Samplings: Kellogg's Special K Low-Fat Granola And Fruit Crisps

Being a Foodbuzz Featured Publisher has some great perks, one of which is the Foodbuzz Tastemaker program. It's through this program that I get some of the products and samples I share with you here. I was recently sent complimentary boxes of Special K Low-Fat Granola and Fruit Crisps to try. Both were very welcome as I'm always looking for new breakfast and snack options.

Let's start with the Fruit Crisps.

Mine were strawberry, but they come also come in blueberry. The Fruit Crisps truly fit their name. They're both fruity and crispy. The strawberry flavor reminded me of something, but I couldn't quite place it -- maybe strawberry Toaster Strudels. The outside is like that of a Pop Tart only thinner and crunchier. They're a delicious little mouthful, but they won't provide a complete snack. I took a packet of two to work each day along with a half of a grapefruit and found that this kept me full for a few hours.

I've read other reviews where people have admitted the Fruit Crisps are tasty but recommend having fruit for a snack instead. I'm not so concerned with the nutritious aspect or calories (100 calories, 20 from fat for two crisps), so I suggest having both so you can satisfy any cravings for something crunchy and a little comforting and have a little fruit on the side to fill you up more.

And now for the granola.

I liked this cereal a lot. My only complaint, really, is that when I first tried it, I fixed a bowl with the suggested 3/4 cup serving size -- which turned out to be way too much. A 1/2 cup with a sliced banana is a much better amount for me. (I think it would be great with yogurt too.) The granola is sweet (but not overly so) and crunchy. Besides the oats, there are some little crunchy cereal pieces in there, which I really enjoyed. It is slightly chalky, but you get used to it after the first few bites, and this isn't really unusual for something with oats. It kept me full for hours, which is really important to me.

But I was surprised when I compared the nutrition facts from the granola to the ones on the box of Cheerios, my boyfriend's cereal of choice. (Note that I do not usually pay much attention to nutrition facts except to look for fiber and protein amounts.) For the granola, the serving size is 3/4 cup, and for Cheerios it's 1 cup. The granola has 9 grams of sugar while Cheerios has only 1, and the low-fat granola has 3 grams of fat while Cheerios only has 2. While this didn't stop me from eating the granola because I prefer a more complex cereal (though I do love Cheerios too), it did surprise me a little -- but it is sort of like comparing apples and oranges. Maybe if I had another box of granola around, the comparison would be more accurate. For example, if you look at something like Quaker Low-Fat Granola (which I haven't tried), the Special K Low-Fat Granola looks really good with 9 grams of sugar compared to Quaker's 18 grams (in a 2/3 cup serving). It's up to you how much those things matter, but what you should know is that you'll enjoy a hearty, crunchy bowl of cereal if you try Special K Low-Fat Granola.

Have you tried Special K Low-Fat Granola or Fruit Crisps? What did you think? Do you pay a lot of attention to nutrition facts, or do you eat what you like?