"Cereals marketed directly to children have 85 percent more sugar, 65 percent less fiber and 60 percent more sodium than cereals marketed to adults," found an October 2009 study by Yale University's Rudd Center for Food Policy and Obesity. Cap'n Crunch falls into this category as a children's cereal containing 12 g of sugar, 200 mg of sodium and only 1 g of fiber per serving.
Ingredients
Cap'n Crunch contains corn and oat flours, although it is unclear whether or not these are whole grain. It contains both sugar and brown sugar. It has coconut oil, which is high in saturated fat, and added salt. Those are the main ingredients and then it contains additives like coloring, preservatives and synthetic vitamins.
Nutrients to Limit
The 3/4-cup serving size of Cap'n Crunch contains 110 calories, which would be considered a moderate amount of calories per serving by FDA standards. It has 1.5 g, or 2 percent daily value, of fat; 1 g, or 6 percent daily value, of that fat is saturated. It has no cholesterol. These are all nutrients you want to limit; the FDA considers 5 percent or less of them per serving low and 20 percent or more high. According to this guideline, Cap'n Crunch could be considered fairly low in fat, saturated fat and sodium, and definitely low in cholesterol.
Nutrients to Increase
Cap'n Crunch also includes nutrients you need to get enough of in your diet. The 3/4-cup serving size provides your body with 23 g of carbohydrates and 1 g of protein. Cap'n Crunch cereal has no vitamin A, C or calcium but provides a number of other nutrients. It has 25 percent daily value each of iron, thiamin, riboflavin, niacin, vitamin B-6 and zinc. It gives 100 percent daily value of Folic acid.
Considerations
Keep in mind that adding milk to the cereal will change the nutrition content. Choose low-fat milk or soy milk, instead of whole milk, for a healthier meal. The Cap'n Crunch website recommends eating this cereal with fruit or drinking 100 percent fruit juice with the cereal for a more well-rounded meal.
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