Morning Summit Lightly Sweetened Maple Berry Blend Cereal — ENGINEERED

Munch or Dump rates Morning Summit Lightly Sweetened Maple Berry Blend Cereal by Morning Summit ENGINEERED — score 31/90.

Marketed as "lightly sweetened," but this cereal stacks five separate sweeteners — maple syrup, sugar, brown sugar syrup, plus added sugar in both the cranberries and cherries — for 12g of sugar a serving. The almonds and whole grains are real, but the sweetness is engineered.

Why this verdict

• Five distinct sweetener sources: maple syrup, sugar, brown sugar syrup, and added sugar in both the cranberries and cherries
• 12g of sugar per serving despite the "lightly sweetened" label
• Glycerin-coated sweetened dried fruit is a processed, candied add-in
• The good stuff (almonds, whole grain, seeds) is undercut by stacked sugars

Ingredients (15)

• Almonds (safe) — Whole nut, healthy fats, protein, fiber, and vitamin E.
• Whole Grain Wheat (safe) — Genuine whole grain; source of fiber and the reason this beats most frosted cereals.
• Organic Maple Syrup (moderate) — A natural single-ingredient sweetener with trace minerals, but nutritionally it is still concentrated sugar.
• Whole Grain Oats (safe) — Whole grain base with fiber — the genuine positive here.
• Sugar (moderate) — Added for sweetness, can contribute to calorie content.
• Dried Coconut (safe) — Whole-food fat and fiber; high in saturated fat.
• Pumpkin Seeds (safe) — Whole seed with healthy fats, magnesium and protein.
• organic coconut oil (moderate) — High in saturated fat; used to bind the bark.
• Dried Sweetened Cranberries (cranberries, sugar, glycerin) (moderate) — Candied fruit — sugar and glycerin added; more a sweet than a serving of fruit.
• Dried Sweetened Cherries (cherries, sugar, glycerin) (moderate) — Another sugar-and-glycerin-coated dried fruit; fourth sweetener source.
• Corn Bran (safe) — Fiber source from corn.
• Brown Sugar Syrup (moderate) — Sweetener #3 — the tell that sweetness here is a designed system.
• Salt (moderate) — Used in moderation, might exceed necessary amount.
• Vanilla Extract (safe) — Real vanilla flavoring.
• Vitamin E (Mixed Tocopherols) (safe) — Natural antioxidant added to keep the oats fresh.