It's Buc Wheats...I Don't Care What They Call It Now

When I was a kid, we were forbidden to have any cereals that might possibly be sugary cereals. It didn't matter how much we begged, our parents were not cuckoo for Cocoa Puffs. Not only weren't Trix for kids in our house, no one ate them. We were stuck taking Tony the Tiger's word for it that Frosted Flakes were grrrrrr-eat. We never enjoyed the health benefits of the pink hearts, yellow moons, orange stars and green clovers in Lucky Charms.

In our house, we were Cheerios kids all the way, with some Kix (which some kid allegedly tested and his mom approved, but I'm guessing that kid had no taste buds) tossed in for variety.

And then one morning we woke up at Nana's house and found a new cereal on the table. Nana had left for work at Ellis National Bank, but as was her morning routine, she'd cut up fresh grapefruit for me and filled our bowls with cereal so all we had to do was pour the milk when we woke up.

This new and mysterious cereal was flaky with a maple flavor. The flakes were crispy and a little nutty and Dave and I devoured it in record time. It made us feel like a million bucks. And because it was a high nutrition cereal, Mom and Dad were fans too.

After that morning, a new cereal was welcome in our house. Buc Wheats.



And Buc Wheats was a staple until probably the early 1980s when it suddenly disappeared from store shelves. No explanation. It was just gone.

Since that day, Dave and I have mourned the loss of Buc Wheats. I'm honestly not sure that either of us has really moved on. I eat cereal so rarely that it will go stale in my cabinet before I finish it.

And then a week ago my world got brighter. I was walking through Jewel when a woman asked if I'd like a sample of a new cereal. I looked at the box that said Fiber Plus and I was unmoved. But then I looked at the little sample cup and had an inkling. My taste buds confirmed it: Buc Wheats was back. Sure, it's got a new name, Fiber Plus Caramel Pecan Crunch, but it's still the same cereal. Same flavor. Same crunch. Same nuttiness.

I grabbed a box and a few coupons and called Dave as soon as I was out of the store. All I had to say was "guess what cereal I found at Jewel today?" and he immediately guessed "Buc Wheats." See, he's never forgotten. I walked in the door, gave my mom a blind taste test and asked her what she was tasting. I just got a one-word answer: Buc Wheats.

Yep, my family has found their favorite cereal after a 30 year search. I don't want to lose my favorite cereal again, so go stock up on Fiber Plus Caramel Pecan Crunch*.

*And if the good people at Kellogg's saw fit to send me a boat load of Fiber Plus Caramel Pecan Crunch for free as a way to thank me for this free advertising, I'd happily accept it.