Trader Joe's Vanilla O's, 368g

When you first unseal a bag of TJ's latest Os iteration, your olfactory (or should we say, “O-factory”) is hit with a tidal wave of Vanilla. Eyes closed, you might imagine you’re catching a whiff of the buttercream frosting on our Chantilly Cream Vanilla Bean Mini Sheet Cake. In one sense, you might as well be, since both contain actual ground Vanilla beans. This should be moderately impressive, given the fact that Vanilla is the world’s second-most expensive spice after saffron, due to the labour-intensive process involved in growing the orchids that supply the Vanilla seeds.

More to the immediate point... taken as a whole (or should we say, “in a b-O-wl”), we think TJ’s Vanilla Os are more than just ‘moderately’ impressive. Whole grain oat flour is the first ingredient, providing 25 grams of whole grain per every 1 ¼ cup serving. These Os also deliver five essential B vitamins, including: B1 (thiamine), B3 (niacin), B5 (pantothenic acid), B6 (pyridoxine), and B9 (folate). Furthermore, the authentic Vanilla flavour of these Os is buoyed by a fair amount of sugar, carefully calculated to please even the pickiest of kids’ palates; as will their donut-shaped construction that buoys them in your bowl, fits in tiny hands, and helps to maintain a superior crunch.

If you’re a cereal fan, you owe (or should we say, “O”) it to yourself to pick up a box for breakfast tomorrow. (Save the Mini Sheet Cake for dessert.)