Chocolate

Food manufacturers are jumping on the chocolate band-wagon - losing their grip on common sense. “Almost 19% of foods and drinks launched in 2006 mention ‘chocolate’ or ‘chocolate flavored’. Examples include chocolate beer, wine and grilling rub.” (Bruce Horovitz, “Healthy cereals get taste of chocolate”, USA Today, Dec. 27, 2006, p.1B) Chocolate has been in cereals marketed to kids (Cocoa Puffs) for awhile. Now Quaker has added Life Chocolate Oat Crunch and Kellogg’s lists Special K Chocolately Delight.

Life Chocolate Oat Crunch: 40 grams of carbohydrates in 1 cup. With 3 grams are fiber, there are really just over 9 teaspoons of sugar in this cereal serving. Sugar (second ingredient), sugar, barley malt, honey, corn syrup solids, semisweet chocolate chips, 4 artificial dyes and preservatives saturate this cereal. The few good ingredients are over run by really unhealthy ingredients. Remember, the lure is that the addition of chocolate makes it “nutritionally friendly”. Not!

Special K Chocolately Delight: 25 grams of carbohydrates in 3/4 cup. Subtract 1 gram of fiber for a total of 24 grams or 8 teaspoons of sugar. Sugar (third ingreditent), sugar, high fructose corn syrup, malt extract plus artificial flavor (twice), partially hydrogenated palm oil and chocolatey chunks overwhelm any good found in this cereal. “Quaker is positioning its Life Chocolate Oat Crunch as a breakfast cereal” (above mentioned USA Today article). Where is the common sense understanding that candy cereal is not a good food to put into an empty stomach first thing in the morning?