Ingredient Inspector has a phenomenal post on that very topic.The demand for those three criteria has driven the explosive growth of breakfast, cereal and snack bars.A product sector which hardly existed a couple decades ago, such healthy bars now dominate entire aisles in many grocery stores.
At a glance, they seem to meet the three coveted criteria of healthy, convenient and delicious. But they wouldnt be the first bar to cover up for disappointing nutrition with slick marketing. Promoting the Soft Baked nature of the product was actually a major turning point in its success, as it emphasizes the healthy, wholesome nature of the product. Each Nutri-Grain variety is generally associated with some type of fruit, and the use of whole grains in the recipe is heavily emphasized. Other Nutri-Grain varieties have very similar nutrition facts. For example, the only ingredient youll find in a Strawberry Nutri-Grain bar that actually utilizes that particular fruit is Strawberry Puree Concentrate. This form lacks the fruits natural fiber and vitamin C content, which were destroyed during processing. While its more shelf-stable than real fruit, its really just another way to add sugar to a product. All or nearly all the sugar in Nutri-Grain bars qualifies as added sugar. The American Heart Association recommends women consume no more than 25 grams of added sugar per day while men should consume no more than 36 grams a day. Again, many Nutri-Grain bar varieties contain 12 grams of added sugar, or nearly half the daily limit for women. If added sugar is the ingredient Americans consume too much of, fiber might be the one thing they need more of (ideally in the form of fresh produce and whole grains). The AHA recommends at least 21-25 grams of fiber a day for women under 50 and 30-38 grams a day for men under 50. High-fiber diets have been linked to positive outcomes such as a reduced risk of diabetes and heart disease. In the short term, snacking on a bar high in fiber keeps you fuller for longer and helps you avoid crashing. Protein helps build muscle and allows you to recover from exercise, but it can also help keep you full. With only small amounts of fiber and protein in each Nutri-Grain bar, theyre very unlikely to keep you satiated for long. And we havent even gotten into the large quantity of questionable ingredients included in the recipe of many Nutri-Grain bars.
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