Breakfast cereals
Bob's Red Mill Instant Oatmeal brown sugar & maple imp
280 g
Score
- Ultra-processed
- Contains added sugars
- No synthetic dyes
- Contains whole grains
Why it scores 16
Bob's Red Mill Instant Oatmeal brown sugar & maple imp scores 16 out of 100 (Bad) under GoodSwap’s published rules. What moved the score most:
- minus 20 points Brown sugar: An added sugar. Strong
- minus 20 points Sugar: An added sugar. Strong
- minus 18 points Ultra-processed (NOVA 4): Classified NOVA 4: made with industrial ingredients and additives. Strong
Every line of the math is on The Receipt below, with its evidence tier and sources.
Better oatmeal and hot cereal
-
Instant Oatmeal Fiber & Protein Maple Brown Sugar Quaker · 344 g No added sugars · No brown sugar Score 66 out of 100 , 50 points higher -
Instant Oatmeal Maple & Brown Sugar Quaker · 12.1 oz, 8 × 1.51 oz packets No brown sugar · No caramel color Score 59 out of 100 , 43 points higher -
Protein Instant Oatmeal Banana Brown Sugar One Degree Organic Foods · 11.6 oz Not ultra-processed · No sugar Score 66 out of 100 , 50 points higher -
Original Regenerative Instant Hot Oatmeal imp Nature's Path · 400 g Not ultra-processed · No added sugars Score 100 out of 100 , 84 points higher -
Gluten Free Homestyle Instant Oatmeal imp Nature's Path · 11.3 oz Not ultra-processed · No added sugars Score 100 out of 100 , 84 points higher
The same kind of product, at least 10 points higher, sold in the US. Never paid placements.
The Receipt
Instant Oatmeal brown sugar & maple imp
Ingredients
- Brown sugar minus 20 points
- Sugar minus 20 points
- Caramel color minus 10 points
Processing
- Ultra-processed (NOVA 4) minus 18 points
- 4 kinds of ultra-processing markers minus 4.5 points
Nutrition per 100 g
- Sugars 17.1 g / 100 g minus 8 points
- Saturated fat 1.4 g / 100 g minus 1 points
- Salt 1.3 g / 100 g minus 5 points
- Energy 400 kcal / 100 g minus 2 points
- Fiber 8.6 g / 100 g plus 4 points
100 − 84.5 = 15.5 → 16
Can’t score above 79. Contains brown sugar, an ingredient of high concern. [1][2][3][4][5][6][7]
Nutrition per 100 g
| Energy | 400 kcal |
|---|---|
| Fat | 8.6 g |
| Saturated fat | 1.4 g |
| Trans fat | 0 g |
| Carbohydrates | 71.4 g |
| Sugars | 17.1 g |
| Added sugars | 14.3 g |
| Fiber | 8.6 g |
| Protein | 11.4 g |
| Salt | 1.3 g |
Serving: 1 packet (35 g)
Ingredients
- WHOLE GRAIN OATS
- BROWN SUGAR (high concern)
- CANE SUGAR (high concern)
- FLAXSEED MEAL
- SALT
- NATURAL MAPLE FLAVOR (MALTODEXTRIN, MODIFIED FOOD STARCH, CARAMEL COLOR, NATURAL FLAVORS)
Label text, as published
WHOLE GRAIN OATS, BROWN SUGAR, CANE SUGAR, FLAXSEED MEAL, SALT, NATURAL MAPLE FLAVOR (MALTODEXTRIN, MODIFIED FOOD STARCH, CARAMEL COLOR, NATURAL FLAVORS).
Allergens and diets
Contains: Gluten
- Not gluten-free
- Palm-oil-free
Always check the package: recipes change.
More breakfast cereals on GoodSwap
-
Grape-Nuts Cereal Post · 20.5 oz (1 lb 4.5 oz) 581 g No additivesContains whole grains Score 93 out of 100 Excellent -
Lightly Sweetened Maple Berry Blend Cereal Morning Summit · 1 box, 2 lb 6 oz High in sugarHigh in saturated fatContains added sugarsNo additives Score 22 out of 100 Poor -
Catalina Crunch Cinnamon Toast Protein Cereal Catalina Crunch · 24 oz Ultra-processedContains non-nutritive sweetenersContains seed oils Score 61 out of 100 Good -
Frosted Mini Wheats Original Kellogg's · 32 oz Ultra-processedContains added sugarsContains whole grains Score 29 out of 100 Poor -
Whole Grain Raisin Bran Organic Cereal Field Day · 55 g High in sugarContains added sugarsContains seed oilsCertified organic Score 29 out of 100 Poor -
Mini Frosted Spooners cereal Malt O Meal · 3 lb 12 oz Ultra-processedContains added sugarsContains whole grains Score 51 out of 100 Okay
More from Bob's Red Mill
-
Old Country Style Muesli Bob's Red Mill · 32 g Score 96 out of 100 Excellent -
Old Fashioned Rolled Oats Whole Grain Bob's Red Mill · 32 oz (907 g) Score 100 out of 100 Excellent -
Honey Oat Granola Bob's Red Mill · 50 g Score 31 out of 100 Poor - Gluten Free 1-to-1 Baking Flour Bob's Red Mill · 64 oz/4 lb/1.81 kg Score 78 out of 100 Good
Sources
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Guideline: sugars intake for adults and children
“In both adults and children, WHO recommends reducing the intake of free sugars to less than 10% of total energy intake”
who.int
-
Dietary Guidelines for Americans, 2025–2030
“Limit foods and beverages that include artificial flavors, petroleum-based dyes, artificial preservatives, and low-calorie non-nutritive sweeteners.”
cdn.realfood.gov
-
Added and free sugars should be as low as possible
“Sugar consumption is a known cause of dental caries.”
efsa.europa.eu
-
Questions & Answers About 4-MEI
“Based on current science, the FDA has no reason to believe that there are any immediate or short-term health risks presented by 4-MEI at the levels expected in food.”
fda.gov
-
Agents Classified by the IARC Monographs, Volumes 1–142 (List of Classifications)
monographs.iarc.who.int
-
Proposition 65 List of Chemicals Known to the State to Cause Cancer or Reproductive Toxicity
“The date refers to the initial appearance of the chemical on the list.”
oehha.ca.gov
-
Saturated fatty acid and trans-fatty acid intake for adults and children: WHO guideline
“WHO recommends that adults and children reduce saturated fatty acid intake to 10% of total energy intake (strong recommendation).”
who.int
-
“For adults, WHO recommends less than 2000 mg/day of sodium (equivalent to less than 5 g/day salt), or just under a teaspoon.”
who.int
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“Greater exposure to ultra-processed food was associated with a higher risk of adverse health outcomes, especially cardiometabolic, common mental disorder, and mortality outcomes.”
doi.org