Trading Up Downtown

One of my biggest joys in life are cookies. For real. Ok, there are tons of things in my life that also bring me joy, but when it comes to desserts, it’s all about the cookies. My family even refers to me as the “Cookie Monster” because I love them so much.

When it comes to cookies and nutrition, I’m sure you’re not surprised to hear that they don’t score too high on the NuVal scale. But, that’s okay because if there was a high-scoring cookie out there, it probably wouldn’t taste very good. The ingredients that make a cookie taste so delicious (sugar, fat, chocolate, etc.) are the things that bring down the NuVal score. The category range for cookies on the NuVal scale is 1-32, so any cookie toward the top of that range is likely the best you’ll find for nutritious cookies.

With that said, here’s a sampling of some popular cookies on the market with their NuVal scores:

• Kashi TLC Tasty Little Chewy Oatmeal Cookies: 32
• Nabisco Mini Teddy Grahams Graham Honey Snack Cookies: 24
• Back to Nature Cinnamon Graham Sticks Cookies: 15
• Famous Amos Chocolate Chip Cookies: 10
• Nabisco Nilla Wafers: 6
• Nabisco Chips Ahoy chewy Real Chocolate Chip Cookies: 2
• Salerno The Original Butter Flavored Cookies: 2

Did any of these cookie scores surprise you? Does a nutritious cookie really exist?

The front of your box of cereal might show blueberries or strawberries, but that doesn’t mean there are any inside. Those “berries” are usually globs of flour, sugar, and other weird additives, and they’re not very nutritious. Boo.

Check out these some of these “fruit” cereal scores:

• TOTAL WHOLE GRAIN FLAKES WITH BLUEBERRY AND POMEGRANATE FRUIT FLAVORED CLUSTERS: 33
• UDI’S BANABERRY FRUIT MIX STRAWBERRIES AND BANANAS KIDS GRANOLA: 33
• KASHI BERRY BLOSSOMS CRISPY BERRY-KISSED SEVEN WHOLE GRAIN CEREAL SQUARES MADE WITH REAL FRUIT: 27
• DORSET SUPER CRANBERRY CHERRY & ALMOND CEREAL: 26
• KELLOGG’S FRUIT HARVEST WITH REAL STRAWBERRIES AND BLUEBERRIES: 24
• SPECIAL K RED BERRIES CRUNCHY RICE AND WHEAT FLAKES WITH STRAWBERRIES: 24

 
As you can see, many of the “fruit” cereals on the market don’t score very high on the NuVal scale. With the help of the NuVal scores, you can really see which cereals are nutritious and not-so-nutritious.

Instead of these fruity cereals, stick to simple cereals like Kashi 7 Whole Grain Cereal Puffs (Nuval score: 90) or Post Healthy Classics Shredded Wheat (NuVal score: 91) and add your own fruit. You’ll get all of the fruits nutrients, plus extra satiety from its fiber and water.

Over the weekend, I spent the night at my in law’s house. In the morning, everyone did their own thing for breakfast (since we all had different plans for the day), so I whipped up a big bowl of oatmeal with a few key ingredients to amp-up its nutritional profile, including fat free milk, an egg, and cereal. I added some cinnamon and vanilla extract for some added flavor.

In the mix:

• Quaker Old Fashioned Oats (NuVal score: 57)
• Kashi Go Lean Crunch (NuVal score: 36)
• Hood Fat Free Milk (NuVal score: 100)
• Eggs (NuVal score: 33)
• Cinnamon
• Vanilla extract

I added everything to a pot (yep, even the egg!) and cooked it on the stovetop until the oatmeal started to thicken.

Breakfast is served! I ate my delicious, nutritious, and satisfying oatmeal with a cup of coffee with steamed milk. (I swear, you couldn’t taste the egg mixed in!)

What trade-ups have you made with your breakfasts lately?

Trading Up Downtown Giveaway

Thanks to everyone who entered this week’s giveaway! Here’s your winner: 46!

46. Lela

I love grinding up oats and using them in place of part of the flour. Gives a great texture!

Congrats, Lena! Please email me at thaupert@nuval.com with your full name and mailing address to claim your prize!