Raisin Bran vs Froot Loops

[Scott P]

I don't know why it never occured to me before to do this, but I just compared the nutrition facts on each box and was shocked. I've been eating Raisin Bran all these years because I thought it was good for you. Check out the some of the stats:

1 cup Kellogs Raisin Bran

Calories: 190
Calories from fat: 15
Sugars: 19 grams
Sodium: 350 mg
Fiber: 7g

1 cup Kellogs Froot Loops

Calories: 110
Calories from fat: 10
Sugars: 12 grams
Sodium: 135 mg
Fiber: >1g

Nutrition percentages of vitamins are almost identical. Raisin Bran has more fiber than Froot Loops, but other than that Froot Loops appears healthier and has much less sugar. Dang, I've been eating the wrong cereal all these years. I'm going to start reading more labels.

[erial]

I like Kashi Autumn Wheat which can be had for a good price at Trader Joe's or Walmarts:

Nutrition Facts:
Serving Size: 1 cup (54g/1.9oz)
Servings Per Container: 9

Amount per Serving %Daily Value*
Calories 190
Calories from Fat 10

Total Fat 1g 2%
Saturated Fat 0g 0%
Trans Fat 0g 0%
Cholesterol 0mg 0%
Sodium 0mg 0%
Potassium 180mg 5%
Total Carbohydrate 45g 15%
Dietary Fiber 6g 24%
Soluble Fiber 1g
Insoluble Fiber 5g
Sugars 7g
Protein 5g

[tanya]

Wow! I never would have known and I thought I was Ms. Nutrition.

[Reedus]

Capn' Crunch all the way! Nothing like startin your morning with the Capn

[tanya]

If you like Kellogg's Raisin Bran
A handful of raisins and whole wheat sounds healthy, right? It would be, says New York City nutritionist Joy Bauer,R.D., if it weren't for high-fructose corn syrup, which jacks the sugar content up to 19 grams, landing Raisin Bran alongside Lucky Charms. And its whopping 350 milligrams of sodium don't help.

Switch to Whole Foods Market 365 Everyday Value Raisin Bran
"[It has] less calories, sugar, and sodium, but the healthy protein remains," Bauer says. "And there's no extra bad stuff." 365 puts Kellogg's sugar surplus to shame with just 8 grams per 3/4-cup serving and a hefty 6 grams of fiber.


http://www.womenshealthmag.com/nutri...akfast-cereals

[Scott P]

Capn' Crunch all the way! Nothing like startin your morning with the Capn

What's scary about that statement is that even Cap N Crunch has less sugar in a cup than Kellogs Raisin Bran!

[R]

Puffed cereals like Fruit Loops and Captn Crunch are less dense than cereals like raisin bran, so the comparison should be by weight, not volume.

[tanya]

Here is a nice chart...

They have your fruit loops on the worst of the cereals list.

http://www.acaloriecounter.com/breakfast-cereal.php

[Scott P]

Puffed cereals like Fruit Loops and Captn Crunch are less dense than cereals like raisin bran, so the comparison should be by weight, not volume.

People usually eat cereal by volume not by weight, at least I do. If I eat a bowl of Raisin Bran I don't tend to fill the bowl only half way because it is more dense. Most people eat cereal by the bowl rather than by weight.

[RedMan]

Mini Wheats! Lots of volume. Lots of Fiber.

[Udink]

Mini Wheats! Lots of volume. Lots of Fiber.

I am 100% with you on that. In addition, they've got extremely low sodium. You'd be surprised how many cereals out there have really high amounts of sodium in them.

[canyonphile]

Mini Wheats! Lots of volume. Lots of Fiber.

I am 100% with you on that. In addition, they've got extremely low sodium. You'd be surprised how many cereals out there have really high amounts of sodium in them.

You forgot to mention the other thing they're extremely low in: flavor!

[Udink, you're absolutely right that lots of cold cereals, and pretty much all processed foods for that matter, are high in sodium]

Every time Consumer's Reports rates cereals, Shredded Wheat always is at the top because it has no salt, sugar or fat, which makes me laugh. I personally find any type of shredded wheat cereal to have the taste and texture of sawdust , so I won't eat it, no matter how healthy it is.

#1 breakfast cereal: Oatmeal, (or steel-cut oats) or oat bran

-as minimally processed as it gets
-fat, sugar and salt-free (until you make it otherwise)
-so cheap it's almost free
-high in both soluble (cholesterol-lowering) and insoluble (gut-healthy) fibers

Of course, oatmeal by itself is pretty bland...but, add some raisins or diced dates, a handful of chopped walnuts, a sprinkle of cinnamon, and some lowfat milk, and that = yummay!

Kellogg's and Post can't compete with that on any level.

Tanya, that was a really interesting link you posted about the cereals! That needs to get more mainstream, esp. for parents that are feeding their kids that stuff.

As for salt content in food? I think salt is hugely over-rated as far as its blame for causing things like strokes and whatnot. If you have healthy/normal kidney physiology, and the hormones that govern fluid and mineral balance are being released as they should be, and there is no other cause of hypertension, salt intake really shouldn't be a concern. Esp. in fit people that spend lots of time outdoors in arid climates, like Bogleyites (is that a word? It sort of sounds like an infestation... ). The first human physiology class I took in college made that clear.


-SJ

[KapitanSparrow]

Beacon and eggs! Now that's breakfast!

Or simple corn flakes.

[tanya]

I love everything you wrote, but is it not a good idea to get in the habit of eating a diet with a lower salt intake while younger and healthy so you don't end up having a problem when you get older or ending up with a medical condition that requires it? Same thing with fatty diets and such? It often takes a long time to take on new habits and figure out things like is it best to eat fruit loops, raison bran or oatmeal and which sorts of things are you happy eating.

