I love Peanut Butter Puffins… like, a lot. When it comes to taste, they’re probably my favorite kind of cereal. So, when I discovered how low they score on the NuVal scale (24), I was a bit bummed. How could my beloved Peanut Butter Puffins score so low? I thought they were good for me!?!
I decided to ask Rachel Rodek, NuVal’s Nutrition Communications Manager and Registered Dietitian, what’s the deal with the low score for Peanut Butter Puffins.
Here’s what she said:
“Although you’d think that because a cereal is ‘all natural’ or ‘organic’ it would score high, but it turns out this isn’t the case. It all comes down to what’s in it – and sometimes, what’s not in it. Let’s measure Barbara’s Puffins against another all-natural yet higher scoring cereal for an even comparison. Bear Naked All Natural Peanut Butter Granola scores a 45 – now, why is this higher than Barbara’s? First, it has much less sodium (15mg) whereas Barbara’s has 230mg, bringing the score down like a lead weight. Second, Bear Naked has more omega-3 fatty acids from canola oil, while Barbara’s primary fat source is peanut butter – no omega-3s to be found. So while Barbara’s doesn’t really have any ‘bad’ ingredients in it, it simply doesn’t have many of the ‘good’ ingredients.”
While my Peanut Butter Puffins aren’t necessarily a “bad” cereal option, they’re definitely not the most nutritious one out there. I still enjoy Peanut Butter Puffins, but I recently traded-up with Uncle Sam’s Original High Fiber & Flaxseed Cereal (NuVal score: 59) and Kashi 7 Whole Grain Cereal Puffs (Nuval score: 90). As you can see, they’re much more nutritious!
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