Vegan Version of an Old Favorite

When I was little I LOVED Kellogg's Frosted Mini Wheats. I would make a mess and eat the plain side all the way down to the sugar, then let the sugar melt in my mouth. Quite a confession for a dietitian, I know, I know. Anyway, back in the early 1990s when I became enlightened and eliminated animal foods from my diet, I was devastated to discover that my favorite little cereal indulgence contained gelatin (for those who do not know, gelatin production, even kosher, requires slaughter of an animal, unless the gelatin is made from seaweed... which is rare, and the label will specify for us vegan folks). Anyway, so I went years and years without my mini wheats.

Then last week I happened upon a box of Bite-Size Frosted Shredded Wheat Squares, 365 Brand, at my local Whole Foods. Grabbing the box, I glanced at the ingredient list and whooped with joy to discover that it's free of gelatin (and sodium, it turns out).

There's also 11 grams of sugar per serving, so a square or two to satisfy a sweet tooth is where my indulgence ends, difficult as it is. But the fact that it's truly a whole grain (with 5 grams of fiber), that the sugar is unbleached, and that it's not too shabby in the protein department (it's got 5 grams), it's not the world's worst snack by far. Bonus: it's got added iron and B vitamins, including B12.