For the past few days, whenever I open a Youtube video, the default ad that's being shown is the Nestle Koko Krunch breakfast cereal. Given the success of Kelloggs Chocos and Soulfull ragi bites in the urban markets of India, many brands are vying for a slice of the growing pie.
When a brand claims that it is tasty, delicious, kid-favorite, yummy etc, I have no qualms whatsoever. But the moment a processed "breakfast cereal" brand talks about health and nutrition, we need to be a little more vigilant.
Let's first look at the messages being conveyed in these short 20-sec ads:
- Is your child eager to grow? Highlights that the product contains Calcium + Vitamin D
- Why are whole grains good for your kids? Highlights that tproduct contains Wheat, rice, jowar and oats, which help fill your child's tummy
- Is your child low on energy in the morning? Highlights that the product has Vitamins B2, B3 and B6 that help release energy from food
The ad also indicates the presence of the following:
4 grains
Vitamin D and B
Fibre
Iron and Calcium
As always, let's not blindly trust these claims. Let's understand the nutrition labels.
- Whole wheat atta and rice flour contributes to 36% whereas jowar flour and oat flour contributes to only 11.4%
- For a 30gm serving size, the Total Sugars value is mentioned as 7.2 gm (close to 2 tsp of sugar)
- For a brand that highlights "whole grain" so much in their promotions, there is hardly any fibre present - 1.2 gm in a 30 gm serving size
- Presence of maltodextrin (mentioned twice) is a concern. It is a cheap carrier ingredient with an extremely high glycemic index.
Regarding synthetic vitamins and minerals, I'd rather prefer to consume real, natural food sources and let my digestive system extract the required vitamins and minerals.
As parents, let's take the time to research about packaged foods we buy for our kids. Let's give atleast the same priority (if not more) towards their foods intake as much as we give towards their education and extracurricular activities.
P.S.
The brand promises on retaining the crunch after adding milk and doesn't tend to get soggy (In fine print, it says crunchiness lasts approx 4 minutes after warm milk is poured on the product). Seriously, is this the product differentiator? Did their market study suggest that parents expect crunchy breakfast cereal for their kids rather than soggy ones?
Our kids don't need packaged, processed, sugar-laden breakfast cereals - crunchy or soggy .