Wolf in Sheep's Clothing: Nutrigrain Yogurt Bars

The first day of May kicks off a brand new section of the Small Bites blog where the truth is revealed about products marketers want us to associate with optimal nutrition.

Nutrigrain Yogurt Bars don't need too much advertising. After all, many people immediately see the words "nutrigrain" and "yogurt" and associate it with "minimally processed" and "healthy."

Think again.

One bar packs 140 calories, 3 1/2 teaspoons of sugar, and a measly 1 gram of fiber and 1 gram of protein.

If you can squint your eyes just right to read the ridiculously small font on the ingredients list, you would find that the main ingredient in the bars is the high fructose corn syrup in the filling (read issue 2 of Small Bites for more information on HFCS), which also has added sugar in the form of fructose.

The bar itself has a few oats, but is mainly refined wheat flour (stripped of its fiber and antioxidants) with added sugar AND high fructose corn syrup.

Oh, yes, as for the yogurt... well, it's really yogurt powder which is entirely lacking the live cultures that make yogurt such an immunity-boosting, gastrointestinal wonder.

Those 140 calories would be better spent as part of a breakfast higher in fiber and protein but lower in sugar.

A more natural version of this snack -- a standard 6 oz. container of non-fat plain yogurt mixed with one cup of fresh strawberries -- comes out to 133 calories, 3.5 grams of fiber, 9 grams of protein, and no added sugars. You could even add an entire teaspoon of sugar and still have 2 1/2 less than you would in a NutriGrain yogurt bar.

Prepare a scrambled egg with a litle spinach and a slice of whole grain toast to accompany that concoction and you have an all-star breakfast that will keep you going all morning long, free of hype and buzz.