Slideshow: General Mills unveils 16 new cereals
MINNEAPOLIS — General Mills, Inc. is introducing innovation by the bowlful with 16 new cereals hitting shelves this winter.
“We know that more families are eating breakfast at home and are continuing to look for cereal solutions that meet their needs in the morning,” Hillary Balma, senior brand manager for General Mills, told Food Business News. “Our lineup of new products this January offers a wide variety of benefits, making it easy for anyone to find an exciting, delicious new breakfast option in the cereal aisle. Whether you’re seeking the fun of Pokemon, the simplicity of Larabar, or a keto-friendly breakfast solution, there will be a great new option for you.”
General Mills’ Larabar brand is launching a line of cereal made with 7 to 9 ingredients, including oats, nuts, spices, fruit and chocolate chips. Inspired by popular treats, the dairy-free cereal is Non-GMO Project verified and comes in three varieties: apple pie, peanut butter chocolate chip and cashew cookie.
“Larabar has been a favorite for years, and that’s largely due to the simplicity of the bars’ ingredients and their great taste,” Ms. Balma said. “Now, Larabar fans can enjoy their favorite products and flavors in a tasty ready to eat cereal, made with simple ingredients.”
To cater to keto consumers, General Mills is debuting Wonderworks Keto Friendly Cereal, a new line of keto options made with milk protein, whey protein, inulin, cocoa, corn fiber and rice starch. Available in cinnamon, chocolate and peanut butter flavors, the cereal is sweetened with allulose, erythritol and stevia.
“Our lineup of new products offers a wide variety of benefits, making it easy for anyone to find an exciting, delicious new breakfast option in the cereal aisle." — Hillary Balma, General Mills
“Those who have adopted a keto lifestyle are often looking for cereals that meet their specific dietary requirements,” Ms. Balma said. “Many people have fond memories of the great taste and convenient routine of a bowl of cereal, but the majority of cereals on the market today don’t meet the principles of the keto diet. Our goal with Wonderworks Keto Friendly Cereal is to deliver that tasty cereal experience with keto-friendly ingredients.”
After bringing back Dunkaroos this summer and debuting Dunkaroos Sugar Cookie Dough and Frosting in November, General Mills has now translated the cookie flavor into a cereal.
“We’ve seen time and again that consumers — especially millennial consumers — just love nostalgia, and that includes the ‘rebirth’ of their favorite snacks of the ‘90s that they enjoyed so much as kids,” Ms. Balma said. “This appeal to nostalgia made creating a Dunkaroos cereal an easy and fun choice — millennials can now enjoy one of the most nostalgic snacks in cereal form.”
General Mills’ new Remix Snacking Mixes do just the opposite — they offer cereals in snack form.
The cinnamon vanilla variety combines Cinnamon Toast Crunch cereal pieces, Cinnamon Toast Crunch Churros and Vanilla Chex cereal pieces.
The Golden Grahams S’mores flavor features Golden Grahams cereal pieces with Cocoa Puffs and bite-size marshmallows.
The chocolate caramel mix combines Chocolate Toast Crunch cereal pieces with caramel corn and vanilla Chex.
“We wanted to make cereal easy to take on the go to help keep up with people’s busy lifestyles — so Remix comes in single-serve pouches and in larger resealable pouches that travel easily,” Ms. Balma said. “We also know that people are regularly enjoying cereal as a snack, and the Remix line offers a new, fun way to snack on the beloved flavors of Cinnamon Toast Crunch, Golden Grahams and Cocoa Puffs in tasty mashups.”
The three new Remix Snacking Mixes are just the beginning of General Mills’ innovation in that line, Ms. Balma said.
“We had many more ideas that have not rolled out … yet,” she said.