I have been enjoying Kellogg’s Nutri-Grain cereal bars for several years now, but recently I tried Kashi Soft-Baked cereal bars for something different, and indeed, there were differences. So how do Kellogg’s Nutri-Grain cereal bars compare with Kashi Soft-Baked cereal bars?
These cereal bars have a lot in common, so let’s begin there. Neither contain high fructose corn syrup and both contain real fruit, whole grains and 3 grams of fiber. Both come in different fruit flavors, and both surround the fruit filling with a soft, cake-like bar. Each has 3 grams of fat, zero cholesterol, 24 grams of total carbohydrate and 2 grams of protein. They taste similar, but not identical, and both will make a relatively healthy breakfast or snack. But there the similarities end.
The Nutri-Grain bars come in strawberry, apple cinnamon, blueberry, blackberry, mixed berry and raspberry flavors. They are 120 calories for a 1.3 oz. bar. They have vitamin A, vitamin B6, calcium, iron, thiamin, riboflavin, niacin, and zinc. They are sweetened with sugar, dextrose, fructose, and corn syrup, although none of these are listed high in the ingredients. They list 12 grams of sugar under Nutrition Facts. The whole grains seem to be primarily oats, although whole wheat flour and wheat bran are mentioned lower in the list of ingredients.
Nutri-Grain bars have a gel-type filling completely surrounded by a cake bar. The filling is sweet, and the cake bar is crumbly, light and a bit “fluffy.” They are good, but not very filling. The price is somewhere between $2.50 and $3.00 for a box of 8 bars.
Kashi Soft-Baked cereal bars have the fruit filling inside and down the front of the cake bar. The cake part is “sturdier” and not as sweet, really not as much like cake. These bars are more substantial and definitely more filling. The filling isn’t as sweet, either – the sweeteners listed are evaporated cane juice, tapioca syrup, honey and fruit puree. The bar is made from Kashi’s unique 7 Whole Grains combination of oats, hard red wheat, brown rice, rye, triticale, barley and buckwheat, and like Kashi cereal, it just tastes hearty. These come in Ripe Strawberry, Blackberry Graham, Cherry Vanilla, and Banana Chocolate Chip. They are 130 calories for a 1.2 oz. bar. The price is a bit higher, maybe $4 for a box with 6 bars.
While both Nutri-Grain and Kashi Soft-Baked cereal bars are good, I have to say I prefer the Kashi bars. Slightly more expensive, slightly more calories, but over all the less-sweet flavor, denser texture and healthier ingredients make them the winner in our house.
Sources:
Personal Experience
Product Boxes
