Kellogg's Owns Up to Un-Fit Fiber

Did you know there has been a 1344% increase in whole grain products since 2000? Common claims surrounding grains, such as “made with whole grain”, “good source of whole grain,” and “whole grain guaranteed” resonate strongly with nearly all adults (87%), indicating an increase in purchase interest in response to whole-grain content claims [1]. Interestingly, however, Americans are STILL not meeting the recommended 20 to 35 grams of fiber a day.

Kellogg’s called out cereal companies including General Mills, Quaker, Malt-O-Meal, Post…and themselves in a recent publication they published entitled, “Whole Grain Half Truths.” A recent survey conducted by Kellogg’s revealed that consumers purchase ‘whole-grain’ products in an effort to intake more fiber and increase the healthfulness of the foods they eat. The majority (73%) of consumers felt that purchasing products made with whole-grains translated into purchasing those products providing good sources of fiber [1].

Sadly, consumers are being lead astray with such beliefs. To aid consumers in choosing higher fiber breakfast cereals, Kellogg’s audited a sample of breakfast cereals used between January 2005 and August 2008. The data was drawn from a syndicated database including the major brands aforementioned. What Kellogg’s revealed was unfavorable for most commonly recognized cereal brands, especially General Mills.

0 grams of fiber

General Mills Rice Chex

1 gram of fiber

General Mills Chocolate Chex

General Mills Cinnamon Toast Crunch

General Mills Cocoa Puffs

General Mills Cookie Crisps

General Mills Corn Chex

General Mills Golden Grahams

General Mills Lucky Charms

General Mills Reese’s Puffs

Kellogg’s Fruit Harvest Strawberry-Blueberry

Kellogg’s Mini-Swirlz Cinnamon

Malt-O-Meal Honey & Oat Blenders Cereal

Malt-O-Meal Mashmallow Mateys

2 grams of fiber

General Mills Frosted Cheerios

General Mills Honey Nut Cheerios

General Mills Oat Clusters Cheerios

General Mills Oat Clusters Cheerios Crunch

General Mills Yogurt Burst Cheerios

Malt-O-Meal Cinnamon Toasters

Malt-O-Meal Honey Nut Scooters

Post Honey Bunches of Oats

Post Honey-Comb

Quaker Life

Quaker Maple & Brown Sugar Cereal

GOOD sources of fiber (3-4 grams)

General Mills Aspire

General Mills Cheerios

General Mills Kix

General Mills Nature Valley Organic

General Mills Total

General Mills Total Honey Clusters

General Mills Total Whole Grain

Kellogg’s Frosted Flakes Gold

Kellogg’s Low Fat Granola with Raisins

Kellogg’s Low Fat Granola without Raisins

Kellogg’s Mueslix

Kellogg’s Raisin Bran Crunch

Kellogg’s Smart Antioxidant

Kellogg’s Wild Animal Crunch

Quaker Natural Granola

Quaker Oatmeal Squares

EXCELLENT sources of fiber (5-11 grams)

General Mills Curves

General Mills Fiber One (Caramel Delight)

General Mills Fiber One Raisin Bran Clusters

General Mills Total Raisin Bran

Kellogg’s All-Bran Yogurt Bites

Kellogg’s Cracklin’ Oat Bran

Kellogg’s Mini-Wheats Frosted Bite Size

Kellogg’s Mini-Wheats Frosted Bite Size Blueberry Muffin

Kellogg’s Mini-Wheats Frosted Bite Size Strawberry Delight

Kellogg’s Mini-Wheats Frosted Bite Size Vanilla Creme

Kellogg’s Mini-Wheats Frosted Maple & Brown Sugar

Kellogg’s Mini-Wheats Frosted Original (Big Bite)

Kellogg’s Mini-Wheats Frosted Bite Size Cinnamon Streusel

Kellogg’s Mini-Wheats Un-Frosted Bite Site

Kellogg’s Raisin Bran

Kraft Vanilla Almond Crunch Cereal

Malt-O-Meal Frosted Mini Wheats

Malt-O-Meal Lightly Sweetened Whole Grain Cereal

Post Grape-Nuts

Post Healthy Classics Grape-Nuts

Post Honey Maid

Post Raisin Bran

Post Shredded Wheat Cereal

Quaker Oatmeal Squares

What Kellogg’s found:

-         At the time of the audit, 72 nationally distributed ready-to-eat cereal products included clearly visible whole-grain claims on their packaging

-         Of the cereals containing whole-grain health claims, fiber content ranged from 0 to 11 grams per serving

-         Of those cereals touting whole-grain ingredients, 32 (roughly half) were found to provide less than a “good” source of fiber (3 grams per serving)

-         Approximately 60% of breakfast cereals provided less than 1 gram of fiber

For more information from Kellogg’s, go here.

Also……………..

I heard back from “The Biggest Loser Resort at Fitness Ridge”. Here was their email in response:

Hi Nicole!

Thank you for your interest in the Biggest Loser Resort at Fitness Ridge!  Its great to hear from OK!  (I have family in Broken Arrow/Coweta/Tulsa)  We do have a RD, her name is Emily Fonnesbeck and she is registered with the ADA and is certified for Adult Weight Management through the commission of Dietetic Registration.  She has been with us for many years and teaches several lectures throughout the week so guests can learn about portion management, how to understand calories, and proper eating habits.  Her Bio can be found on our web page under the tab About Us, and Wellness Team. 

You can visit our website at www.biggestloserresort.com and under the "Our Program" tab, you can download our brochure for more information about us! Please call or email me and let me know how I can further assist you!


Best,
Matthew Arrington
The Biggest Loser Resort at Fitness Ridge
Toll Free 888-870-2639
Local 435-673-6600
www.biggestloserresort.com
 

And last, but not least, my diabetic meal pattern for yesterday:

Breakfast:

2 whole wheat waffles (2)

2 Tbsp peanut butter (0)

Banana (2)

     Total: 4 carbs

Lunch:

1 small serving leftover squash/goat cheese fettuccine (3 carbs)

1 cup Waldorf salad (1 carb)

     Total: 4 carbs

Snack:

4 wafer cookies (1 carb)

Dinner:

Tomato basil tortilla (2 carbs)

4 ounces boneless, skinless chicken breast (0 carbs)

Lettuce, tomato, and light ranch dressing (0 carbs)

20 oven baked fries (2 carbs)

     Total: 4 carbs

Snack:

5 Triscuits (1 carb)

1 ounce 2% cheese (0 carbs)

Exercise:

90-minute hockey game