Friday, May 20, 2011

What's for Breakast:: Picking Through a Breakfast Bar

By Ed Bruske
aka The Slow Cook

Here's something I'd never seen before: This fifth grade girl for some reason was picking the insides out of her breakfast bar and making a mound of it on her tray. When I asked her why, she replied: "I just like the crust."

Kids' eating habits never cease to amaze.

Here's what the breakfast bar looks like on the tray before it's been picked over. (Sorry, Blogger won't let me display this photo horizontally.) This particular breakfast bar--called BeneFIT, made by a company called J&J Snack Foods in Pennsauken, N.J.--first appeared in D.C. schools this year.

For some reason, our lunch ladies have taken to removing the breakfast bars from the original packaging before serving it. Is that so parents can't see the nutrition label?
This is what the package looks like.

Here are the listed ingredients:

"Whole wheat flour, sugar, enriched flour (wheat flour, niacin, reduced iron, thiamine mononitrate, riboflavin, folic acid), dried apples, vegetable shortening (canola oil, palm fruit oil), oats, eggs, invert syrup, molasses, leavening (baking soda, sodium acid pyrophosphate, corn starch), whey, natural flavors, inulin, xanthan gum, cinnamon, salt."

And here's the nutritional information. As you can see, each bar contains a whopping 48 grams of carbohydrates and sugar is the second ingredient--nearly 23 grams of it. That's almost six teaspoons worth, or 84 calories from added sugar.

The American Heart Association recommends that an adult woman consume no more than 100 calories worth of added sugar per day.

READI-BAKE BeneFIT Breakfast Bars - Apple Cinnamon
Manufacturer's
Product Code
40403
Nutrition Facts
Serving Size: 71 g
Servings Per Container: N/A
Amt Per Serving 1 bar
Calories 289.35
Calories from Fat 79.03
Per Serving % Daily Value*
Total Fat 8.78g 13.51%
Saturated Fat 2.42g 12.1%
Trans Fat 0.19g
Cholesterol 17.67mg 5.89%
Sodium 251.56mg 10.48%
Total Carbohydrate 48.13g 16.04%
Dietary Fiber 3.31g 13.24%
Sugars 22.59g
Protein 4.75g
Vitamin A 0.76% Vitamin C 0.58%
Calcium 2.55% Iron 9.22%
Storage/ Handling:
Keep Frozen (0° F or below). Shelf life up to one year when stored properly. When thawed at ambient temperature, shelf life is one week.
Preparation Instruction:
Thaw and serve.
Ingredients:
Whole wheat flour, sugar, enriched flour (wheat flour, niacin, reduced iron, thiamine mononitrate, riboflavin, folic acid), dried apples, vegetable shortening (canola oil, palm fruit oil), oats, eggs, invert syrup, molasses, leavening (baking soda, sodium acid pyrophosphate, corn starch), whey, natural flavors, inulin, xanthan gum, cinnamon, salt.
Allergen Information:
Contains: Eggs,Milk,Soy Beans,Wheat
Kosher Type:
OU - DAIRY
Child Nutrition Statement:
The listed serving size contains 31.88g creditable grains of which 16.59g are whole grains. This provides 2 servings of breads/grains under the Child Nutrition Program.
Product Specifications:
UPC SCC/GTIN Case Pack
073321404031 10073321404038 1 48
Case Dimensions
Case Length Case Width Case Height Case Cube Net Weight (Lbs) Gross Weight (Lbs)
12.6875 7.3125 9.125 0.49 7.5 9
Pallet Dimensions
Pallet Tier Pallet High Pallet Count
20 7 140





3 comments:

  1. I think they probably just remove it because elementary aged kids often have trouble opening things. Also maybe because of brand imprinting?

    ReplyDelete
  2. You think that the lunch ladies are just idiots serving kids food with no nutritional benefit? Growing elementary children need sugar and carbs. They burn those off during recess. This bar provides fiber, protein, and iron, not to mention the food energy. As you can see from the picture, there is every nutritional requirement met--a standard that the lunch serves are required and strive to meet: a dairy (milk, cheese), fruit or vegetable, and a serving of protein. It sure beats McDonalds.

    ReplyDelete
  3. You think that the lunch ladies are just idiots serving kids food with no nutritional benefit?
    -YES
    It sure beats McDonalds.
    -The standard in children nutrition...?

    ReplyDelete