MINNEAPOLIS — Wheaties Fuel, which previously only has been available on-line since September 2009, is hitting retail store shelves. The new cereal, which was created with the help of professional athletes such as Peyton Manning, Kevin Garnett and Albert Pujols, is a lightly sweetened, crunchy whole wheat flake with crispy rice and a touch of cinnamon and honey.

Continuing the tradition of honoring champions on the front of the Wheaties box, Wheaties Fuel features individual box covers of Mr. Garnett, Mr. Manning and Mr. Pujols. In addition, all the athletes who helped create the cereal along with sports nutritionist John Ivy are pictured on the back of the boxes. All three 17.1-oz boxes are now available nationwide.

“Developing the new evolution of Wheaties has been more than two years in the making, and we’re excited to finally bring Fuel to retail and into the hands of consumers,” said Dan Stangler, marketing manager for Wheaties. “Today’s athletes need a finely tuned diet to allow their bodies to be efficient and competitive, and with the help of our team of champion athletes, a world-renowned sports nutritionist and everyday athletes, we’ve created the first-ever cereal designed to help fuel wins.”

Each serving of Wheaties Fuel includes 210 calories, at least 16 grams of whole grain, 100% of the Daily Value of five B vitamins, 5 grams of fiber, as well as calcium and vitamin D to help promote bone health. The cereal contains 14 grams of sugar, which the company said helps “provide immediate energy to get the day going and replenish the body’s energy stores after an overnight fast.”