have a new energy to them, with a revamped wordmark all brighter and gradient oranges, all obviously targeted to a younger audience. The boxes definitely will stand out more on the grocery store shelf.

But, will this new look result in more sales and a rejuvenated brand? Only time will really tell.

UPDATE: The Wall Street Journal featured an article the same day on Wheaties' struggle, including a quote from yours truly. Unfortunately, they got the quote partly wrong, as I was referring to the now discontinued Wheaties Fuel, not the base Wheaties. So, Wheaties lovers relax. I know there are some of you out there!

Sweet potato cereal?

At first glance this appears to be either a joke or perhaps disgusting, but it is a real possibility. Food giant Nestlé has filed a patent for manufacturing crunchy, extruded purple sweet potato puffs for use in breakfast cereals and cereal bars. This could offer a natural way to add color to cereal from a plant that has a number of valuable nutritional qualities.

A patent does not make a product, and we still need to see what Nestlé or its licensees come up with. Nevertheless, it is interesting to see some innovation at the ingredient level.

Still, are we ready to buy a box of Sweet Potato Pops at our local grocery store?

(Source: BakeryandSnacks.com)

Review: Bakery on Main - Extreme Fruit and Nut

It's time for a review of a fringe cereal brand. I can't and won't review every new cereal that hits the market. That would be overkill, besides who is really interested in every little nuanced new variety of Cheerios or Special K that is introduced? But, every once in a while I come across some unusual cereals that catch my attention, and for the next two reviews I will try them and share my findings.

Recently during a trip to Target I came across some pouched cereals from a company called Bakery on Main from Connecticut. In many ways the packaging was not that spectacular and it said that it was a granola (a largely passé cereal type), but upon closer examination I was intrigued by what I saw through the clear window on the bag. This was no ordinary granola, but clusters largely embedded in miniature corn bowls. In fact, granola is a misnomer as there are no rolled oats to be found anywhere. This is something different so I fell for it and brought a bag home.

Bakery on Main had its start as a health food bakery creating items for Celiacs, those with sensitivities to gluten. The Gluten Free Granola I brought home obviously is targeted to that audience, but the unique nature of the cereal pieces themselves might just stand out enough to the rest of us as something worth trying.

Bakery on Main makes several different granolas. The one I chose is "Extreme Fruit and Nut" as that sounded like a great combination to me. I must say, before I really dig into the review categories, that my biggest disappointment with this cereal is that it could not fully live up to its billing. Opening the pouch I did discover a smattering of almonds, hazelnuts, pecans, and walnuts, but virtually no fruit. The ingredients list raisins and cranberries, but I had to look hard to find any. Digging deeper it was evident that there were a few lone pieces in the bag, but so few that it in the first bowl I poured not a single fruit particle appeared. This is hardly extreme, unless by that one means extremely stingy. I want to give them the benefit of the doubt, assuming that being a small operator they haven't yet figured out the quality control issues of mixing and packaging cereals with very small ingredients of various weights. Nevertheless, this was not a good way to start my review.

As far as taste is concerned this is a delightful cereal. Don't be put off by the gluten free talk. The combination of nuts (and fruit, supposedly) along with a wide range of other ingredients such as rice, coconut, sunflower seeds, and flax seed in the little corn shells add up to what they promise: "Happy Taste Buds". I agree. It's not overly sweet, and the blend of flavors make for a pleasant experience.

With such a wide range of wholesome, natural ingredients one shouldn't be surprised that cereal's strongest suit is its texture. Out of the pouch or soaked in milk this cereal keeps its crunch, and provides a wide range of chewing experiences that make eating enjoyable.

This is serious food, and if you are truly focusing on a healthy breakfast you will find this cereal an experience to enjoy, which is not something you can always say about health foods. Besides the quality taste and texture, the unique nature of this "granola" is in itself intriguing and worth exploring.

Bakery on Main prides itself on the nutrition qualities of its foods. This cereal is not only gluten free, but emphasizes that it is casein free, non-GMO, transfat and cholesterol free, low sodium, etc. The focus is on natural ingredients, and as a result there are no fortified vitamins and minerals. Overall it is a fairly nutritious cereal, but as with many "granolas" the fat content, albeit low in saturated fats, is somewhat high at 43% of calories. Fiber and protein quantities are OK, but not great. A positive is that the sugar level is within the 20% of weight range.

In the end this was a pleasant surprise for me. Except for the mysterious missing fruit, this is a quality cereal that stands up to most cereals on the market. If you are looking for a new cereal experience from a small manufacturer this should be on your list. In fact, you might just want to try one of their other varieties as well, such as "Cranberry Orange Cashew Granola".

(Review protocol HERE)