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General Mills has very strict advertising guidelines. They "consistently [avoid] advertising on programming that contains graphic violence, excessive sexual content and foul language," to much applause from consumer groups. It is the newest change to that policy, however, has those groups almost cheering aloud. The company has said that it will no longer advertise certain products, those that are considered to be unhealthy or high-calorie, to children. If a product contains more than 175 calories per serving, it will not be advertised to children under 12 via TV ads, movie tie-ins, internet content or using licensed cartoon characters. On top of that, "every product also must be considered 'healthy' or provide an important childhood nutrient, as measured by government guidelines." They will continue to use characters, including the Trix rabbit and the popular Dora the Explorer, to promote their other cereals, as the company has done for decades.

It is a bold step for the company, as it means that they might lose market-share to competitors in this area, but if parents applaud the move as much as the consumer groups, it might encourage some of them to stick with the brand in support.

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Since Kellogg's cereals are about to go up in price, taking a look at some of the lower-priced alternatives to name brand cereals seems prudent. This month's Consumer Reports happily obliges us with their taste test of store brand frosted flakes (Kellogg's Frosted Flakes), toasted oats (GM Cheerios), and frosted mini wheats (Kellogg's Frosted Mini Wheats).

Frosted flake cereals are the least nutritious of the bunch, with about 120 calories, 12 grams of sugar and only 1 gram of fiber. Kellogg's well-known brand topped the taste test, tied with the lower-priced Malt-O-Meal version of the cereal. Other brands tasted slightly bitter. CR also noted that a few turned the milk bright yellow. Sounds like it's best to stick to the familiar in this case.

Kellogg's is planning to raise prices and decrease package sizes for its ready-to-eat boxed cereals this fall. The cereal giant is expected to increase its marketing budget, or at least maintain it, to make sure that customers keep buying their products in spite of pricing changes. After all, they have to convince the consumer that it is worth paying more money for less cereal for their profits to remain the same.

But is it worth it? The two main reasons that people eat cold cereal are convenience and price. A bowl of cereal takes seconds to prepare and you can get several meals out of one box. But, if given all the time and luxury of a relaxing Sunday, cereal might not be the first thing that breakfasters would reach for. A small price hike, about 2%, might not make a big difference in buying habits, but it will certainly set the stage for other cereal companies to follow in the footsteps of the largest cereal company and could even lead to further changes in pricing. When consumers realize that they are getting less than what they think they're paying for, some might stop buying cereal on a regular basis and the companies could be hurt more in the long run.

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General Mills has a brand new cereal out in stores now. It's got the now-familiar "whole grain" label on it, promising a healthy breakfast, but somehow Double Chocolate Cookie Crisp doesn't seem like it's going to stack up nutritionally to, say, a bowl of oatmeal. I had no idea that Cookie Crisp was still on the market (anyone remember the cop that used to be in the commercials?), let alone the fact that GM was working on new variations, including the double choc as well as peanut butter.

Surprisingly, Double Chocolate Cookie Crisp isn't too bad when you take a look at the label. Each serving as only 130 calories and 2.5 grams of fat, none of it saturated, and it's fortified with calcium, iron, folic acid, etc. And the taste? It's pretty much like chocolate chip cookies and milk. They might be a bit on the sweet side, but for a chocoholic needing a fix in the morning, you could do a lot worse.

If you're not interested in sugary treats in the morning, the cereal might be more satisfying as a snack in the afternoon. Each 3/4 cup serving is going to be slightly bigger than what you'd find in one of those 100 calorie packs of "cookies" and you'll get a lot more servings out of a $4 box.

If you love the flavor of cereal, but hate the way that it gets mushy in milk, General Mills is introducing the perfect product for you: cereal-flavored milk. The company has just signed a 5-year licensing agreement to turn some of its most popular breakfast cereals into low-fat milks. The cereal flavors will include Trix, Lucky Charms and Wheaties and the milk will be sold in single-serving containers.

I gather that these products are meant to be consumed as a stand-alone product, not with actual cereal. They will be released around the end of the summer, in time for the back-to-school season. Frankly, I can't see the appeal. The leftover milk from the bottom of a bowl of Lucky Charms? Thanks, but no thanks.

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