I spotted Forager cereal in the store recently and thought it would be great for the kids to review. Full disclosure: I’m bummed about the equipment. I messaged Forager on their website (no phone number provided) and they messaged me back two weeks later. The email was so precise though and I appreciate the transparency. The Forager Grain Free Cereal is made by a co-packer and whilst there are no major allergens in the product, milk and soy are on the equipment. Wheat is also in the facility. If nothing else, the good news was learning about the other products they make as well, some of which we will try.
Before we jump in, you’ll notice notes from Kid Two. He is an adult and we allow him to choose what he would like to sample based on allergen status. He wanted to have a very small amount of these so he could be part of the review. THIS is what I mean when I talk about informed consent by the way. He knows the risk, he knows the company, he chooses.
Forager Organic Grain Free O’s ~ Plain
Kid Two: At first, there’s a sweet taste, then there’s a little weird after or middle taste. I taste the flour… it tastes good for a first bite. (I asked if it would be better with his safe milk.) Milk may take away the sweetness and it will be just the flour taste.
Kid Three: This cereal reminds me of dried churros. At first i didn’t like it, but then I had some water, then enjoyed the cereal. (he thinks he needed to cleanse his palette first)
Kid Four: It’s confusing. (she ate several pieces as she thought about it) It’s sweet, but then it tastes like flour, then I get confused so I eat another piece and the cycle of confusion continues. Yet… I keep eating them.
The Papa: I agree with Kid Four. These are a bit confusing.
Forager Organic Grain Free O’s ~ Cinnamon
Kid Two: Pretty good so far…
Kid Three: I love it. The cinnamon is making my eyes water but I’m still going to eat it. (He didn’t want to share the box). it’s like cinnamon candy. No. Churro!
Kid Four: Cinnamon, toast crunch! It tastes good but has an aftertaste of flour (bean based).
The Papa: This cereal would probably taste better with milk.
Forager Organic Grain Free O’s ~ Chocolate
Kid Two: (he and I think this smells like chocolate cake) I don’t like this one. Cinnamon was much better.
Kid Three: I like it, but not as much as the plain and cinnamon. I liked those two almost the same.
Kid Four: Not my favorite… cinnamon was the best flavor.
The Papa: This one could also be better with milk.
My Thoughts
There was a CLEAR winner here today: Cinnamon. I will absolutely be purchasing this for Kid Three & Kid Four. As we all know, they’re finicky when it comes to grain free, so it will be nice to have a new cereal option for them.
I will add this last little tid-bit. If you’ve followed us for some time, you may have heard me talk about my dream of free-from co-packers. THIS is exactly why we need them. The cereal itself is allergen free. It’s the equipment and the facility that are the issue for us.
I have a lot of dietary issues and was very excited when I tried the cereal. Unfortunately a short while back I was eating the cinnamon cereal and noticed it was not as good as it had been It is soggier and not as tasty. I then noticed the new recipe on the box I’m pretty bummed it was the first good cereal I had had in years and you changed it. I really like the old recipe better
Hi Marilyn,
I’m so sorry to hear this! It’s always a major bummer when companies change the recipe. Have you heard of Lovebird Foods? They make an AIP cereal and I think one of the flavours is cinnamon. iWon Organics also makes an allergy friendly cinnamon cereal, and Three Wishes may as well. Hopefully one of these companies has something that could work for your dietary needs.
Kathlena
~The Allergy Chef
I bought two boxes of the cereal, chocolate and cinnamon. I tried the cinnamon first but it gave me a terrible stomachache and diarrhea. I thought it was safe for people with celiac because it’s grain free. Apparently it’s processed in a facility that processed wheat products too. Now I’m stuck with two really expensive boxes of cereal I can’t eat. Really disappointed.
Bonni,
I’m SO sorry to hear that you had a reaction. Do you know if you’re able to eat food made on shared equipment with wheat/gluten? That’s probably the issue here since grain free IS gluten free where ingredients are concerned. However, if the ingredient sourcing and manufacturing equipment aren’t completely free-from, it becomes an issue. Honestly finding safe cereal is HARD. Hopefully you can give the cereal to a neighbor or friend to enjoy. One of my fave things to do as a cereal alternative is a homemade low sugar refined sugar free cookie. Make it crispy and pretend it’s cereal. In the future, reach out to companies before trying. A couple of brands that might work for you are Three Wishes and Catalina Crunch. You’ll need to ask both about the equipment though before trying. Wishing you all the best on this!