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Questions like, “are Nutri-Grain bars healthy” are always very important. Your health is a reflection of the things you eat. If you eat right, you’ll look healthy. If you don’t, the reverse is the case.
It’s so unfortunate that tight schedules and busy lives have forced many individuals to make questionable food choices. It has forced snacks like Nutri-Grain bars into many people’s diet plans.
Nutri-Grain bars have become one of the staple cereal bars in recent times. Many individuals have even swapped their healthy cereals for these bars, including other cereal bars termed “healthy snacks.”
The nuts, oats, and fruits in these cereal bars have convinced many to accept the cereal bar and consider it a healthy food choice. By the way, fruit is natural, so finding it in the Nutri-Grain bar means the cereal bar should be healthy.
Now, check this out before buying more Nutri-Grain bars.
Are Nutri-Grain Bars healthy?
The straightforward answer is no! Nutri-Grain bars are not healthy. While cereal bars boast several nutrients, including whole grains and protein, they still have significant nutritional limitations.
Nutri-Grain bars do contain protein and fiber, which ordinarily should keep you satiated for long. But that won’t happen because the bars have a low amount of fiber and protein.
Another primary concern is the hidden sugar in Nutri-Grain Bars. The high level of added sugar and low fiber and protein makes it a poorly formulated cereal bar.
But then, compared to candy bars, Nutri-Grain bars are a much better option. Nevertheless, both aren’t even healthy, so there’s no basis for such a comparison. You’ll only load your system with added sugar by consuming both bars.
This article contains more information about Nutri-Grain bars. So, keep reading for more.
Are Nutri-Grain Bars Good For Kids?
Kellogg’s newest additions to their wide variety of cereal bars, Nutri-Grain Kids, are specifically for children. The company claims that the cereal bar boasts the nutritional components to give kids the energy they require and a taste they’ll cherish.
But then, the taste isn’t an issue. With a considerable amount of added sugar, why won’t kids love cereal bars? The focus shouldn’t be on taste alone. The bar needs to have the right combination of nutrients to be considered a healthy food choice for kids.
Unfortunately, Nutri-Grain Kids lack the nutritional components to be considered a healthy cereal bar for children. A serving contains 8 grams of whole grains and fruit filling (most of the fillings aren’t even fruits).
The Nutri-Grain Kids bar also boasts various flavors, such as Strawberry Blast, Apple, and Grapetastic. And the company claims all of these varieties boast high-fructose corn syrup and are free from artificial flavors, which is another marketing gimmick.
For the records, the Nutri-Grain Strawberry Blast boasts approximately 14grams of added sugar but includes very little fiber, protein, and other vital nutrients.
So, when kids consume these cereal bars, they’ll feel a surge in energy for a short while. Unfortunately, it won’t keep them satiated for a long time or offer any notable nutritional benefit.
Thus, it’s safe to say that Nutri-Grain bars, either for kids or adults, are unhealthy snacks. They come packed with excess added sugar, which can cause problems in your system over time.
The company markets and considers its cereal bars as healthy snacks, which is expected. After all, it’s a company, and the profit keeps them going. But if you care about your health, it’s best to consider other healthy cereal bars out there.
What Is The Shelf-Life Of An Unopened Nutri-Grain Bar?
Understanding Kellogg’s Nutri-Grain Bars’ possible shelf-life would help reduce the number of bars that get spoilt under your watch.
So, how long does a Nutri-Grain bar last when left unopened?
Under dry storage, you can expect your cereal bar to last for 8 months. However, on some websites, 13 months was given as the shelf-life of unopened Nutri-Grain bars.
The best option is to note the cereal bar’s expiration date. It’s always stated on the product box, though in codes. The codes usually contain numbers and letters, making it a bit confusing.
Let’s discuss how to read expiration dates on Kellogg’s Nutri-Grain bars.
How To Read Expiration Dates On Nutri-Grain Bars
Instead of relying on guesswork, it’s best to check the expiration date on your Nutri-Grain bars. This will give you an idea of how much longer you can store your cereal bars.
Kellogg and other brands include expiration dates on their products to let customers know when it is safe to consume them. However, most people have tried consuming Nutri-Grain Bars after the expiration date without any complaints.
But before you try this, keep in mind that minerals and vitamins in the product would reduce once it’s past the expiration date.
Kellogg uses varied expiration codes for its range of products. And the reason these codes are somewhat confusing is that they contain a combination of numbers and letters.
Now, how can you determine the expiration date of your Nutri-Grain bars to know if it’s still healthy for consumption? Here’s a simple explanation.
The expiration codes include the month, followed by the day, and finally, the year. That’s how Kellogg wants customers to read it.
Now, find the product’s expiration code. It’s boldly written on the cereal box’s top flap. Here’s how to read it.
The first two numbers or three letters represent the product’s expiration month. If it appears as 02, it means the month of February. If it’s FEB, then it signifies February.
Next is the expiration day. You need to note the next two numbers after the first three letters or two numbers, representing the expiration months (as discussed above).
If it appears as FEB 01 2010 or 020110AB, the product will expire on day 1 (the first day of February).
Next is the product’s expiration year. Now that you have gotten the month and expiration day, the rest numbers represent the expiration year. In most cases, it can be the last four numbers or the last two numbers.
Please remember that the numbers or letters that appear after the expiration year refer to Kellogg’s location where the product was made.
Can Nutri-Grain Bars Kill You?
There has been no reported case of death from Nutri-Grain bars consumption. Additionally, Nutri-Grain bars haven’t been identified as a cause of death or the development of any disease. But that doesn’t mean the cereal bar can’t harm you.
