Magic Spoon Fruity Grain-Free Cereal: 13g Protein per Cup, Labelgrade B+

13 g of protein per 38 g (~1 cup) serving — about 34 g of protein per 100 g of dry cereal (USDA FDC 2374897). That's roughly 6× the protein density of Cheerios and 2× Special K Protein. Most of the protein comes from milk protein concentrate (casein + whey concentrate) rather than grains.

The base is milk protein blend (casein + whey concentrate) for structure, tapioca starch as a binder, and an oil blend (sunflower + avocado) for crunch. Sweetness comes from allulose and monk fruit extract — both near-zero glycemic. Color comes from turmeric, spirulina, and vegetable juice. Ten ingredients total. It's an engineered cereal, not a 'whole food' cereal, but the engineering is reasonably clean.

Effectively yes — 15 g total carbs minus 1 g fiber minus the allulose (which the FDA exempts from net-carb calculations) leaves ~4 g of net carbs per serving. Within the keto threshold of ≤5 g net carbs per snack-sized serving. Just verify your own personal carb sensitivity; allulose is sometimes counted differently by stricter keto practitioners.

Magic Spoon is denser (34 g protein per 100 g vs Catalina's 31 g per 100 g) and slightly sweeter-tasting per serving. Both are zero added sugar, both use sweetener blends. Catalina uses pea protein + monk fruit; Magic Spoon uses milk protein + allulose + monk fruit. Magic Spoon is generally a few dollars more expensive per box. The choice is mostly taste preference — there's no meaningful nutritional gap.

160 mg per serving — about 7% of the FDA daily limit. Per 100 g that's a meaningful 421 mg, which dings the Labelgrade. Cereal sodium adds up if you eat 2 servings, especially on top of milk's natural sodium. For DASH or low-sodium diets, it's worth noting.

Generally yes. Casein and whey protein concentrate contain some residual lactose, but the amount is small (likely <1 g per serving). People with serious lactose intolerance should still test it; people with milk-protein allergy should avoid it entirely (the protein IS milk protein).

FDA-recognized as Generally Recognized As Safe (GRAS). It's a rare naturally-occurring sugar that the body absorbs but doesn't metabolize the same way as glucose — it passes through with effectively zero calories and near-zero blood-glucose response. Tolerance varies: some people get GI discomfort at higher doses (>20-30 g). The 5-7 g per Magic Spoon serving is well below the typical tolerance threshold.

Acceptable but not optimized. The 13 g protein is meaningful and includes both fast-absorbing whey concentrate and slow-absorbing casein — a reasonable mix for recovery. The downside: 150 calories with 8 g fat means it's not the leanest protein delivery vehicle. A scoop of whey + plain Greek yogurt delivers more protein at fewer calories. Magic Spoon wins on taste and breakfast convenience.

Engineered products with isolated protein bases cost more to manufacture than commodity-grain cereals. Magic Spoon typically retails $10-15 per 7 oz box (about $1.50-$2 per serving) — comparable to other high-protein cereals (Catalina Crunch, Three Wishes) and roughly 5× standard cereals like Cheerios.