JJ Virgin breaks down a Nutri-Grain bar: whole grain oats listed first, then enriched flour, soybean oil, and four types of sugar totaling 12g in 130 calories. She calls it ultra-processed and recommends aiming for 95% clean foods, allowing 5% wiggle room.
I specifically chose these for ultra-processed because it says Nutri-Grain, so it seems like a great option. However, while the first thing is whole grain oats, next it's enriched flour, enriched flour, wheat flour. Then we've got soybean oil, sugar, dextrose, fructose, 3 different types of sugar, invert sugar, whey, soluble corn flour. And then in the filling, sugar, corn syrup, apple puree concentrate, Sugar, all sugar, sugar, sugar. And that makes sense because there's 12 grams of added sugars and 13 grams of sugar in this that is only 130 calories. So this is what I'd call the ultra-processed food. Now here's the thing, this should be like, ideally you're not eating this. It might sneak into your diet here or there. I don't think we need to get— be 100% on our diet. I think we need to get an A-minus. And if you are sicker, then of course you go for an A or an A+. But if you get an A-, and this sneaks in every once in a while, it's not going to take you out if 95% of the time you're eating whole, minimally processed, and clean processed foods.
