Too Good to Be Food: Special K Blueberry Crisps

Special K Blueberry Crisps proclaim they are here to help "stay the course" in a world full of temptation. Two bars for only 100 calories, drizzled with vanilla icing and made with real fruit. Sounds decadent, yet portioned right to me. This seems like something that could go well with an afternoon skim latte or cup of tea, or with a glass of milk as an after-school snack. So I had to dive into this Special K treat to see whether it is Too Good to Be Food?

What's in It:
Enriched flour, sugar, fructose, glycerol, vegetable oil, dextrose, maltodextrin, contains two percent or less of modified cornstarch, nonfat dry milk, apple powder, blueberry puree concentrate, reduced mineral whey, invert sugar, cornstarch, soy lecithin, leavening, salt, DATEM, natural and artificial flavor, citric acid, mono- and diglycerides, sodium alginate, cellulose gum, cellulose gel, sodium citrate, xanthan gum, malic acid, tricalcium phosphate, color added, vanilla extract, red #40, BHT for freshness, blue #1.

The first ingredient in enriched flour is wheat, which may have you thinking positive thoughts. However, don't let it fool you -- wheat has the same nutritional profile as white flour. It is whole-grain flour that differs. Niacin, reduced iron, thiamin mononitrate (vitamin B1), riboflavin (vitamin B2) and folic acid enrich the flour, but more nutrients are stripped from the whole-grain flour than is replaced by the addition of these five vitamins.

The second ingredient is sugar. Well, you probably know how I feel about that. At least it's not an artificial sweetener, but it is a "fruit" crisp? Where is my fruit? Glycerol is up next and is similar to sugar in caloric content, but has a lower glycemic index and is used for sweetness, as a humectant and for consistency. I am neutral here. Overall fat content is two grams, saturated fat 1 gram and trans fat 0 grams, so this is certainly not alarming. The next ingredient is TBHQ (tertiary butylhydroquinone), which is used for freshness of fats and, according to the FDA, can cause "nausea, vomiting, ringing in the ears, delirium, a sense of suffocation and collapse." All of a sudden those fats don't seem quite as innocent anymore.

Fructose and dextrose are both naturally occurring sugars -- again similar to sugar. At least they are not artificial, but again, where is my fruit? Maltodextrin follows; it is made from starch and is often added to up the fiber content of a food, but there is less than 1 gram here!

There you have it -- the majority of these Fruit Crisps are just flour, oil, sugar and maltodextrin! What about all these other ingredients? For better or worse, the next ingredients make up only two percent or less of this product.

Apple powder and blueberry puree concentrate are in there. Hooray for some fruit, albeit not its "real" form and in a very small dose. The next ingredient is reduced mineral whey. Whey is the liquid that remains when milk is curdled, and this is that liquid broken down further. Invert sugar is broken-down sugar, used in the product to maintain moisture and make the product sweeter. Did we not get enough sugar in the first half of the ingredients?

Salt is next, and the sodium content is 80 mg. Not bad. But that's not the only ingredient used to maintain freshness. DATEM (diacetyl tartrate ester of monoglyceride) functions as a dough conditioner by the esterification of fatty acids (a.k.a. it turns into fat), so it gets a no on my list.

Citric acid is a natural preservative and found in fruits and vegetables. Following is mono and diglycerides -- a processed fat used to extend the shelf life of foods such as fruit products. Sodium alginate is another emulsifier extracted from brown algae -- and you may just see this ingredient in your cans of paint, too!

We are getting close to the end; I promise! There are some thickening agents and some harmless ingredients to control acid, as well as a calcium fortifier.

The last three ingredients are three things I do try to avoid. Red #40 and blue #10 are both artificial colorings. Even though they are generally recognized as safe, some artificial colorings have been linked to ADHD, asthma and inflammatory skin conditions. In general, I recommend avoiding artificial colorings. BHT is used as a preservative but should be avoided namely because there are safer options! Studies have shown an increase and a decrease in the risk of cancer associated with BHT. I say avoid this ingredient whenever possible!

Bottom Line:

This certainly has a laundry list of ingredients and no major nutritional power such as antioxidants, fiber or calcium. But to its credit, the majority of the ingredients make up less than two percent of the product, and the calorie, fat and sugar content is OK for a portioned snack. However, I still say, it's too good to be food. Although it may help control calories if your other option is a blueberry doughnut, there are many other real food options out there. A cup of blueberries with a piece of dark chocolate can satisfy your craving with more nutrients and definitely as much flavor -- real flavor, that is!

Calories: 100
Fat: 2 g
Sat. Fat: 1 g
Trans Fat: 0 g
Cholesterol: 0 mg
Sodium: 80 mg
Total Carbohydrate: 20 g
Fiber: less than 1 g
Sugar: 7 g
Protein: 1 g

Nationally recognized nutrition expert and published author of "The O2 Diet," Keri Glassman is the founder and president of Keri Glassman, Nutritious Life, a nutrition practice based in New York City. For years, Keri has been a leader in advancing a "whole person" approach to health and wellness. She has dedicated her career to creating services and promoting education through her Nutritious Life brand. You can be friends with Keri on Facebook or follow her on Twitter.