If you were worried about not getting enough veggies in your diet, you may want to consider eating more cereal. Kellogg's, the cereal brand that brought us Froot Loops, Frosted Flakes and Cocoa Krispies, has decided to add vegetables to its latest offering.
In a new twist, W.K. Kellogg No Added Sugar Granola will now include dried bits of raspberry, apple and carrot. The cereal is currently only available in the UK, which is where it was developed.
“Creating a granola with a vegetable was a balancing act,” Sarah Bulfield, a cereal inventor for Kellogg’s U.K. and Ireland, says. “All sensory aspects had to be taken into consideration; texture, color and most importantly flavor. The sweetness from the apple and the sharpness of the raspberry is all balanced with the earthiness and subtle sweet notes of the carrot pieces.”
At the Good Food Conference last September, Nigel Hughes, Kellogg’s SVP Global R&D said, “This is a paradigm shift…Plant-based protein will play a much, much larger role than it plays today.”
Aside from including vegetables, the granola is also vegan and contains no artificial sweeteners. Bulfield says the company spent a year developing its W.K. Kellogg no added sugar line. The cereal was invented in the company’s Manchester food tech labs in an effort to experiment with vegetable recipes. The product is expected to revolutionize breakfast. Also, for every box of cereal from the line sold, Kellogg’s will donate 10p to programs that provide breakfast to people in need and to projects that support sustainable farming.
The raspberry, apple and carrot is currently the only cereal to offer dried vegetables at breakfast. The other two No Added Sugar Granola options include Apricot & Pumpkin Seeds and Coconut, Cashew & Almond.
Although carrots may seem like an unusual addition to a breakfast cereal, the brand says the vegetable has been used in sweets since the 16th century, when carrot cake was first introduced. Kellogg’s new no-added-sugar granolas will be available at major supermarket chains at the lower price of £3.49 for 570g compared to £3.79 for the rest of the line.
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According to the Centers for Disease Control, only 12.2% of American adults meet the daily fruit intake recommendation, and only 9.3% meet the daily vegetable intake recommendation. Poor diet quality is a leading risk factor associated with death and disability in the UD. In addition, nearly 14% of preschool-aged children, ages two to five, have obesity. Diets that are rich in fruits and vegetables can help protect against heart disease, type 2 diabetes, some cancers, and obesity. Fruits and vegetables also help fight off illness and disease. Hopefully, these healthy cereals will soon be available in the US.
