PEERtrainer Food Blog

Is General Mills' Marketing and Advertising of Fruity Cheerios Immoral?

2006-09-17T15:23:00Z

There is a heated discussion and debate in the PEERtrainer community about the introduction of Fruity Cherrios. People are pointing out how the introduction of Fruity Cheerios is intentionally deceptive. Parents who would never buy anything like Fruit Loops, buy Fruity Cheerios thinking they are healthy, not realizing that Fruity Cheerios only have 25% less sugar than Fruit Loops.

The comments are interesting, and show that people view General Mills being intentionally deceptive. Of course that is what good marketing is supposed to do. But the effect of this good marketing is to trick you into giving your kids more sugar. When I was a kid there were cereals like Corn Flakes and Cheerios on the one hand, and Captain Crunch and Count Chocula on the other. The distinction was clear. Today it is not.

"Fruity Cheerios is the kind of product tailor made to undermine my ability to keep my kids sugar intake to a safe level" complained the first poster.

"I'm a mom and I understand the frustration of the original poster. Cheerios are a staple everywhere. Children understand that ice cream is a special treat; Cheerios are regarded as something you can eat every day, and the makers of Cheerios know that. Try telling your child that "cheerios" are now a treat. It's not easy and they knew it. "

Another argues that what they are doing is "immoral"

"It's about General Mills using an established brand name, which people have come to trust, to sell a completely different and harmful product! I'm sure the other parents -- and thousands of other parents - are not intending to serve junk food to their kids. It says "Cheerios" so it must be good, right?

Unfortunately, General Mills does not hold its own brand in such high esteem. It sees the popular "Cheerios" brand as a cash cow. They could compete with Froot Loops and call the product something else, after all. Considering the growing problem of childhood obesity (see link to article) what the company is doing is immoral, although not illegal.

Maybe in an ideal world we would not be feeding our children processed foods at all. If we make it, we know what goes into it. Okay, maybe some of us have the time to make homemade granola -- but not all of us do. "

Another makes the same argument, using a recent trip to the supermarket as an example:

"Okay, so as a crunchy-granola type, I haven't paid much attention to Cheerios recently. But yesterday I was in the store and it was impossible to miss the big display of NEW! FRUITY CHEERIOS! with the slogan, "MOMS (and kids) LOVE THEM!" Looking over the display touting nutrition vs the actual nutritional information, I think this is exactly as deceptive as Starbuck's "Oat Nut Grain Muffin" discussed earlier in the week: it's being made to sound healthy, but it's a sugar bomb.

Now, does everyone have the time to read every nutrition label in the supermarket? Of course not -- especially not a Mom w/ a couple of restless kids in tow. I imagine she's in there and sees this huge display about how healthy these are and how they are more palatable to kids and just scoops them up. That's how the marketing is supposed to work, anyway.

And yes, I do think false advertising is immoral, and that advertising TO young children is immoral, particularly if it is advertising for something unhealthy."

It is an interesting question. It is a buyer beware world, and there are huge benefits to as much freedom as possible. But I'm curious to see if the actions of General Mills and others will force people to begin to regulate their advertsing- much the way cigarette and alcohol advertising is regulated.

Starbucks Oat Nut Grain Muffin-- A Healthy Choice?

2006-09-12T15:38:00Z

Let me preface this post by saying how much I love Starbucks. It is an institution that serves us well. If you need a clean bathroom, a refuge from a rainstorm with your toddler in a stroller, a place to grab a cup of coffee before a big meeting at the office building across the street, you can absolutely rely on the place.

Starbucks CEO Howard Schultz has recently been bemoaning the high costs of healthcare. One area that he might want to check out is inside a Starbucks store. Starbucks have huge amounts of hidden calories. I say over and over that people need to be responsible for their food choices. But it is hard sometimes if a product is labeled in a misleading way.

For example, if you walk into a Starbucks and try to find a healthy snack, you might choose an Oat Nut Grain Muffin. Oat Nuts, Grains, sounds like it is very good for you. If you look at the nutrition information though, you'll find this muffin has about 500 calories and 23 grams of fat. That equals roughly 12 Weight Watchers Points. If you are following their system, or have followed it, this muffin equals 1/2 of your daily calories for the day. And you'd probably have no idea- consuming the fat and calories thinking you were eating something healthy.

As I said, I think Starbucks is great, but you need to do some homework to avoid the diet landmines that abound!

