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Nutri-Grain | Chewsday Review

Will Nutri-Grain help your kids to ‘grow up strong’ and be ‘unstoppable’? Read on to find out if there’s any muscle behind this cereal’s big claims.

Ingredients

Cereals (51%)(wheat flour, oatmeal [contains oats], maize flour), sugar, wheat protein, maltodextrin, molasses, oat fibre, vegetable gum (acacia gum), salt, barley malt extract, minerals (calcium carbonate, iron, zinc oxide), raising agent (potassium bicarbonate), natural flavours, natural colours (paprika, turmeric), vitamins (niacin, vitamin B6, riboflavin, folate).
A cereal made from cereals – well I never! Half of Nutri-Grain is made of wheat, oats and maize. So what makes up the other half?
Sugar is the second ingredient, closely followed by maltodextrin (a starch used to thicken products and extend shelf life) and molasses (an added sugar).
Allergens: wheat (gluten)
May contain: peanuts, tree nuts

Positives

Nutri-Grain has added iron, which can be helpful for fussy eaters who may not be eating many iron-rich foods like meat or legumes. The iron content (3.0mg per serving) is on par with 2 Weet-Bix.
Cereals with added calcium can be useful for kids with a cow’s milk allergy. Note that the amount of calcium in Nutri-Grain is lower than other fortified cereals, with one serving providing only 12% of a school-aged child’s daily calcium needs.
Saturated fat is within recommendations. I’m clutching at straws here, because I would expect this of a cereal.

Negatives

Sugar is above recommendations at 24.0g per 100g. This means almost one quarter of Nutri-Grain is sugar, all of which comes from added sugars.
Nutri-Grain does have added oat fibre, but only provides 2.1g of fibre per serving. This is about a third of the fibre of Low Sugar Vanilla Cheerios or half the fibre of Weet-Bix or rolled oats.
Although salt (sodium) just comes in under recommendations, 350mg per 100g is more than some crackers and savoury snacks, and a lot for a sweet product. It’s likely added for palatability and to extend shelf life.

Marketing

“Ironman Food”. Nutri-Grain’s long standing sponsorship of the IronMan and IronWoman Series is often a drawcard for active kids and their parents. Eating Nutri-Grain won’t turn you into an elite athlete, and I’d be curious to know how many IronMen and IronWomen are regularly eating Nutri-Grain.
“One of the highest protein cereals: helps you feel fuller and contributes to the growth of muscle mass”. Partly true. Nutri-Grain does have more protein than a lot of cereals on the market, but most kids (and adults) already eat more protein than they need, so this is not a huge benefit. Protein has been shown to increase satiety, but unfortunately it’s not as simple as eating more protein and waking up with a six pack!
“B vitamins & iron: help reduce tiredness and fatigue”. Misleading. Fatigue is a symptom of iron and B12 deficiency. Unless your levels are low, it’s unlikely that increasing intake of these nutrients will have you bouncing off the walls. And if you are deficient, you need a supplement, not a breakfast cereal! Note the cover all bases ‘as part of a healthy varied diet’ fine print for both of these claims.
“Source of fibre”. It does contain some fibre, not a lot, but true.
“Multigrain; cereal made with wheat, oats and corn”. More than one grain? Tick. Ideally I’m looking for wholegrain cereals, but Nutri-Grain contains a more refined version of these grains (flour or meal).
“Fuel for active bodies”. Technically true. The carbohydrates in Nutri-Grain can be used as an energy source but this is also true of any carbohydrate foods, like bread, rice, pasta, fruit or starchy vegetables.
Phew! It’s hard to believe there’s any room left on the box with this much marketing!

Alternatives

I wouldn’t recommend Nutri-Grain as a regular breakfast cereal option, mostly because it has a higher added sugar and lower fibre content than other cereals. My preference is still to offer plain oats or Weet-Bix and add your own toppings or breakfast sprinkles.
You could include Nutri-Grain as part of a snack for its iron content, but Low Sugar Vanilla Cheerios also contain iron and are a lower sugar, higher fibre and higher calcium alternative. Weet-Bix Bites are another option which are slightly lower in sugar and higher in fibre than Nutri-Grain.
Freedom Foods makes a gluten, wheat and nut-free version of Nutri-Grain, but unless your child has food allergies, this doesn’t mean it is a ‘better’ option. Read the full review here.