Juicebox Podcast: Type 1 Diabetes

Episode #1632 Bolus 4 – Cinnamon Toast Crunch
Host: Scott Benner
Guest: Jenny Smith
Date: September 19, 2025

Episode Overview

This episode of the “BOLUS 4” series focuses on bolusing for Cinnamon Toast Crunch breakfast cereal—one of America’s bestselling cereals. Scott Benner and diabetes educator Jenny Smith take a conversational, practical deep dive into how to calculate insulin for this particular food, utilizing their "MEAL BOLT" methodology. Listeners can expect humor, relatable anecdotes, and best practices for managing tricky, high-glycemic, sugary foods like breakfast cereal, especially for children and teens with type 1 diabetes.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

Introduction to the MEAL BOLT Approach

Stamp: 00:00–02:20

• MEAL BOLT Formula: Scott and Jenny are using the "Meal Bolt" system for every food-related “Bolus 4” episode.
  • Measure the meal
  • Evaluate yourself
  • Add the base units
  • Layer a correction
  • Build the bolus shape
  • Offset the timing (pre-bolus)
  • Look at the CGM
  • Tweak for next time

“We want you to hear how we think about it, but we also would like you to know that this is kind of the pathway we're considering while we're talking.” – Scott [00:21]

Breaking Down Cinnamon Toast Crunch Nutritional Info

Stamp: 02:21–06:11

• Serving Size Reality:
  • The label says 1 cup = 33g carbs, 3g fiber, 12g sugar
  • Most people eat two cups or more, especially kids (“Jethro bowl” imagery)
  • One cup whole milk adds 12g more carbs and sugar
• Total Carbs Calculation
  • Realistic bowl = 2 cups cereal (66g carbs) + 1 cup milk (12g carbs) = 78g total carbs

“Is there anybody that only eats a cup of cereal?... I remember watching people fill their bowls at school with, like, the Jethro bowl of cereal.” – Jenny [04:28]

Evaluating Your Situation & Calculating the Bolus

Stamp: 06:12–08:45

• Assessment Questions:
  • What’s your blood sugar right now?
  • Any insulin on board?
  • Are you about to be active or stressed?
  • Are you in the morning/facing dawn phenomenon?
• Example Calculation:
  • For 78g carbs, using 1:10 ratio = 7.8 units; round up to 8 units to account for slight corrections (e.g., BG a little high at 130).

“People just look on the back like, oh, it's 33 carbs. And then they just fill the bowl up with it and....That’s the biggest problem.” – Scott [06:11]

The Challenge of Bolusing for Cereal: Timing Is Everything

Stamp: 08:46–11:01

• Cereal “Hits Like a Truck”:
  • Highly processed, high sugar—carbs are absorbed rapidly.
  • Aggressive pre-bolus needed, more so than most foods.
  • “Momentum” from insulin must peak before cereal sugars hit.
• Practical Guidance:
  • If your usual successful pre-bolus is 12 minutes, double it for cereal (aim for about 25 minutes).
  • Adjust according to personal experience; start longer for high glycemic foods.

“You need momentum on your side when that cereal kicks. There has to be such a pull from that insulin...” – Scott [08:47]
"My strategy is double that (the usual prebolus) as a starting place." – Jenny [10:46]

Sugar Content in Context

Stamp: 11:10–12:16

• Teaspoons of Sugar Analogy:
  • Two cups = 24g sugar = about 6 teaspoons
  • Not a judgment, but a visual aid for the glycemic load.

“24 grams of sugar is how many teaspoons of sugar?... 24 divided by 4 is six.” – Jenny & Scott [11:53]

Ingredient Analysis of Cinnamon Toast Crunch

Stamp: 12:16–13:58

• First Three Ingredients: Whole grain wheat, sugar, rice flour.
• Processed Sugar Multiple Ways: Sucrose, fructose, maltodextrin, dextrose; all spike BG quickly.
• Fortified with Vitamins: But those “enrichments” are required due to lost nutrients from processing.

