Millville Corn Puffs

Aldi’s cereal selection often frustrates me. Most of their cereals contain much higher amounts of sugar than I’m comfortable serving to myself or my children. The lower-sugar offerings are very few, and not all of them are good (I’m looking at you, plain Toasty O’s.). We usually end up buying the Corn Squares or the Crispy Rice, both of which are excellent imitations of name-brand cereal. That’s fine with me because I don’t eat much cereal, but my cereal-loving kids want more variety.

So I was excited to see something new in the Special Buy section at Aldi: Millville Corn Puffs, described on the box as “sweetened whole grain corn and oat cereal.” The words “whole grain” might make you feel good, or you might just be distracted by nostalgia. After all, any child of the 80s-90s like me will remember the corn cereal Kix advertised as “Kid Tested, Mother Approved.” I checked the box, and it only has 5 grams of sugar per serving. That’s a far cry from many of Aldi’s cereals, which frequently contain over 15 grams per serving. (This should be breakfast, not dessert!) This version is definitely “mother approved.”

Like all of Aldi’s private label products, this cereal contains no artificial colors. It also advertises no artificial flavors, no high fructose corn syrup, and no synthetic preservatives. It has 160 calories in one generously sized serving (1.5 cups), 1.5 grams of fat, and no saturated or trans fat. It has only 2 grams of fiber (I wish it was more) but also offers 3 grams of protein. Of course, adding milk will increase calories as well as provide more protein and other nutrients. Like many cereals, it’s enriched with vitamins and minerals, most notably iron (60% DV) and folate (60% DV).

You can add your favorite type of milk, or this cereal is tasty enough to eat straight out of the box or to pack as a snack or side dish for a kid’s (or adult’s) lunch. It would combine well with raisins, nuts, and dried fruit for an on-the-go trail mix, too.

The flavor is slightly sweet and lightly crunchy. It tastes pretty much exactly like the name-brand version. These don’t have the hard sugar coating that much sweeter cereals can have, so if my kids were still toddlers, I would be happy to feed them this cereal and know it could dissolve/be swallowed easily without choking.

The box is larger than most Aldi cereals, weighing in at 18 ounces. For a little over $2, that’s a good bargain. And because it’s an Aldi in-house product, it’s protected by their Double Guarantee. So if you’re not satisfied, you can get a replacement AND a refund.

The Verdict:

I hope Aldi decides to add this imitation of Kix to their regular cereal lineup. Meanwhile, we’ll enjoy it as a summer treat. Perhaps if more people buy the not-too-sugary cereals, they’ll improve their lineup … or at least improve the plain Tasty O’s.