Great Grains Raisins, Dates & Pecans Cereal — ENGINEERED

Munch or Dump rates Great Grains Raisins, Dates & Pecans Cereal by Post ENGINEERED — score 30/90.

Real whole grains and fruit up front, but three separate sugar sources stacked in plus BHT preservative tip it into engineered territory.

Why this verdict

• Three separate added sweeteners: cane sugar (#3 ingredient), rice syrup, and molasses
• Raisins and dates pile on more concentrated sugar beyond the added sugar
• BHT synthetic preservative, restricted in the EU/Japan, added to extend shelf life
• Whole grain wheat is real, but the sugar stacking dominates the formula
• Refined wheat flour and rice flour dilute the whole-grain story

Ingredients (17)

• Whole Grain Wheat (safe) — Genuine whole grain with fiber and B vitamins, the best thing in the box.
• raisins (moderate) — Real dried fruit but concentrated natural sugar.
• Cane Sugar (concerning) — Added sugar with no nutritional benefit; drives palatability and blood-sugar spikes.
• Whole grain rolled oats (safe) — Whole oats add soluble fiber and slow-digesting carbs.
• Dates (moderate) — Whole fruit but among the sweetest foods there is; more concentrated sugar.
• wheat flour (moderate) — Refined flour filler; contains gluten.
• Malted Barley Flour (safe) — Traditional flavour/enzyme source, contains gluten.
• rice flour (moderate) — Refined starch binder.
• pecans (safe) — Real nuts bring healthy fats, protein, and crunch.
• expeller pressed canola oil (safe) — Mechanically pressed oil, a cleaner choice than solvent-extracted refined oils.
• Salt (moderate) — Adds sodium; fine in moderation but the main reason to watch portion size.
• rice syrup (concerning) — Second ingredient, ahead of the peanuts. A concentrated glucose syrup that spikes blood sugar fast despite the 'natural' label.
• molasses (moderate) — Third sweetener source; trace minerals don't offset the sugar.
• BHT (concerning) — Synthetic antioxidant preservative for shelf life, restricted in parts of the EU and Japan.
• reduced iron (safe) — Added iron fortification.
• folic acid (safe) — Synthetic B vitamin fortification.
• vitamin D3 (safe) — Added vitamin D; standard dairy fortification.

Healthier alternatives

• Cascadian Farm Organic Blueberry Almond Crunch Cereal
• Grape-Nuts Cereal
• Mesa Sunrise Gluten Free Cereal Flakes