Disclosed are R-T-E cereal compositions especially in the form of flakes of reduced salt content which nonetheless provide enhanced cooked cereal flavor and which are characterized by a pH ranging from about 3.5-5.7 and a conductivity ranging from about 0.1-2.8 mS/cm. Also disclosed are methods for the preparation of such R-T-E cereals. The present methods comprise cooking a cereal to form a cooked cereal dough in the presence of added edible acid and a water soluble salts to provide a cooked cereal dough or mass. The combination of ingredients and cooking conditions provides cooked cereal dough and R-T-E cereals prepared therefrom which provide finished breakfast cereal product having improved appearance, flavor and texture as well as in improvements in cooking times.
