Policy

Wait, Honey Smacks Have a Lot of Sugar?

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The Environmental Working Group lists the "10 Worst Children's Cereals," based on sugar content. There are no real surprises. No. 1, clocking in at 55.6 percent sugar by weight, is Kellogg's Honey Smacks, which used to be called Sugar Smacks until someone decided that honey sounded healthier. Also in the top (bottom?) 10: three varieties of Cap'n Crunch, two varieties of Froot Loops, and Kellogg's Smorz.

Who knew? I mean, aside from anyone who bothered to read the boxes or taste the cereal. Meanwhile, the brands that are marketed as healthier because they have less sugar, such as Kix and Cheerios Original, turn out to have less sugar. Both of those brands appear on the EWG's list of "6 Good Big-Brand Cereals." But the "Best Cereals," according to the EWG, are the expensive ones that are hard to find—not just because they are expensive and hard to find but also because they are "free of pesticides and genetically modified ingredients," which the EWG considers important for some reason.