Calculating Nutrient Density for Regular Cheerios and Cheerios High Protein

Task

1.I have calculated the nutrient density for protein in the regular Cheerios below. Using that process, calculate the nutrient density for Cheerios High Protein.  Be sure to use the numbers from the Cheerios Protein label when doing your calculation. You can also refer to the “Nutrient Density Exercise with Key” under “Self-Assessment Tools” for Module One to remind you of how you calculate this. Show your math and your units.  

Cheerios (regular):   3 grams of protein divided by 100 kcalories = 0.03 grams of protein per individual kcalorie

Cheerios Protein:_________________________________________________________

2.Which of these two products is more nutrient dense for protein?

3.Now, let’s see what the nutrient density looks like for an amount of kcalories that we might typically consume. (We rarely just consume one kcalorie of a food.)   Let’s assume that a person on average consumes about 150 kcalories of cereal as a typical portion. How many grams of protein will we get for 150 kcalories of each product?   I have done this calculation for regular Cheerios and you must do it for Cheerios High Protein. To calculate this, you will simply take the amount of protein per kcalorie and multiply by 150 kcalories.  Show your math and your units.

Cheerios (regular):  0.03 grams per kcalorie * 150 kcalories = 4.5 grams of protein in 150 kcals.

Cheerios Protein: _________________________________________________________: 

4.Given your answer to #3, is Cheerios Protein significantly higher in protein than regular Cheerios? Defend your answer.

5.Below is a list of ingredients in Cheerios regular and Cheerios Protein excluding the vitamins and minerals added for increased nutrition. What is added to Cheerios Protein to increase the protein content of the product?  

Cheerios (regular): Whole grain oats, corn starch, sugar, salt, Vitamin E added to preserve freshness 

Cheerios Protein Cinnamon Almond:  Whole Grain Corn, Cluster (Whole Grain Oats, Sugar, Soy Protein Isolate, Almonds, Soy Flour, Corn Syrup, Canola Oil, Wheat Flour, Graham Wheat Flour, Tapioca Starch, Molasses, Salt, Soy Lecithin, Honey, Baking Soda, Natural Flavor, Vitamin E (Mixed Tocopherols) and Oil of Rosemary Added to Preserve Freshness), Sugar, Whole Grain Oats, Canola and/or Rice Bran Oil, Refiner's Syrup, Cinnamon, Salt, Color Added, Corn Bran, Trisodium Phosphate, L-Lysine, Natural Flavor,  

Answer:__________________________________________________________________

6.Let’s take a look at the sugar content of each of these products as well. Calculate the nutrient density of sugar just as you did above with protein. In this case, we would prefer the product that is less nutrient dense since we want to limit sugar.   Show your math and your units.

Cheerios (regular):

Cheerios Protein: 

7.Which product is more nutrient dense for sugar?

8.Now, let’s see what the nutrient density looks like for sugar for an amount of kcalories that we might typically consume.  Let’s again assume that a person on average consumes about 150 kcalories of cereal as a typical portion. How much sugar do you get from a 150 kcalorie serving of Cheerios Protein and of regular Cheerios?  Show your math and your units.

Cheerios (regular):

Cheerios Protein: 

9.Given your answer to #8, is one form of Cheerios significantly more nutrient dense than another version of Cheerios when it comes to sugar?  Defend your answer.

10.Given what you have uncovered about the nutrient density for protein and sugar, which product would you recommend and why?

11.Did the information you calculated surprise you?  What do you think about the marketing of Cheerios Protein given your calculations?

12.How could you increase the protein of your morning breakfast without adding extra sugar?