The Budget Cereal Brand Some Shoppers Swear Tastes Better Than The Original - Tasting Table

"You're experiencing a severe case of sticker shock while staring at an $8 price tag, which has become increasingly common as the cost of groceries continues to rise. It's also a particularly hard blow knowing that shrinkflation also means we've been getting less cereal in our boxes."

"For years, Malt-O-Meal has been providing a great price per unit alternative to its name-brand competitors. Plus, the company has offerings inspired by everything from Cap'n Crunch's Crunch Berries to America's favorite cereal, Honey Nut Cheerios, as part of its line-up of 29 products. However, Reddit threads prove that folks gravitate toward Malt-O-Meal cereals for more than just budgetary reasons, as one Redditor wrote that these versions are "better than most of the cereal they're imitating.""

"Some of the most mentioned cereals include Cinnamon Toasters and Marshmallow Mateys, with a Redditor praising the latter's oat morsels for being "so toasty" and having the "perfect hint of saltiness to them." Meanwhile, a commenter in a thread dedicated to Cocoa Dyno-Bites said it has "a stronger chocolate flavor" than Cocoa Pebbles and doesn't "get soggy quickly," before noting it was the same with Malt-O-Meal's Coco-Roos, which "stay crunchy and have a stronger chocolate flavored [sic] than the name-brand.""

Grocery prices have risen, producing sticker shock for shoppers facing $8 cereal boxes while shrinkflation reduces cereal quantities. Malt-O-Meal offers a lower price-per-unit alternative with a portfolio of 29 products modeled after popular name-brand cereals. Consumer discussions on Reddit emphasize taste and texture as reasons for choosing Malt-O-Meal beyond cost savings. Specific examples praised include Cinnamon Toasters, Marshmallow Mateys, Cocoa Dyno-Bites and Coco-Roos for stronger chocolate notes, crunch retention, and toasty oat morsels. Fruity Dyno-Bites also drew attention for a preferred texture. Overall, many consumers report preferring these budget cereals to their name-brand counterparts.

Read at Tasting Table