Instagram Is Divided Over This Keto-Friendly Cinnamon Toast Cereal At Costco

Has Costco done it again? Some people don't seem to think so. When Costco finds account Costco_doesitagain highlighted Cinnamon Toast Catalina Crunch in an Instagram post, they presumably have expected less division in the reactions. According to the Catalina Crunch website, the cereal consists of plant proteins and is billed as keto-friendly, gluten-free, low in carbs, 100% vegan, and high in fiber. What's more, it has zero sugar, no GMO ingredients, and no grain. One might not expect pushback based on those features.

But then comes the but. To eat, perchance to taste – ay, there's the rub. For in that feature list what taste may come, when we shovel in mouthfuls of the stuff, must give us pause. Or, as one person put it without resorting to a parody of Shakespeare, "Don't recommend, it's absolutely awful and void of any flavor." "Horrible after taste," another agreed. A third wrote, "This tastes like cardboard." And more and more piled in stories of trying it but failing to finish the first bowl of cereal.

However, many others also liked the taste. "This stuff tastes so good!" one stated. "I don't understand the hate — must be people who like extremely sugar-loaded cereal. This stuff is perfect." Many contented themselves with something in the vein of "I love it!"

The flavor of the Cinnamon Toast Catalina Crunch proved polarizing. That's fine because some foods are like that. However, there is one comment which should be addressed. "Careful," one person warned in the Instagram post's comments section. "It contains potato starch so it's NOT keto!" Considering that the cereal labels itself explicitly as keto-friendly, this is an accusation that one must look into. The point they seem to be making is that in the ingredient list found on the product's page, "potato fiber" is included as part of the cereal's Catalina flour. 

However, KetoConnect, a website dedicated to helping people navigate the ketogenic diet, agrees that Catalina Crunch is keto-friendly. In a review of the product, the site notes that the first three ingredients of Catalina flour are pea protein, potato fiber, and corn fiber. "Fortunately," KetoConnect writes, "these are not the pure form of the plant, but refined versions that have been made lower in carbohydrates through processing, leaving mostly protein or fiber." Catalina Crunch also addressed potato fiber concerns in an article, explaining, "Potato Fiber has only 2g net carbs per tablespoon." So, the cereal is keto-friendly.