As an FYI, Here is a list of Calories in Starbucks Food and Drinks:

Starbucks Doubleshot Light

Starbucks Doubleshot

Starbucks Banana Walnut Muffin

Starbucks 11 oz can Iced Coffee Light

Starbucks Banana Nut Loaf

Starbucks Blueberry Scone

Starbucks Bottled Frappuccino Beverages-Strawberries & Creme

Starbucks Carrot Walnut Muffin

Starbucks Cheddar Corn Muffin

Starbucks Chocolate Cream Cheese Muffin

Starbucks Cinnamon Chip Scone

Starbucks Frappuccino Caffe Vanilla (1 bar)

Starbucks Frappuccino Java Fudge(1 bar)

Starbucks Frappuccino Mocha (1 bar)

Starbucks Lowfat Blueberry Muffin

Starbucks 11 oz can Iced Coffee

Starbucks Grande Iced Lemon Slice

Starbucks Iced Lemon Pound Cake

Starbucks Lemon Poppyseed Muffin

Starbucks Lowfat Blueberry Corn Muffin

Starbucks Marble Loaf Cake

Starbucks Marble Pound Cake

Starbucks Nonfat Vanilla Latte

Starbucks Rasberry Scone

Starbucks Reduced Fat Cinnamon Swirl Coffee Cake

Starbucks White Cheddar Brioche Swirl

Starbucks Bottled Frappuccino Beverages-Caramel

Starbucks Bottled Frappuccino Beverages-Coffee

Starbucks Bottled Frappuccino Beverages-Mocha

Starbucks Bottled Frappuccino Beverages-Mocha Lite

Starbucks Bottled Frappuccino Beverages-Vanilla

Starbucks Icecream Coffee Fudge Brownie

Starbucks Icecream Classic Coffee

Starbucks Chocolate Croissant

Starbucks Chocolate Doughnut

Starbucks Cream Cheese Danish

Starbucks Glazed Old Fashioned Doughnut

Starbucks Nonfat Tazo Chai Tea Latte

Starbucks Old Fashiond Crumb Cake

Starbucks Orange Loaf

Starbucks Reduced Fat Banana Coffee Cake

Starbucks Reduced Fat Blueberry Coffee Cake

Starbucks Reduced Fat Oatmeal Banana Bread

Starbucks Snickerdoodle Cookie

Starbucks Venti Nonfat Latte

Starbucks Venti White Chocolate Mocha, Whole Milk

Starbucks Mocha Frappuccino Blended Coffee - whip

Starbucks Bran Muffin

Starbucks Grande Mocha Light Frappuccino, No Whipped Cream

Starbucks Grande Vanilla Frappuccino

Starbucks Icecream Caramel Cappuccino Swirl

Starbucks Icecream Coffee Almond Fudge

Starbucks Icecream Java Chip

Starbucks Icecream Low Fat Latte

Starbucks Icecream Mud Pie

Starbucks - black & white cookie

Starbucks Bavarian Cream Turnover

Starbucks Blueberry Muffin

Starbucks Butter Croissant

Starbucks Cinnamon Sugar Cake Doughnut

Starbucks Cinnamon Twist

Starbucks Cranberry Muffin

Starbucks Crumb Cake

Starbucks Crumble Coffee Cake

Starbucks Glazed Doughnut

Starbucks Mocha Frappuccino Light Blended Coffee - no whip

Starbucks Oat Nut Grain Muffin

Starbucks Tangerine Frappuccino Juice Blend

Starbucks Caramel Apple Cider Whip and No-Whip Fat, Fiber, Carbs and Points

Starbucks Vanilla Creme: Fat, Fiber, Carbs and Points

Starbucks Coffee Frappuccino Blended Coffee

Starbucks - Apple Fritter

Starbucks Coffee Frappuccino Light Blended Coffee - whip

Starbucks - Espresso Brownie

Starbucks - Maple Oat Nut Scone

Starbucks - Mint Brownie

Starbucks Classic Coffee Cake

Starbucks Coffee Frappuccino Light Blended Coffee - no whip

Starbucks Drink Extras- Calories, Fat, Fiber Carbs and Points

Starbucks Espresso Frappuccino Blended Coffee

Starbucks Espresso Frappuccino Light Blended Coffee - no whip

Starbucks Espresso Frappuccino® Light Blended Coffee - whip

Starbucks Frappuccino Points, Fat, Fiber, Carbs

Starbucks Hot Espresso Drinks- Fat, Fiber, Carbs, Points

Starbucks Iced Espresso Drinks- Fat, Fiber, Carbs, Points

Starbucks Light Frappuccino Fat, Fiber, Carbs and Points

Starbucks Mocha Frappuccino Blended Coffee - no whip

Starbucks Mocha Frappuccino Light Blended Coffee - whip

Starbucks Mocha Light Frappucino no whipped cream venti

Starbucks Pomegranate Frappuccino Juice Blend

Starbucks Tea Latte, Chai Latte, Green Tea, Lemonade Tea: Fat, Fiber, Carbs and Points

Ok guys, just how many Calories are there in Domino's Fudgems?

