Magic Spoon launch and review: healthy and delicious cereal for adults

Insider Picks writes about products and services to help you navigate when shopping online. Insider Inc. receives a commission from our affiliate partners when you buy through our links, but our reporting and recommendations are always independent and objective.On April 9, 2019, Magic Spoon launched “childlike cereal for adults.” All four flavors (Fruity, Cinnamon, Cocoa, and Frosted) are not only seriously yummy, they're also high in protein but low on carbs and calories.The cereal is keto-friendly, non-GMO, and free from gluten, grain, wheat, soy, and artificial sweeteners. It gets its taste from allulose, a relatively new natural sweetener found in figs and maple syrup that has zero glycemic impact.Available via subscription for $35 per month, Magic Spoon takes the guesswork out of a healthy (and delicious) breakfast for practically anyone — from growing families to millennials who miss their favorite childhood treat.As I write this, it's 2 p.m. on a Saturday and I'm wearing sweatpants while eating frosted cereal straight from the box, and I feel no shame. Well, I probably should have showered and put on some real pants by now, but at the very least, I can feel good about making solid nutritional choices. The cereal I'm chowing down on is actually healthy, thanks to the geniuses over at Magic Spoon. The newly launched brand just introduced its “high-protein, keto-friendly, non-GMO, gluten-free, grain-free, soy-free, wheat-free, nothing artificial, childlike cereal for grown-ups” — a direct quote from the side of the pastel-colored cereal box I'm staring at. That's quite a mouthful; but then again, so is every bite of Magic Spoon. I've tried all four flavors — Frosted, Cocoa, Cinnamon, and Fruity — and they are certifiably delicious, especially for a product with no artificial sweeteners, 12 grams of protein, and only three grams of net carbs. But while the company has clearly cracked some sort of nutritious-meets-delicious code here, it's not magic. Just a mixture of innovation, vision, and a new-to-market natural sweetener.“Modern consumers, including us, have been eschewing classic breakfast cereal in favor of healthier options,” Gabi Lewis and Greg Sewitz, the brand's founders, tell Business Insider. “The category is in decline only because everything in it today is high sugar, high carb, and full of junk. But most people still love cereal, so we set out to fix the problems with it.”Granted, there are some healthy cereals on supermarket shelves already … you know, anything that ends in “-bran” or boasts a name like “Fiber-Os.” Diet-friendly but definitely not taste-bud-friendly, these options leave something to be desired. And that's where Magic Spoon comes in. Armed with a “rare sugar” known as allulose, it's managed to recreate your favorite flavors from childhood, minus the calorie count.“We only use natural sweeteners: monk fruit, stevia, and allulose,” Lewis and Sewitz say. “We spent months working on the perfect blend of natural sweeteners to create the same great taste you remember, without the sugar. We use them in a specific combination that doesn't result in the aftertaste people sometimes experience with sweeteners.” You're probably familiar with monk fruit and stevia, as they're widely used in the natural health food space, but allulose is a relative newcomer. “It's found in nature in things like figs and maple syrup,” the founders explain. “It tastes just like regular sugar” — a point I can personally and enthusiastically confirm — “but has zero glycemic impact and almost zero calories.”Even though allulose doesn't affect the body like other sugars, the FDA still requires it to be listed under the “Total Carbohydrate” category of the Nutrition Facts; don't let that scare you, though. “Not all carbs are created equal,” Lewis and Sewitz say. “Some, like starches and grains, are metabolized and used by your body for energy — these are the sorts of carbs that lots of us are trying to limit.” Carbs like fiber and natural sweeteners, on the other hand, aren't digested and thus, don't affect blood sugar or insulin levels. Strip away the two grams of fiber and three grams of allulose in a single serving of Magic Spoon, and that leaves just three net carbs per bowl, “which is seven to eight times less than most popular breakfast cereals,” the founders say. “It's perfect for people who are on the keto diet or just trying not to overindulge on carb-heavy foods.” Each serving also boats 12 grams of protein — or twice the amount of a single egg — to keep you fuller longer, help you sustain energy throughout the day, and even reduce cravings. “Nutritionists tend to disagree on many things — whether fats are good or bad for you, for example — but almost everyone agrees that protein is good for you, regardless of who you are,” Lewis and Sewitz say. Besides the good-for-you factor, Magic Spoon's cereal boxes are seriously cute. “We looked at the current market and noticed that most healthy' breakfast options were really sleepy and dull,” the founders share. “We wanted to transport people back to Saturday morning cartoons, so we created these really playful, colorful, character-based cereal boxes.” My personal favorite features an illustration of a cowboy riding a dinosaur — so much more fun to pull out of the kitchen cabinet than that box of Fiber-Os, right？Each box also has an old-school maze puzzle on the back, a great touch for families with kids (or just adults with a little too much time on their hands … guilty). According to Lewis and Sewitz, “The Magic Spoon customer is really anyone who loves cereal but wants a healthier option.” “That could be a millennial who grew up on cereal but stopped eating it as they started paying more attention to their diet, or it could be a mom who's looking for a healthy breakfast to feed her kids that will actually excite them — and that she can enjoy, too,” they say. Best of all, the cereal is a smart choice for those who are on more restrictive diets, like keto, and need to limit their carb intake. I'm not on a particularly restrictive diet, nor do I have kids, but Magic Spoon has become my new go-to for one simple reason: It's good for me but tastes like it's not, which, really, is the dream. You can grab all four boxes of Magic Spoon for $39, or subscribe monthly and get 10% off ($35 per month). It works out to a bowl per day, so you can go ahead and cross breakfast food off your grocery shopping list. Lewis suggests stocking up on his favorite flavor, Cocoa, while Sewitz is partial to Cinnamon. I'm a fan of Frosted and Fruity, so really, you can't go wrong. To borrow a phrase, they're all magically delicious.Try all four flavors from Magic Spoon for $39, or sign up for a monthly subscription for $35 per month.