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130
30
% Daily
Value
Total Fat
Saturated Fat
Trans Fats
Polyunsaturated Fat
Monounsaturated Fat
Cholesterol
Sodium
Potassium
Total Carbohydrate
Dietary Fiber
3g
0.5g
0g
1g
1.5g
0 mg
180 mg
55 mg
25g
2g
5%
2%
0%
7%
2%
8%
7%
Soluble Fiber
Sugar
Other Carbohydrate
Protein
Vitamin A
Vitamin C
Calcium
Iron
Vitamin D
Thaimin
Riboflavin
Niacin
Vitamin B6
Folic Acid
Vitamin B12
Phosphorus
Magnesium
Zinc
Copper
9g
14g
1g
10%
10%
10%
25%
10%
25%
25%
25%
25%
25%
25%
6%
4%
25%
2%
INGREDIENTS:
Whole Grain Wheat, Sugar, Rice Flour, Rice Bran
and/or Canola Oil, Fructose, Maltodextrin, Dextrose,
Salt, Cinnamon, Trisodium Phosphate, Soy Lecithin,
Caramel Color, BHT
Special Note About Processed Foods: Processed foods are any food items that have
way. These processed foods exist on a spectrum, meaning just because something is pro
mean it's inherently unhealthy. If we imagine things like soda or a pack of cookies, those
unhealthy side of the spectrum. If we think about things such as prepackaged salads or f
though, you'll see that those are much healthier, even though they are still technically pro
when choosing healthy food items is to aim for whole foods or processed foods that don
additives, preservatives, or questionable ingredients. I recommend looking at the food lab
frequently eat and seeing where they lie on the processed-food-spectrum.
Cheerios
Nutrition Facts
Serving Size
Servings Per Container
1 cup
12
Total Fat
Saturated Fat
Trans Fats
Polyunsaturated Fat
Monounsaturated Fat
Cholesterol
Sodium
Potassium
Total Carbohydrate
Dietary Fiber
Soluble Fiber
2g
0.5g
0g
0.5g
0.5g
0mg
140 mg
180 mg
20g
3g
1g
Sugar
1g
Other Carbohydrate
16g
Protein
Vitamin A
Vitamin C
Calcium
Iron
Vitamin D
Thaimin
Riboflavin
Niacin
Vitamin B6
Folic Acid
Vitamin B12
Phosphorus
Magnesium
Zinc
3g
10%
10%
10%
45%
10%
25%
2%
25%
25%
50%
25%
10%
8%
25%
3%
3%
0%
6%
5%
7%
11%
Copper
INGREDIENTS:
Whole Grain Oats, Corn Starch, Sugar, Salt,
Tripotassium Phosphate, Vitamin E
Processed Foods: Processed foods are any food items that have been altered in some
1) The word "whole" is important and lets you know that the product is less processed. Do
you see this listed on either of the products' ingredients? If yes, which product (or both), and
how many ingredients contain the world "whole" within that product?
Both products contain one ingredient with the word "whole" in it.
2) When looking at the ingredients list for each product, do you see sugar (or any
unrecognizable ingredient) within the first 3 ingredients? If so, what does this tell you?
I see sugar in the first 3 ingredients for both products, meaning that these products likely have so
much sugar that they might as well be desserts. This indicates that the products are not very healthy.
C3) Often times food labels will say things like "enriched" or "fortified". While these terms
may sound positive, it doesn't necessarily guarantee that they are. "Enriched" means that, in
the refining process, valuable nutrients were stripped away. This most often occurs with
wheat, which results in white flour. Because healthy nutrients are lost in this process, food
manufacturers will go back and add the nutrients that were lost. "Fortified" means that
additional vitamins and nutrients were added to a product which would not normally contain
them. This frequently occurs with dairy products, cereal, and juices. Be wary of these
products because sometimes it can be covering up the fact that lots of sugar has been added
to the product. Also be cautious of any marketing claims you see because things like,
"reduced fat" can sometimes be code for "increased sugar", or vice versa. On the ingredient
list of each of these products (or on the front of the product where the marketing information
is), do you see enriched or fortified? What about other marketing claims? Do the product's
ingredients seem as healthful as the claims? Explain.
None of the products contain anything "enriched" or "fortified". Cheerios claims that it is made with
"100% Whole Grain Oats", that it is "Gluten Free", that it has "No Artificial Flavors" and "No Artificial
Colors" and that it "can help lower cholestrol as part of a heart healthy diet". The ingredients and
nutritional information seem to support these claims. Cinnamon Toast Crunch claims that it contains
no HFCS, no artificial colors and no artificial flavors. However the artificial colors claim seems to be
partially wrong since one of the ingredients is caramel color.
4) Which product do you believe is healthier? Explain why. (Give the pros and cons of each
and what led you to your decision. This is where you'll include information you learned from
the video, such as fats, sugar, fiber, sodium, serving size, micronutrients, ingredients list, etc.
A thorough response is expected that properly demonstrates your knowledge of food labels
and the types of nutrients that our body's need.)
I believe Cheerios is healthier. It has fewer calories and calories from fat in a larger serving size,
contains less polyunsaturated and monounsaturated fats, has less sodium, less carbs, less sugar,
more fiber and more protein. It also contains at least as much if not more of each of the vitamins and
minerals as Cinnamon Toast Crunch except for riboflavin and copper (which is not listed). Both
cereals contain sugar in the first 3 ingredients and neither contain trans fats. Cheerios does have 3g
fiber for every 100 calories while Cinnamon Toast Crunch does not. Cheerios also seems to contain
far fewer preservatives, colors and added flavors in its ingredient list.