Lentils In Your Cheerios
Huff Post: ‘Like a scrawny man with a romantic life as puny as his biceps, General Mills is hoping that protein can lead the way out of adversity and toward success. This month, the food manufacturer launched Cheerios Protein in an effort to lure health-conscious breakfast eaters back from the high-protein land of Greek yogurt and scrambled eggs, after seeing sales of its breakfast cereals decline for years. Each one-and-a-quarter cup serving of the new cereal contains 7 grams of protein, more than double the 2 or 3 grams in a serving of traditional Cheerios. The front of the box touts the fact that adding a half-cup of skim milk bumps that total up to 11 grams — nearly as much as in a container of Greek yogurt.
‘There’s no doubt that Cheerios Protein are on-trend. Protein is far-and-away the “it” macronutrient of the moment, if only because the other three (fats, carbohydrates and alcohols) have been vilified by successive waves of popular diets. Many people perceive higher-protein foods as more filling and more conducive to muscle-building than lower-protein counterparts. And though a few other food companies, such as Taco Bell and Newman’s Own, have tried to cash in on its popularity with higher-protein versions of existing products, none are as popular as Cheerios.’
