Food
Tuscan Garden Cheese & Garlic Croutons
Score
- Ultra-processed
- High in salt
- Contains added sugars
- Contains seed oils
- No synthetic dyes
Why it scores 21
Tuscan Garden Cheese & Garlic Croutons scores 21 out of 100 (Poor) under GoodSwap’s published rules. What moved the score most:
- minus 20 points Sugar: An added sugar. Strong
- minus 20 points Corn syrup solids: 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 bread crumbs and croutons
-
Texas Toast Cheese & Garlic Croutons New York Bakery · 5 oz No added sugars · No sugar Score 65 out of 100 , 44 points higher -
Cheese & Garlic Croutons Marzetti · 5 oz (142 g) No added sugars · No sugar Score 68 out of 100 , 47 points higher -
Texas Toast Garlic & Butter Flavored Croutons New York Bakery · 5 oz (142 g) No added sugars · No sugar Score 67 out of 100 , 46 points higher -
Super Garlic Crostini Semifreddi’s · 14 oz Not ultra-processed · Less salt Score 79 out of 100 , 58 points higher -
Garlic & Butter Flavored Traditional Cut Baked Croutons Chatham Village · 5 oz No added sugars · No sugar Score 67 out of 100 , 46 points higher
The same kind of product, at least 10 points higher, sold in the US. Never paid placements.
The Receipt
Cheese & Garlic Croutons
Ingredients
- Sugar minus 20 points
- Corn syrup solids minus 20 points
- Canola oil minus 2.5 points
- Sunflower oil minus 1.5 points
- Maltodextrin minus 1.5 points
- Yeast extract minus 1.5 points
- Modified starch minus 0.5 points
- Natural flavors minus 0.5 points
Processing
- Ultra-processed (NOVA 4) minus 18 points
- 5 kinds of ultra-processing markers minus 6 points
Nutrition per 100 g
- Salt 2.3 g / 100 g minus 7 points
- Energy 429 kcal / 100 g minus 2 points
- Protein 14.3 g / 100 g plus 2 points
100 − 79 = 21
Can’t score above 79. Contains sugar, an ingredient of high concern. [1][2][3]
Can’t score above 79. High in salt (above the front-of-pack "high" level). [11]
Nutrition per 100 g
| Energy | 429 kcal |
|---|---|
| Fat | 14.3 g |
| Saturated fat | 0 g |
| Carbohydrates | 71.4 g |
| Sugars | 0 g |
| Added sugars | 0 g |
| Protein | 14.3 g |
| Salt | 2.3 g |
Ingredients
- enriched flour (wheat flour, malted barley flour, niacin, reduced iron, thiamin mononitrate, riboflavin, folic acid)
- canola
- sunflower oil (with rosemary extract and ascorbic acid [to preserve freshness])
- yeast
- sugar (high concern)
- salt
- corn syrup solids (high concern)
- whey
- romano cheese solids from cow's milk
- parmesan
- cheddar
- bleu cheeses (pasteurized milk, cheese cultures, salt, enzymes) (not recognized)
- maltodextrin
- autolyzed yeast
- garlic powder
- dehydrated parsley
- autolyzed yeast extract
- cultured whey
- modified cornstarch
- citric acid
- turmeric (color)
- vinegar solids
- cream
- natural flavor
- 4nonfat milk
- extractive of annatto (color)
- enzymes
Label text, as published
enriched flour (wheat flour, malted barley flour, niacin, reduced iron, thiamin mononitrate, riboflavin, folic acid), canola and/or sunflower oil (with rosemary extract and ascorbic acid [to preserve freshness]), yeast, sugar, 2% or less of salt, corn syrup solids, whey, romano cheese solids from cow's milk, parmesan, cheddar, and bleu cheeses (pasteurized milk, cheese cultures, salt, enzymes), maltodextrin, autolyzed yeast, garlic powder, dehydrated parsley, autolyzed yeast extract, cultured whey, modified cornstarch, citric acid, turmeric (color), vinegar solids, cream, natural flavor, 4nonfat milk, extractive of annatto (color), enzymes, contains: wheat, milk, may contain tree nuts, 4099100182347
Allergens and diets
Contains: Milk, Wheat, Gluten
May contain: Tree nuts
- Not vegan
- Not gluten-free
- Palm-oil-free
Always check the package: recipes change.
More from Tuscan Garden
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
-
“replacement of saturated fat in the diet with linoleic acid effectively lowers serum cholesterol but does not support the hypothesis that this translates to a lower risk of death from coronary heart disease or all causes.”
doi.org
-
“These data provide support for current recommendations to replace saturated fat with polyunsaturated fat for primary prevention of CHD.”
doi.org
-
21 CFR 101.22 Foods; labeling of spices, flavorings, colorings and chemical preservatives
“whose significant function in food is flavoring rather than nutritional.”
ecfr.gov
-
“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
-
“Table 3: Criteria for drinks (per 100ml)”
assets.publishing.service.gov.uk
-
“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