Are you eating granola bars, or giving them to your kids, thinking that they're a healthy snack, because they contain whole grains?
Think again!
Some contain more sugar than a candy bar.
Let's take Quaker Chewy Granola Bars, Apple Fruit Crumble, as an example.
Check out what is on their website...
"If you love apples like we do, then you know that it's hard to eat them on the go."
Seriously??? Last time I checked, an apple was the easiest snack to take anywhere!
"Lucky for you, the Quaker brand offers Apple Fruit Crumble Granola Bars. All the delicious taste of apples in convenient bar form that can be enjoyed anywhere your day takes you."
Hint, you'll get a taste of apples, but how much apple is actually in a bar? Not much!
Here is the list of ingredients:
GRANOLA (QUAKER ROLLED OATS, ROLLED WHOLE WHEAT, BROWN SUGAR, BARLEY FLAKES, SUNFLOWER OIL, INULIN, HONEY, NATURAL FLAVOUR, MODIFIED MILK INGREDIENTS), GLUCOSE, DEXTROSE, SUGAR, GLYCERIN, WHOLE GRAIN BROWN RICE CRISPS (WHOLE GRAIN BROWN RICE FLOUR, SUGAR, BARLEY MALT, SALT, MIXED TOCOPHEROLS), APPLE PURÉE (WATER, SUGAR, DRIED APPLES [CALCIUM STEARATE], APPLE JUICE CONCENTRATE, MALIC ACID, SODIUM BENZOATE), SHORTENING (CANOLA OIL, MODIFIED PALM AND PALM KERNEL OILS),
BROWN SUGAR, SORBITOL, DEHYDRATED APPLE NUGGETS (SULPHITES, CALCIUM STEARATE), INULIN, SALT, WATER, CINNAMON, NATURAL FLAVOUR, PECTIN, MALIC ACID, SOY LECITHIN, BHT (PRESERVATIVE)
Sugar:
Sugar is the third main ingredient and it is mentioned 5 times in the list of ingredients. There is also honey, glucose, dextrose, barley malt, apple juice concentrate and sorbitol, 6 more different types of sweeteners, for a total of 11!
Oils:
Sunflower oil is refined oil. Packaged foods never use expensive good quality helathy oils or fats. There is also shortening (canola oil, modified palm oil and palm kernel oil)
When trans fats were banned the food industry replaced them with palm oil and palm kernel oil, which are just as bad. They are a solid substance, not liquid, so they clog the arteries as much as trans fats do. You'll find them in most packaged foods.
I go into more detail about refined oils on my website http://www.health-and-natural-healing.com/good-fats.html
Fiber?
Inulin is mentioned twice in the list. This synthetic fiber increases the amount of fiber on the label, but doesn't have any of the benefits of eating fiber rich foods, lowering cholesterol, reducing heart disease and keeping the bowels moving.
Find the Apple!
We are saving ourselves from the arduous task of carrying around an apple, so how much apple is really in here?
The apple purée's main ingredient is water, then sugar and finally dried apples! Apple juice concentrate is also listed with the chemical preservative sodium benzoate and way down on the list we find dehydrated apples which have been treated with sulfites.
BHT or butylated hydroxytoluene is added as preservative, if you can't pronounce it don't eat it!