Nutri-Grain bars are bad for you and can damage your health, leading to death. The primary ingredient responsible for this is the added sugar and artificial fillings added to the snack.
For example, each Nutri-Grain Strawberry bar comes loaded with 12 grams of sugar. So, imagine consuming four or more of these snacks daily. 4 packs would load your system with 48 grams of sugar, which is way above the daily recommended amount.
Here are the short-term adverse effects
- Allergic reaction
- Abdominal pain
- Increased blood sugar levels
- Increased blood pressure
The long term adverse effects from excessive consumption include:
- Diabetes
- Heart disease
- Weight gain
- Cancer
- Infertility
- Learning impairments
- Lower immune system
- Increased LDL (bad cholesterol) levels
The added sugar in the snack has no actual benefit. It’s just there to improve the taste.
Increased sugar consumption causes obesity. And obesity, as you already know, can cause several life-threatening diseases.
So, Nutri-Grain bars can lead to one’s death, but not instantly. It can cause people to develop life-threatening diseases. Thus, the company’s claim of the snack being healthy is a blatant lie. There’s nothing healthy about Nutri-Grain bars.
After consuming this snack, the only significant benefit you’ll get is a short boost in your energy levels. But that’s nothing compared to the health damage excess consumption of the snack can cause.
What You Will Find In Nutri-Grain Bars
Before consuming any snack or food, many people fail to note the constituents. Most foods are unhealthy and shouldn’t even be on the market. But because the companies producing them are greedy, they keep making more and sending them into the market.
So, what does the Nutri-Grain bar contain? According to the company’s website, here are some of the ingredients the strawberry bar has:
- Whey
- Whole grain
- Vitamin B1 and B2
- Whole wheat flour
- Soybean oil
- Wheat bran
- Citric acid
- Sugar
- Invert sugar
- Calcium carbonate
- Potassium bicarbonate
- Soluble corn fiber
- Natural flavor
- Modified food starch
- Strawberry puree concentrate
Others include malic acid, soy lecithin, wheat gluten, guar gum, salt, soluble corn fiber, etc.
Here is a quick look into the nutritional facts of the Nutri-Grain Strawberry bars.
- Sugars – 12grams
- Calories – 130kcals
- Saturated fat – 0.5grams
- Total fat – 3.5 grams
- Sodium – 140mg
- Fiber – 1 gram
- Protein – 2 grams
- Total carbohydrate – 25 grams
Again, the red flag, as you can see, is the added sugar. The snack contains 12 grams of added sugar, which can quickly add up when you consume more.
Do Nutri-Grain Bars Contain Real Fruit Filling?
The sugar in fruits is natural. So, hearing that Nutri-Grain bars contain fruit filling excites many people and encourages them to try the numerous flavors.
But one thing you need to know is Nutri-Grain bars’ fillings don’t entirely comprise natural fruits. They do contain some fruit puree concentrate, but the rest are corn syrup, artificial flavoring, additives, food dye, and other types of sugar.
The filling is also the problem of Nutri-Grain bars. Ingredients like invert sugar, strawberry puree concentrate, glycerin, and sugar can instantly increase your blood sugar.
Furthermore, the food coloring added in some of the Nutri-Grain bars makes them more dangerous. An example is caramel coloring, which is present in some of the cereal bars. It’s widely used in the food processing industry and potentially harmful, health-wise.
Caramel coloring has been linked to cancer, allergies, reduced immune system, and increased blood pressure.
Made from processed corn are modified corn starch and corn syrup, which are present in Nutri-Grain bars. Both are genetically modified foods, which can have harmful effects on your body.
How Many Calories Does Nutri-Grain Breakfast Bar Contains?
The breakfast bar contains about 210 calories, 13g carbohydrate, 8g protein and 5g of fat. It also boasts other essential nutrients and can help you meet your daily nutritional needs to an extent.
For example, the breakfast bar contains vitamin D and other essential minerals the body needs to function properly. Another thing you need to know is the size of the breakfast bar and flavor determines their nutritional composition.
Is Nutri-Grain Bar Sugar Content Too High?
Nutri-Grain bar’s sugar content is moderately high. In addition, most of the sugars are added sugar, not fruit sugar. A bar of Nutri-Grain boasts 12 – 13 grams of sugar.
Does Nutri-Grain contain fruit sugar? Yes, it does. You’ll find around 1 gram of fruit sugar in each Nutri-Grain bar.
How can you compare the Nutri-Grain bar’s sugar content to other bars?
Nutri-Grain bar’s total sugar is less than what Clif Bar contains. You’ll find about 17 to 21 grams of sugar per Cliff Bar. In the same vein, Nutri-Grain bars have less (or similar in most cases) sugar than Larabars. You’ll find around 13 to 20 grams of sugar per Larabar.
Nutri-Grain contains less sugar than Cliff Bars and Larabar. But is it better than both? The thing is, the bars Nutri-Grain contain less sugars than all have far more calories.
For example, some of these energy/protein bars Nutri-Grain has less sugar than, and contains over 200 calories per bar. The high sugar is expected given the amount of calories these bars contain.
On the other hand, Nutri-Grain contains less sugar, but you can only get around 130 calories per bar. Now, this is small compared to what other bars offer.
Conclusion
Are Nutri-Grain bars healthy? The answer is no. They contain a high amount of added sugar, which can cause severe health problems for consumers over time.
So, if you’re a fan of cereal snacks, get Nutri-Grain bars off your list of options. You’re better off snacking on fruits than loading your system with Nutri-Grain bars. They contain excess added sugar that can cause life-threatening diseases over time.
