Flavor Tried: Cinnamon Toast
Price: $9 Per Bag
Nutrition for 1/2 Cup: 110 Calories, 5g Fat, 14g Carbs (9g Fiber & 0g Sugar), 11g Protein
When I first tried Catalina Crunch back in 2021, I was very much underwhelmed.
At the time, protein cereal was exploding onto the scene, but the options were still limited. Catalina Crunch was one of most popular options when I first tried the cereal, but I found it bland, artificial-tasting, and disappointing.
Fast forward to today, and after countless messages from one particularly persistent fan of the brand insisting I give their “new and improved” formula a chance, I caved.
The new packaging boldly claims “New Great Taste! Love every bite or it’s on us” with a money-back guarantee. Honestly, I was fully prepared to take advantage of that guarantee if I still didn’t like the cereal, but I’m also incredibly lazy and knew I wouldn’t actually follow through with that.
Still, if you’re thinking about trying Catalina Crunch, just know you can get your money back (well, maybe. I don’t know how willing they are to offer rebates or credits).
Let’s start with the nutrition, which remains mostly unchanged since their original formula: 110 calories, 5g fat, 14g carbs (5g net), and 11g protein per half-cup serving.
On paper, these macros are solid for a keto-friendly cereal.
I opted for the Cinnamon Toast flavor since that is what I tried the first time around. And let’s be honest: nothing beats Cinnamon Toast Crunch, so a “cinnamon toast” flavor is always going to be appealing to me.
The first bite immediately transported me back to 2021 – and not in a good way.
Despite having “Cinnamon Toast” in the name, this cereal has absolutely nothing in common with the Cinnamon Toast Crunch we all know and love. I understand this is a keto-friendly option and you have to shift your expectations accordingly, but this cereal is seriously lacking.
There’s cinnamon present, sure, but it tastes like cinnamon flavoring rather than the sweet, bakery-like cinnamon of CTC.
The overall flavor is very artificial, and you mostly taste protein and stevia. I appreciate that this doesn’t taste overly “earthy” like many plant-based products tend to be, but the flavor is not something I want to pay a premium for.
To its credit, the crunch is decent when eaten dry. And when you add milk, it does remain crunchy… but things also get a bit weird.
While it maintains its crunchiness (a genuine positive), the coating develops this slimy texture that creates a bizarre sensory experience of slimy on the outside & crunchy on the inside.
It’s can’t quite explain it well, but it’s off-putting to say the least.
The stevia aftertaste does mellow out in milk, which is a plus, but then the earthy protein flavor moves front-and-center and becomes the main flavor.
It’s a trade-off that just doesn’t seem worth it.
I couldn’t even finish the small bowl I poured for this review. Going forward, I’ll be eating this cereal dry (I’m not going to let $9 go to waste) and likely just use it as a topper for yogurt or ice cream.
Either the Catalina Crunch formula has gotten worse, or my standards have increased after trying so many genuinely delicious protein cereals in recent years.
I understand the appeal of Catalina Crunch in theory – it’s one of the few vegan-friendly keto cereals on the market. But market opportunity doesn’t automatically translate to good taste.
If you’re absolutely committed to both a vegan AND keto lifestyle (a combination I can’t even begin to imagine maintaining), then I suppose Catalina Crunch serves a purpose. For everyone else, there are far better options available.
If you still want to try it, set your expectations accordingly. This isn’t a delicious replacement for your favorite childhood cereal. It’s a healthy cereal that is slightly bland, slightly artificial, and more than slightly underwhelming.
Sometimes reformulations genuinely improve products. This, unfortunately, isn’t one of those times.
To be fair: you can find worse options out there, but this sits in my bottom 5 as far as protein cereal is concerned.
