Fit Fare

I’m fairly rigid about the cereal I buy. For years, I’ve stuck with shredded wheat with bran and oatmeal. Frankly, I didn’t pay much attention to other cereals on the market. Still, walking down the cereal aisle it was hard not to notice the sudden appearance of the words “Whole Grains” emblazoned on almost every box. Could it be that cereal companies have finally gotten the message about producing healthier products? Or is it just an effective and slightly misleading sales tool? About a year ago, I saw the magic words on a box of Multigrain Cheerios, and regular Cheerios suddenly seemed out of date to me. This version was multigrain AND whole grains, which seemed impressive. So, I bought a box without reading the nutrition label. The first thing I noticed when I tasted them was the noticeable lack of oat flavor. And they were sweet. Much sweeter. After belatedly reading the nutrition label, I discovered that this improved version of Cherrios did indeed have more sugar than regular Cheerios.

Why the fuss over whole grains? Studies show that they can reduce risks of heart disease, stroke, cancer, diabetes and obesity. The USDA recommends people eat at least 3 ounces of whole grain products every day. Whole grains, such as whole-wheat flour, bulgur, and brown rice, contain the entire grain kernel–the bran, germ, and endosperm. In contrast, grains such as white flour, degermed cornmeal and white rice have been refined to remove the bran and germ. It takes careful package reading to determine the true amount of whole grains in a product. Some food items are made from mixtures of whole grains and refined grains. Consumers should read the ingredient box to see if the words “whole grain” or “whole wheat” or a specific whole grain, such as oats or millet, are listed as the first ingredient. This shows that the cereal is primarily or solely made with whole grains. If words such as “contains whole wheat” or “contains whole grains” are the first ingredient listed, the whole grain levels are probably insignificant. And if whole grains are listed as the second ingredient, they may be almost non-existant. The FDA has taken some small steps recently that may help clarify the amount of whole grains in some products. The proposed new rule will still allow food items to make whole grain claims. But, it would require food products labeled as an “excellent source” or “good source” of whole grains to specify the actual amount of whole grains in the product, such as “10 grams of whole grains”.

Obviously food manufacturers see the value of incorporating whole grains into products and use heavy advertising to alert consumers of their presence in foods. But, is this a good thing? Certainly it must lead many parents to assume their children’s cereal is now healthier. However, is it a benefit to put whole grains into food so high in sugar? And the cereals that many children (and adults) prefer are usually high in sugar. Increasingly, manufacturers are blurring the line between junk food and healthy food, by adding ingredients like whole grains to questionable products. The top ten best selling brands of cereals, all touted as containing whole grains, in the United States are:

1. General Mills Cheerios
2. Kellogg’s Frosted Flakes
3. General Mills Honey Nut Cheerios
4. Kellogg’s Frosted Mini Wheats
5. Kellogg’s Raisin Bran
6. General Mills Lucky Charms
7. Kellogg’s Corn Flakes
8. General Mills Cinnamon Toast Crunch
9. Kellogg’s Rice Krispies
10. Post Honey Bunches of Oats

With the exception of Cheerios, Rice Krispies, and Corn Flakes, the top ten brands average between 7-15 grams of sugar in a serving. Do the whole grains make a difference and rehabilitate high sugar cereals? Although these cereals boast of containing whole grains, most are low in fiber. Nutritionists recommend a minimum of 5 grams of fiber a serving as ideal, with 3 grams as acceptable. Scanning the nutrition labels of cereals on the grocery shelves shows that the cereals most popular with children are loaded with sugar, some as high as 17 grams a serving. But the fiber content from whole grains is generally less than 3 grams per serving.

However, some people think that since children and adults will eat high sugar cereal anyway, adding whole grains makes them a little better. According to Bonnie Liebman, director of nutrition for the consumer advocacy group Center for Science in the Public Interest “The good thing about a change like this one is people who do not pay the slightest attention to sugar or fiber or whole grains will end up with some benefit because the junky cereal they were buying is a little less junky.” She, and others who want to see people eating a healthier diet, reluctantly see fortifying foods as one solution to improving the quality of the foods we eat.

But where will this lead us? “Healthy” ingredients are being added to candy, soft drinks and snacks, as well as cereal. In the past companies obeyed the FDA’s unofficial “Jelly Bean Rule” which frowned on health claims made on low nutrient foods and drinks. However, it now appears that adding nutrients to a product which most people see as junky is OK, if you don’t blatantly say it’s healthy. There’s no question why a manufacturer would put vitamins and minerals in candy, soft drinks or snack mixes. It makes the product look more attractive to parents. A parent who sees the words “Whole Grains” is likely to assume the product is healthier for their children, despite high levels of sugar. And to a small degree they may be better. But, what will be the end result of allowing high sugar, high fat food items to assume a cloak of health by advertising that they’ve been fortified with good nutrients? Will Snickers and other candy bars be viewed as healthier food choices, if fortified with vitamins and minerals? Faced with declining sales, cereal companies are pushing cereal bars, which seem more like fortified Rice Krispy Treats. Absurd as it might seem, will a fortified Milky Way be viewed someday as an acceptable breakfast bar?