Kellogg’s Nutri-Grain bars have launched a new flavor of their popular snack bars, called “Superfruit Fusion Cherry Pomegrante”. With a name like this in addition to images of cherries and pomegranate and an attention-grabbing claim of “Antioxidants & hearty whole grain texture” splattered over the front of the box, you might think that this bar is a healthy choice. Sneaky Kellogg’s strikes again.
If you look closely, you can read that in fine print, the bars are only Superfruit Fusion flavored bars. And, the cherry and pomegranate comes from only natural & artificial flavoring. As you continue on reading the nutrition label, you will find that the boasted antioxidant content comes just from the vitamin C and E that Kellogg’s added to the bars. Other not so healthy additions include high fructose corn syrup, which is in larger quantity in the bars than cherry puree concentrate.
This sneak attack is not uncommon, especially among cereal bars. Many so-called cereal bars contain much more sugar (hidden in the ingredients as evaporated cane juice, molasses, or tapioca syrup) than fruit. So, what can you do when facing the cereal bar aisle at the grocery store? Read closely and rely less on the flashy photos and claims that adorn most food products these days.