General Mills Is Removing Artificial Flavors and Coloring From All Cereals

Pull out a box of your kids' favorite cereals and we're pretty sure there are some ingredients listed there that you can't pronounce, much less explain what they are. But that's all about to change. General Mills just announced that it is removing artificial flavors and colors from all of its cereals — and replacing them with fruits, vegetables, and spices! Yup, you read that right! Pretty soon boldly colored breakfast foods like Trix and Reese's Puffs (the first to undergo the changes) will be made with healthy ingredients that you'll recognize when you pull a box off the shelf.

About 60 percent of General Mills's cereals (like Cheerios and Cinnamon Toast Crunch) are already free of artificial ingredients, but the company says 90 percent will bear the label by the end of 2016. The company began working on the reformulations about three years ago, choosing natural dyes and flavorings — like radishes, tomatoes, and strawberries — to replace the bright colors Trix and Lucky Charms are known for.

While most colors will survive the makeover, green and blue couldn't be replicated and will be removed from the cereal mixes. Another troublesome spot — marshmallows. General Mills says cereals with the candies may take a bit longer to reformulate.

Regardless, it's a step in the right direction! Being able to pronounce the names of the ingredients in your morning bowl of cereal is the first step toward putting kids on a healthier track for life. We have a feeling kids won't even miss the blue and green Trix!