[cachehiker]

I don't usually eat cereal without fresh fruit or at least raisins and nuts. I go through Frosted Mini-Wheats, All-Bran, Grape Nuts, etc. Adding strawberries, bananas, raspberries, peaches, etc. makes even sawdust taste good. As far as Corn Flakes go, I eat too much corn already. It's in everything.

I love eggs and bacon and all the rest but I feel I have to justify them. I only make them when I need a real stick to your ribs kind of breakfast before an all day hike or a heavy yardwork day like yesterday. Carbo loading is all the rage before a century ride but I've found a heartier breakfast serves me better for them too.

[R]

I would like to add that fruit, oats, and whole grain breads are probably the best breakfast, particularly if the fruit is really fresh. To that end, I put in two extra rows of canteloup when I planted Saturday.

[canyonphile]

I love everything you wrote, but is it not a good idea to get in the habit of eating a diet with a lower salt intake while younger and healthy so you don't end up having a problem when you get older or ending up with a medical condition that requires it? Same thing with fatty diets and such? It often takes a long time to take on new habits and figure out things like is it best to eat fruit loops, raison bran or oatmeal and which sorts of things are you happy eating.

Eating a healthy diet (low in saturated fats, processed foods, no trans-fats or HFCS, and high in fruits, vegetables and whole grains) would probably eliminate 75% or more of the health problems that Americans have...everything from obesity to cancer to diabetes. It would cut down on a lot of un-needed salt in our diet, but more importantly, it would also eliminate all the other junk companies put in food that is either: 1) not found in nature; 2) not meant to be eaten....things like preservatives and dyes. So, you are absolutely right!

I think Michael Pollan's book, Omnivore's Dilemma, should be required reading for everyone. My major in college was nutritional science/exercise physiology, but this book was more influential on my perceptions about food production and what/how I eat than anything else I've ever read. And his follow-up book In Defense of Food, was also excellent. Under the title it says: "Eat food. Not much. Mostly plants" . If people follow that simple rule and nothing else, they'd do just fine .

I guess people have to want to make the effort to eat healthy and there's no way to force them to do it. Outside influences, like Pollan's books, and societal trends, also help. The time may (and probably will) come when radical changes in eating are forced upon us; namely, when we run out of oil. Since oil and its byproducts are necessary for numerous aspects of industrial agriculture, including fertilizer production, harvesting and transportation of food to various locations, that will all come to a halt when oil is gone. At that point, people will have to rely on local-based agriculture and/or DIY food production. Healthy eating will be forced upon them and while it might suck that MickyD's is No Mas, in the end it will be a good thing on many levels.

Already, you are seeing trends towards changes in the way we eat: NYC has banned the use of trans-fats in restaurants [not that I agree with the govt. forcing changes like this on the private sector, because I don't]. And the standard labeling that food must now have to show % of fats and trans-fats. It is up to the consumer to be savvy and read ingredient labels to determine what other junk might be in the food. I stopped buying commercial bread, most commercial spaghetti sauces and the old brand of flavored yogurt I was eating because all contain HFCS.

Salt, OTOH, is found in nature. It is a necessary part of our diet and and used to be prized more than gold, I think, in early civilizations. Unfortunately, these days, it's merely slapped in processed foods to make up for the natural flavors that were stripped away once the food was processed. It is a necessary component of bread (except for things like Tuscan white bread) as it contributes to browning of the crust and slows down yeast fermentation. Bread without salt tastes pretty crappy IMO and goes stale really quickly. Salt usually makes up about 2% by weight of most breads.

Salt really does enhance the flavor of foods and when used judiciously, you shouldn't really even taste it. I consider it part of the symphony that plays to your palate, and just as an orchestra won't sound right if the violin is missing, many foods (like soup and bread) just won't taste very good without it. Adding extra salt to make up for a lack of seasoning won't work, either.

Sorry...that probably did NOTHING to answer your question, Tanya . It was just me rambling on about stuff I have an interest in, some knowledge of, and opinions about . And, I probably totally killed this thread while I was at it...d'oh!

-SJ

[canyonphile]

I would like to add that fruit, oats, and whole grain breads are probably the best breakfast, particularly if the fruit is really fresh. To that end, I put in two extra rows of canteloup when I planted Saturday.

Oh, you are so lucky that you can grow cantelope! I think it might be too cold here, because I asked my boyfriend if we could grow it and he didn't think it would work in our garden. We do tons of tomatoes, peas, corn, summer and winter squash, lettuce, onions and probably something else I'm forgetting. Gardens totally rule anyway!

Fresh fruit makes the world go 'round. It was a magical moment when I happened upon some wild blueberries during our trip to Acadia NP in Maine last August. It salvaged the otherwise sucky rained-out hike we went on.

SJ

[cachehiker]

I remember listening to Michael Pollan on NPR back in December and then parts of a rebroadcast maybe this month, maybe late last month, hard to say. I really enjoyed what he had to say. Don't eat it if you can't say it. Avoid products with more than five ingredients. Watch out for foods (like twinkies) that don't spoil. I've always been a bit leery of such things myself. Working in manufacturing and being involved with plant automation, I can easily imagine the sort of contraption that squirts out Nutri-grain bars as well as the upper management's priorities: cost first, volume second, and the consumer be damned.



I've therefore always cooked from scratch as much as possible. Trying to avoid HFCS is all but impossible in today's world though. Making spaghetti and alfredo sauces from scratch is easy but I have more trouble making time for bread or paying $4/loaf for better stuff. I also have to admit I get overcommitted and leave myself having to either cheat or bail out on something I promised I'd do, see, read, or attend.



Have you ever watched "Supersize Me!"?

[accadacca]

Peanut Butter Cap'n Crunch!

Salute!