Reader Food Panel: Start your day with chocolate, strawberries

Chocolate for breakfast?

Indulge without guilt by picking up Kellogg’s new Special K Chocolatey Delight and Quaker’s Life Chocolate Oat Crunch. Tasters on our volunteer panel liked the effort – with some quibbles about the quality of the chocolate – awarding the Special K three and a half stars and the Life three stars for their efforts.

But the winner on our breakfast menu was the more traditional Rice Krispies with Real Strawberries. Panel members recognized them instantly and gave the breakfast cereal four stars. A few suggested trying to make Rice Krispies treats from the new cereal.

“Maybe it’s a nostalgic thing, but I know Rice Krispies when I see them and this is a comfort food breakfast with intensely flavored real strawberries. Oh, yeah,” said Tina Johnson

“Snap, crackle and pop and your reward are the strawberries,” said Marilyn Moore.

Some tasters complained that the cereal was soggy too fast for their taste.

“Still has the problem of getting almost instantly soggy, but if you eat fast they’re great,” said Skip Hubbard. “The strawberries could add the perfect amount of sweetness and flavor to humdrum Rice Krispies treats.”

The runner up at our tasting was the Special K cereal for its Chocolatey Delight. (Don’t worry. The new cereal can still work into the Special K diet, which promises to help cereal lovers lose up to 6 pounds in two weeks, according to the box.)

“Not bad. Nice dark chocolate with sweetened grainy flakes,” said Marcia Oranen. “Tastes like a kids’ favorite, but it’s nice to find out it’s OK for adults!”

Skip Hubbard agreed: “As cereals go, this is pretty good. Crunchy, slightly sweet flakes with small rectangles of chocolate. Turns out to be a good combination.”

Some said the quality of the chocolate was below par. “Average flakes with odd little buttons of flavorless faux chocolate,” Andy Hoye said.

The Life cereal, with its chocolate-flavored oat clusters, sparked perhaps the most conversation of the evening. Panel members wondered aloud why they looked so unappetizing. Let’s just say a few people described them as “rabbit pellets.” What would Mikey have said?

But the flavor earned a three-star ranking.

“Life cereal, I forgot how good it is,” said Nancy Robinson. “The little chocolate pieces are great.”

But Hubbard begged to differ, he said, “Bitter little chocolate granola bulbs do nothing to help this Life cereal.”

Rice Krispies with Real Strawberries

Price: $3.98 per 10.5-ounce box

Nutrition per 1-cup serving: 110 calories, no fat, 1 gram protein, 26 grams carbohydrate, no cholesterol, less than 1 gram dietary fiber, 220 milligrams sodium.

Taste: “ “ “ “

Value: “ “ “

Comments: “Oh, the great sound of snap, crackle and pop. The strawberries were very flavorful. Eat fast. It went soggy quick.” – Peggy Kazanis

“Rice Krispies treats now have an option for strawberries. Soggy fast, though. Very strong strawberry flavor. Yum.” – Nancy Robinson

“This is good for someone who lives on bran flakes and shredded wheat.” – Marilyn Moore

“Eat quickly! They get soggy in your bowl before you finish. Good taste but mushy too quickly.” – Marcia Oranen

Special K Chocolatey Delight

Price: $3.79 per 13.4-ounce box

Nutrition per serving: 180 calories, 2 grams fat (2 grams saturated, 10 percent fat calories), 2 grams protein, 25 grams carbohydrate, no cholesterol, 1 gram dietary fiber, 180 milligrams sodium.

Taste: “ “ “ 1/2

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Comments: “Great big, good tasting flakes, but what’s with the “chocolate” bars? Those are tasteless and waxy. The flakes are still a little crisp even after they sat in milk.” – Tina Johnson

“Good, nice chocolate pieces, tastes like good chocolate. The flakes were big and crunchy. It’s starting to get soggy pretty fast. I would buy this.” – Nancy Robinson

“Average flakes with odd little buttons of flavorless faux chocolate.” – Andy Hoye

Life Chocolate Oat Crunch

Price: $3.99 per 13.3-ounce box

Nutrition per serving: 190 calories, 2.5 grams fat (1 gram saturated, 22.5 percent fat calories), 5 grams protein, 40 grams carbohydrate, no cholesterol, 3 grams dietary fiber, 210 milligrams sodium.

Taste: “ “ “

Value: “ “ “

Comments: “Appearance slightly unappealing. The brown bits – chocolate crunchies – stay crisp in milk. Not a great chocolate flavor.” – Marcia Oranen

“The squares were not too bad. They sogged pretty fast, but those little pellets were terrible.” – Peggy Kazanis

“This may be the first really different cereal to find its way into a box in a long time. I gave it four stars for that alone.” – Tina Johnson