“Sugar, fructose, dextrose... we’ve just said sugar three times in a row, right?...100%.” – Scott & Jenny [13:01]

Bolusing Strategies: Be Realistic and Plan to Adjust

Stamp: 13:58–15:51

• Extremely Aggressive Timing & Dosage Necessary:
  • Even the right bolus technique is no guarantee of smooth BG.
  • “Can I keep a steady line with cereal? Yes, with a lot of insulin and timing. But would I do this every day? I would not.” – Scott [15:07]
• Aftermath of Highs:
  • Big BG spikes can turn into crashing lows hours later if not managed well.

Watching Your Results and Tweaking the Plan

Stamp: 15:52–17:38

• The ‘T’ in MEAL BOLT:

  • After bolus, monitor at 1hr, 3hrs, 5hrs post-meal
  • Analyze the BG curve and tweak pre-bolus timing or units for next time

• Real-World Example:

  • Jenny describes a friend who successfully ate cereal once a year by DOUBLING the usual bolus and then suspending basal insulin after eating to prevent post-meal lows.
  • Similar approach might work for closed-loop (AID) systems, but algorithms won’t “rescue” you from bad timing or underestimation.

"She would double the dose of insulin that she would normally take for cereal. And on the back end, she suspended her pump." – Jenny [16:47] “What people have to understand about the algorithms… It is not going to adjust because your blood sugar, like, shot up out of nowhere.” – Scott [17:41]

Last Thoughts and Takeaways

Stamp: 18:00–End

• Honesty About Choices:
  • You can “master” cereal, but it’s not optimal for daily eating.
  • If you do eat it, be methodical and use what you learn each time.
• Humor & Humanity:
  • Practical jokes about “insulin pushers,” cereal choices, and loving the challenge of diabetes family life.

“I want you to bolus well for the cereal. That's all. Like, I mean, you're gonna. I just don't want you having high blood sugars...” – Scott [15:27]

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• “You need momentum on your side when that cereal kicks. There has to be such a pull from that insulin when that cereal kicks that you can keep your stability.” – Scott [08:47]
• “My strategy is double that as a starting place.” – Jenny, on increasing pre-bolus time for hard-hitting carbs like cereal [10:47]
• “Wow. Really?...That’s six teaspoons of sugar.” – Scott & Jenny, visualizing the sugar load [11:53]
• “Could I do it? I could do it. I probably wouldn't pick Cinnamon Toast Crunch, but I would pick something else that I'd prefer.” – Jenny [18:15]
• “Would I do this every day even if I could? I would not...But could I do it? I could.” – Scott [15:06]

Timestamps of Key Segments

• [00:00–02:20] Introduction to the Episode and MEAL BOLT
• [02:21–06:11] Understanding the Actual Serving and Carbohydrate Load
• [06:12–08:45] Evaluation and Calculation of Insulin Needed
• [08:46–11:01] Timing Strategy: Why Pre-bolus Matters So Much for Cereal
• [11:10–12:16] The Real Sugar Perspective
• [12:16–13:58] Reading and Interpreting the Ingredient List
• [13:58–15:51] Real-World Approach: Success Is Possible but It’s Hard
• [15:52–17:38] Monitoring, Refining, and a Friend's Practical Hack
• [18:00–End] Wrap-Up, Takeaways, and a Dash of Humor

Summary: Practical Strategies for Cereal Bolusing

• Cereal is a “hard mode” food due to fast, high BG spikes—large carb loads, rapid digestion, and high glycemic index demand aggressive insulin strategies.
• You may need to double your usual pre-bolus time and consider higher-than-label doses (if safe, and only with medical guidance) to match the BG spike.
• Always monitor your CGM closely after eating, and “tweak for next time.”
• Realistic perspectives and humor help—don’t fear “bad” foods, but respect the challenge.

For more details on the MEAL BOLT system, visit juiceboxpodcast.com/meal-bolt.