This might be a new one for me. I first heard of this product from some advertisements on a couple of YouTube channels I like (SciManDan and Scaredy Cats, if anyone's curious). Then, a while later, I saw some of these products in my grocery store, and they jogged my memory. When I saw that this Magic Spoon cereal is somehow grain-free, I decided it was just offbeat enough to qualify for my blog. So I picked up one, their peanut butter flavor kind, to be exact.
Magic Spoon is a very recent company, having been around only since 2019. It was co-founded by Greg Sewitz and Gabi Lewis, and is located in New York City, NY. As they explained on their official company website, Greg and Gabi met in college, and have been friends ever since, even living together, and having started a previous business together. (They didn't give any more details about this first business, so evidently it wasn't successful.). The two guys were major fans of breakfast cereals, but not happy with the inevitable energy crash that often occurred later in the day, due to the sugar. Therefore, the pair sought to develop a cereal that was just as tasty and sweet as the ones they enjoyed growing up, but one that used a sugar substitute as the main sweetener, to avoid the crash. Also, for other alleged health reasons, the guys wanted to avoid using grains as well. This main sugar substitute is called allulose, which I'll get into more detail later. Aside from cereals, Magic Spoon also makes treats (with flavors of marshmallow, double chocolate, and chocolate-y peanut butter), and granola (with flavors of peanut butter, mixed berry, and honey almond). Alternate flavors of the cereal include cocoa, chocolate chip cookie, birthday cake, frosted, blueberry muffin, and cinnamon toast. And, not shockingly, Magic Spoon proudly notes that its wares are high in protein, keto friendly, free of gluten, grain, soy, and wheat, and are kosher. However, since they use milk protein, their products are not free of dairy, and thus are not appropriate for vegans. They also either use, or are made in facilities that process sesame, tree nuts, soy, wheat, and peanuts.
Magic Spoon cereal, peanut butter flavor: The individual pieces looked like Cheerios, as they were orange-yellow loops with a diameter of about 1 cm. (about .4 inch). They had a strong peanut butter odor. I tried some plain, and then with milk. The flavor was very peanut butter-y. and the texture was crunchy. They kind of reminded me of Peanut Butter flavor Captain Crunch, or even Cinnamon Toast Crunch. Which is a compliment. I really enjoyed this cereal. I love peanut butter as a spread, as an additive, and as a flavor in general, so having something with an intense peanut butter taste is a definite plus. I often complain on this blog about foods and drinks that are bland, and lacking in their advertised flavor, and this is a clear exception. The only downside was the price--about $8 for a 7 ounce (198 gram) box. I'd buy this again for the taste, but the price means it will only be occasionally.
The sugar substitute allulose is naturally occurring, found in such things as molasses, maple syrup, wheat, figs, and raisins (and presumably grapes? Unless it's created when grapes are dried, I guess). It has a lot of positive qualities for a sugar substitute. It tastes very much like sugar (and it's about 70% as sweet), it has fewer calories, does not cause cavities in teeth, and doesn't affect blood sugar levels. Sounds great, huh? So why is allulose not approved by the food safety administrations in Canada and Europe? Because it's relatively new. And comprehensive studies of its effects haven't been completed. There's some preliminary data that suggests allulose could increase the chances of strokes or heart attacks, as is the case with some sugar alcohols. Plus, it may cause gastrointestinal issues such as gas buildup, and bloating. To be fair, most or all other sugar substitutes have potential adverse health effects, too. Therefore, the jury is still out. so to speak. As of now, it would appear that it's probably a bad idea to consume massive quantities of allulose. (But of course, it's also a bad idea to eat tons of regular old cane sugar, too.) So, I think it's advisable to enjoy it in moderation, and stay alert about the results of further scientific tests about allulose's pros and cons.
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