2006-09-03T07:41:00Z

I am very curious. I also want to know the damage the Fudgems dipping sauce does. I think this is a perfect new product offering for Domino's, and a great way for the company to help fight America's growing obesity problem. Ok, doing some digging I see that Fudgems are free with the purchase of any large pizza. Perfect! I'm a free market gal and all that stuff, but I am shaking my head at this one.

Just last week we were reading that "adult obesity rates continued to rise in 31 states over the past year while government policy efforts have consistently failed to provide viable solutions to the growing obesity crisis."

Someone once said that "with great power comes great responsibility." I realize that the executives at Domino's have a fiduciary responsibility to their shareholders. And without a highly successful corporate arena, this country might not have all the extra money to indulge itself. It may be that other companies are able to combat offerings like Fudgems with creative, tasty and healthy delivery alternatives. But the latest obesity statistics indicate this is a long way off. The response to the introduction of Domino's Fudgems will be telling...

What is the Glycemic Index?

2006-09-03T01:12:00Z

Someone posted this in the PEERtrainer community on a thread debating how good bananas were for people looking to lose weight.

The glycemic index is a ranking of carbohydrates based on their immediate effect on blood glucose (blood sugar) levels. It compares foods gram for gram of carbohydrate. Carbohydrates that breakdown quickly during digestion have the highest glycemic indexes. The blood glucose response is fast and high. Carbohydrates that break down slowly, releasing glucose gradually into the blood stream, have low glycemic indexes.
What is the Significance of Glycemic Index?
• Low GI means a smaller rise in blood glucose levels after meals
• Low GI diets can help people lose weight
• Low GI diets can improve the body's sensitivity to insulin
• High GI foods help re-fuel carbohydrate stores after exercise
• Low GI can improve diabetes control
• Low GI foods keep you fuller for longer
• Low GI can prolong physical endurance
What is Glycemic Load?
• Glycemic load builds on the GI to provide a measure of total glycemic response to a food or meal
• Glycemic load = GI (%) x grams of carbohydrate per serving
• One unit of GL ~ glycemic effect of 1 gram glucose
• You can sum the GL of all the foods in a meal, for the whole day or even longer
• A typical diet has ~ 100 GL units per day (range 60 - 180)
• The GI database gives both GI & GL values
How to Switch to a Low GI Diet
• Use breakfast cereals based on oats, barley and bran
• Use "grainy" breads made with whole seeds
• Reduce the amount of potatoes you eat
• Enjoy all types of fruit and vegetables (except potatoes)
• Eat plenty of salad vegetables with vinaigrette dressing

Glycemic Index Range
• Low GI = 55 or less
• Medium GI = 56 - 69
• High GI = 70 or more

Measuring the GI
To determine a food's GI rating, measured portions of the food containing 10 - 50 grams of carbohydrate are fed to 10 healthy people after an overnight fast. Finger-*** blood samples are taken at 15-30 minute intervals over the next two hours. These blood samples are used to construct a blood sugar response curve for the two hour period. The area under the curve (AUC) is calculated to reflect the total rise in blood glucose levels after eating the test food. The GI rating (%) is calculated by dividing the AUC for the test food by the AUC for the reference food (same amount of glucose) and multiplying by 100 (see Figure 1). The use of a standard food is essential for reducing the confounding influence of differences in the physical characteristics of the subjects. The average of the GI ratings from all ten subjects is published as the GI of that food.
The GI of foods has important implications for the food industry. Some foods on the Australian market already show their GI rating on the nutrition information panel.Terms such as complex carbohydrates and sugars, which commonly appear on food labels, are now recognised as having little nutritional or physiological significance. The WHO/FAO recommend that these terms be removed and replaced with the total carbohydrate content of the food and its GI value. However, the GI rating of a food must be tested physiologically and only a few centres around the world currently provide a legitimate testing service.
Glycemic Index Foods
Food category
Breads
White bread 70
Wholemeal bread 69
Pumpernickel 41
Dark rye 76
Sourdough 57
Heavy mixed grain 30-45

Legumes
Lentils 28
Soybeans 18
Baked beans (canned) 48

Breakfast cereals
Cornflakes 84
Rice Bubbles 82
Cheerios 83
Puffed Wheat 80
All Bran 42
Porridge 46

Snack foods
Mars Bar 65
Jelly beans 80
Chocolate bar 49

Fruits
Apple 38
Orange 44
Peach 42
Banana 55
Watermelon 72

Dairy foods
Milk, full fat 27
Milk, skim 32
Ice cream, full fat 61
Yogurt, low fat, fruit 33

Soft and sports drinks
Fanta 68
Gatorade 78