KELLOGG’S NUTRI-GRAIN BARS — FAR FROM HOMEMADE™

Information updated January 2024

THEN - KELLOGG'S NUTRI-GRAIN CEREAL

The Nutri-Grain brand originally had true nutritional integrity. Kellogg introduced Nutri-Grain as their ultimate healthy cereal line. They used the equity to combat other large health-based brands from competitive cereal companies like Post's Grape-Nuts, General Mills' Total and Quaker's Life.

Once upon a time, Kellogg's Nutri-Grain cereal had no sugar added:

NOW - KELLOGG'S NUTRI-GRAIN CEREAL + BARS

Today, there is no Nutri-Grain cereal. Kellogg was not able to sustain the brand as a cereal. They have, however, successfully extended the line into Breakfast Bars. Over the years, the brand has been positioned around convenience with a nutritional anchor leveraged from equity created by the cereal. The name, of course, also connotes health and a focus on grains.

NUTRI-GRAIN BARS ARE FAR FROM HOMEMADE: Once closer to the brand's origins, Nutri-Grain Bars today are filled with numerous commercial ingredients Not In Kitchen™ >> ingredients which we would never have in our kitchens if we were making this type of fruit-filled breakfast bar at home.

WHAT’S IN A HOMEMADE BLUEBERRY PASTRY? Although we could never make the true form of an actual Blueberry Nutri-Grain Bar at home, the Kellogg bar is somewhat close to a blueberry pastry in terms of form >> outer pastry coating with an inner fruit filling. So, here’s a look at the ingredients for homemade blueberry pastry >> we do this so, when we look at the Nutri-Grain Bar ingredients, we have some means of comparison; it’s a bit apples + oranges in this case, but it is directionally relevant.

THERE ARE NINE SOURCES OF SUGARS IN KELLOGG’S NUTRI-GRAIN BLUEBERRY BARS.

The original Kellogg vision of a brand positioned around 'No Sugar Added' was abandoned. Today, there are nine sources of sugars in each Kellogg's Nutri-Grain Blueberry Bar >> there is Sugar x2, Invert Sugar x2, Dextrose, Fructose, Corn Syrup, Blueberry Purée concentrate and Apple Juice concentrate. The fruit concentrates contain naturally-occurring sugars, but the other six ingredients are considered Added Sugars. (Source for ingredients: Kellogg’s Nutri-Grain Web site 1/24)

On the Kellogg's Nutri-Grain Web site, the company states, “Perfectly balancing what parents want with what kids will love to eat.”

Let's look at what ingredients exist in Nutri-Grain Bars which the Kellogg Company says “Perfectly balancing what parents want”.

Beyond the first ingredient — Whole Grain Oats — do some of the other ingredients in this Nutri-Grain product look like the ingredients you would ever use at home to make an item for kids which is “perfectly balanced”.

There are so many ingredients in these Nutri-Grain bars it's hard to read, so I've highlighted some of the ingredients in the yellow box below. Click the button here to see Kellogg’s official ingredient list:

KELLOGG'S NUTRI-GRAIN BARS CONTAIN SOYBEAN OIL, CORN SYRUP, FRUCTOSE, DEXTROSE, SOY LECITHIN, MODIFIED FOOD STARCH, CELLULOSE, CARRAGEENAN, GUAR GUM, SODIUM ALGINATE, MONOGLYCERIDES, DIGLYCERIDES, VEGETABLE GLYCERIN, THE FDA-RECOGNIZED PRESERVATIVE CITRIC ACID AND METHYLCELLULOSE: These ingredients, which are Not In Kitchen and are unfamiliar, pull this product Far From Homemade. However, Kellogg tells existing and potential vendors that their Nutri-Grain bars appeal to "health conscious consumers". (Source: Commercial Food Systems Web site 1/24) Yes, Nutri-Grain has a ‘Healthy Halo’ from a consumer perception standpoint and Kellogg knows and leverages that perception. 

BREAKFAST BARS SUGAR CONTENT COMPARISON: Let's compare the sugar content in a Kellogg's Nutri-Grain Blueberry Bar to a Blueberry Almond breakfast bar by MARS-owned KIND. (Source: MARS KIND Web site 1/24).

A 50 gram serving of two KIND Blueberry Almond Bars has less Total Sugar and 5 grams less Added Sugar than a 37 gram serving of one Kellogg’s Blueberry Nutri-Grain Bar.

Kellogg’s Nutri-Grain Web site states, “Nutri-Grain is perfectly balanced.”

The Kellogg Company also makes Pop-Tarts.

Q: FOR THE PRODUCTS WHICH THE KELLOGG COMPANY SELLS TO VENUES LIKE SCHOOLS THROUGH COMMERCIAL VENDORS, 

Is a Kellogg’s Nutri-Grain Blueberry Bar lower in sugar by weight than a Whole Grain Blueberry Pop-Tarts?

A: No.

Since the Kellogg Company makes both Nutri-Grain Bars and Pop-Tarts, let’s compare them as they are sold through commercial vendors in terms of sugar content by weight.  (Source: Kellogg provided data; Commercial Food Systems Web site 1/24)

One Kellogg's Nutri-Grain Blueberry Bar is 32% sugar by weight vs. one Kellogg's Unfrosted Blueberry Whole Grain Pop-Tarts which is 30% sugar by weight. 

Discover food and beverages whose ingredients are Closest To Homemade in 275+ categories. Neither money nor products are ever accepted to appear on the Closest To Homemade list.

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