Are you getting enough whole grains in our diet?  You may think you are but are you actually? One should aim to eat 5-8 oz of whole grains a day.   One ounce of whole grains is about one slice of bread or ½ cup rice or pasta. If you don’t think you are getting enough whole grains, maybe it is time to change your diet. 

Today we will be reviewing Kashi, a large maker of whole grain products.  From cereals to bars, to crackers, to cookies, Kashi really makes whole grain consumption a priority.  Kashi is “on a mission to redefine how people eat to achieve their best lives”. Because Kashi is a pioneer in the health food community, their goal is to help its customers achieve their health goals while still providing delicious products.  Give this article a read if you are interested in Kashi’s products and want to know how their products help to support their mission.

Kashi Company Explained

Kashi logo.

As I mentioned above, Kashi is a natural food company that specializes in cereals and breakfast bars.  Their company was built on the idea that natural health should be embraced. Kashi feels that this concept is best embraced with great tasting, innovative, and nutritious foods. Kashi’s products are minimally processed, natural, and free of artificial additives, preservatives, and highly refined sugars.

Besides just the products Kashi produces, the company itself has been making strides in the field of sustainability.  Kashi also promotes non-profit organizations working to keep real food in the minds and hands of consumers across the United States.  This promotion of natural food nonprofits is known as the Kashi REAL Project. So, not only does this company support the consumption of quality foods, but they also support smaller-scale companies with the same intentions.

Kashi Cold Cereal Review

Kashi has a wide variety of cold cereals to explore.  Today we will be reviewing just two of them: 7 Whole Grain Puffs and Kashi Go Original.

Whole Grain Puffs

This cereal is chock-full of WHOLE grains.  Kashi’s whole grain puffs cereal is filled with all whole grain ingredients.  Refined grains are out of the question with this product. Because this cereal has so many whole grains, you will surely hit your daily fiber needs.  Just one serving of this cereal has 4g of fiber and 5g of protein.

On top of this, there is no added sugar! You might be thinking, how must this cereal taste if it is lacking sugar?  Well, obviously it is not nearly as sweet as other whole grain cereals but that is ok! This cereal is meant to be topped with whatever you want in order to make it taste the way you want.  I topped my bowl off with strawberries. Clearly, I was not too creative as this is what is shown on the box. Regardless of my lack of creativity, the strawberries paired well with the cereal and even added some extra antioxidants!

Kashi Go

Kashi Go Cereal.

If you prefer a sweeter cereal in the morning, I would recommend this cereal over the puffs.  Not only is the flavor amazing, but this cereal is also loaded with whole grains, fiber, and protein. This cereal is 180 calories per serving, but it has more fiber and protein than the plain puffs did (12g protein and 13g of fiber).  This cereal also has more sugar per serving. It is recommended that cereals do not pass 10g per serving. Kashi Go obeys this rule as this cereal has only 8g of sugar. The cereal tastes great and is packed with so many great grains.  All and all, this cereal is great for those who want a delicious and healthy cereal, but want more flavor than the original puffs.

Kashi Chewy Nut Butter Bars Review

This amazing brand has several different nut butter bars including, Salted Caramel Pecan, Double Chocolate Almond Butter, Salted Chocolate Chunk, Coconut Cashew Macaroon, and Almond Snickerdoodle.  If you are like me, you are probably drooling right now. It is safe to say that I was raised solely on granola bars like these. All of these bars are about 150 calories, have 3g of fiber, 9g of sugar, and 3g of protein.  So the nutrition facts are not nearly as impressive as that of the puffed cereal, but one has to remember that a granola bar, such as this, is really just a glorified candy bar. Most bars out there have little, if any, fiber or protein.  With that being said, I would recommend that if you are choosing a snack bar, choose this one if you are looking to gain some sort of nutritional value from it.

Now onto the taste.  These bars are all generally very soft with a bit of a crunch from the oats and whatever it is topped with.  They smell great and are very sweet considering they are only 150 calories. My favorite bar was the Salted Chocolate Chunk bar.  This one, in particular, was my favorite because of the flavor. The salt really enhances that delicious chocolate flavor that I am so fond of.  I am a huge almond butter fan so I really enjoyed that flavor in addition to the texture of the bar.

Are Kashi Bars USDA Organic?

I also want to add that if you are someone who tries to eat organically made food, you should definitely try this bar.  Just know that it is not USDA organic. These bars are created with certified transitional ingredients, meaning farmers who make ingredients for the bar are still on their journey to turn their farmland organic in the U.S.  This concept makes you feel good about eating Kashi’s bars because not only are you consuming nutritious foods, you are helping the farming community.

Kashi Crackers Review

Finally moving away from breakfast foods, now we will be discussing Kashi’s crackers!  The company currently only has 4 cracker products. We will be discussing the Kashi Crackers Original 7 Grain product.  Before we start if you think these crackers are going to be similar to Ritz or Keebler, remove that image out of your mind.  These crackers are much denser because they have WHOLE grains, no refined B.S. One serving of these crackers has 120 calories and packs in 3g fiber, 4g protein, and only 4g of sugar.  To put things into perspective, a serving of Ritz Cracker has fewer calories (81) per serving, but it is lacking fiber and protein. It only has .3g of fiber and 1.1g of protein.  

Putting health matters aside, I will say that Ritz crackers are better.  They are flakey and pair well with literally anything. However, if you are someone who wants to get the most out of your food, I would recommend choosing the Kashi crackers.  They are dense and not as tasty as Ritz, however, they are worth eating for their quality ingredients.

Kashi Cookies Review

Kashi Cookies Oatmeal Dark Chocolate.

Currently, Kashi has only 3 cookie products including, Chocolate Almond Butter, Oatmeal Dark Chocolate, and Oatmeal Raisin Flax cookies.  I will be reviewing the Oatmeal Dark Chocolate Cookie as it is the most popular and sounds the most appealing to me. First off, let’s dive into those nutrition facts.  One cookie has 120 calories, 3g fiber, 8g of sugar, and 2g of protein. It is important to remember that above all, these are still cookies and are not going to be super healthy. These cookies are low in sugar in comparison to other cookies on the market.  They also have a higher fiber content than most other cookies.

Now onto the taste.  I think these cookies taste very good.  I am a big fan of the chunky texture and how the oats play into the overall texture of the cookie.  The flavor is also very good considering it only has 8g of sugar. If you were between this cookie and a Keebler cookie, I would choose this one for its taste, regardless of any health considerations.  This cookie is dense and has a great texture that can’t compare to a Keebler cookie. However, this is just my opinion. I know plenty of people who might be upset by this opinion. Ultimately, if you are looking for a quality cookie, go with these ones.

Conclusion

After doing plenty of research about Kashi and their mission, I can confidently say that I will be investing in their products on my next grocery shopping trip.  I have never seen a company that has so perfectly combined, health, taste, and sustainability into a line of products. Although Kashi’s products are a bit pricier than an average store brand, remember that you are paying for quality ingredients.  These ingredients are more sustainable, taste better, and are better for your health than the leading brands. I hope you are able to try some of these products in the near future because they are delectable.