My family is constantly on the go, and when 3:00 pm rolls around, the kids are always ready for a little pick me up. One of their favorite snacks seem to be a glass of milk and a cereal bar. The bars are quick and easy, and can be conveniently carried around in a jacket pocket or a duffel bag. They are also loaded with carbs and have as much nutrition as a bowl of vitamin fortified cereal. As after school snacks go, breakfast bars are really a terrific alternative to cookies or junk food type pastry snacks.
Nutri-grain Cereal bars by Kellogg’s were the first cereal bar of its kind of the market. Kellogg’s offered 6 delicious flavors; apple cinnamon, blueberry, cherry, mixed berry, raspberry, and strawberry. The berry flavors were particular favorites of my family. Eventually, the Quaker company (of Quaker Oats fame) introduced their own version of the cereal bar, called the “Breakfast Bar” in a limited flavor variety. At that time, I noticed that the Breakfast Bar was slightly more expensive than the Nutri-grain bars. The three flavor varieties were certainly a limiting factor, availability was also an issue at the warehouse type grocery I usually shop at. I wasn’t terribly motivated to switch brands.
When a local Albertsons grocery store advertised a special Quaker promotion, I decided to stock up on our favorite Quaker products. Shoppers could purchase 10 Quaker products for $10. We bought several boxes of Captain Crunch, and on a whim, bought a few boxes of the Quaker breakfast bars.
The next day, I packed my husband and each of the children a Quaker breakfast bar in their backpacks, for their afternoon snack. That night, they all commented on the taste. They loved the flavor and the firmer texture of the bar itself. They also felt that the bar had slightly more substance than the Kelloggs Nutri-grain bars. “You felt like you were really sinking your teeth into a snack,” said my daughter.
Cost comparison
The Quaker breakfast bar recently was renamed the Baked Crisp bar. It still only comes in three flavor varieties; strawberry crisp, apple crisp, and mixed berry crisp compared to the six varieties offered by the Kellogg.
Both the Nutri-grain bar and the Baked Crisp bar weigh 1.3 ounces and come 8 to the box. In terms of price, the Quaker bar is slightly more expensive than the Kelloggs bar. However, the Baked Crisp bar does seems to go on sale more often than the Nutri-grain bar. I’ve been able to purchase them anywhere from $1 to $2 a box on sale. The best price I’ve ever seen for the Nutri-grain bar has been 2 for $4.
Nutritional comparison
Comparing nutrition labels, the Nutri-grain bar has 140 calories, 3 grams of fat and .5 grams of saturated fat. The Strawberry Crisp Bar is 130 calories, 2.5 grams of fat, and .5 grams of saturated fat. It also has 5 less grams of salt.
The big difference nutrition-wise is in the sugar, with Nutri-grain having 13 grams of sugar and the Strawberry Crisp bar only 9 grams. Quaker makes a big deal of the sugar difference right on the box, boasting “25% less sugar than the leading cereal bar.”
There are also some vitamin differences
The Kelloggs Nutri-grain bar provides:
15% of daily Vitamin A
0% of Vitamin C
20% of Calcium
10% of Iron
25% of both Riboflavin, Niacin, Thiamin, and Vitamin B6
10% of Folic acid
10% of Zinc.
The Quaker Strawberry Crisp Bar provides
25% of daily Vitamin A
10% of Vitamin C
20% of Calcium
2% of Iron
10% of Vitamin E
15% of Thiamin
25% of Riboflavin, Niacin, and Vitamin B6
10% of Phosphorus
Both bars have their positive points when it comes to nutritional content. Over all, the Quaker product provides more vitamins A and C. Both bars are made of both wheat and oat flours, both use corn fructose sugars. The lower sugar content of the Strawberry Crisp bar definitely gives it an edge over the Nutri-grain bar. We do wish however, that the Quaker Oat would offer a few more flavor varieties.
The full retail price of the Kelloggs Nutri-grain bars is $3.79. The Quaker crisp bar retails for $3.99. When comparing by price, the Nutri-grain bar is the better value. However, as mentioned earlier, the Quaker product does seem to go on sale quite frequently.
When it comes down to a favorite, it’s really a matter of personal preference. They are both excellent products and both have their positive points. With our family, however, the slight crunchiness of the Quaker Strawberry Crisp Bar, the richer flavor, and the lower sugar content makes it the clear favorite.
