Cereals for College Students

Table of Contents

iii

Table of Contents
Table of Contents ..................................................................................................... iii Introduction ................................................................................................................v Part 1 - Methods .........................................................................................................3 Part 2 - Results .........................................................................................................11 Part 3 - Conclusion ...................................................................................................15 Part 4 - Recommendation.........................................................................................17 Index .........................................................................................................................19 References ................................................................................................................21

Introduction

Introduction
College students live on a tight budget, which limits their food choices. Cereal is cost effective for their budgets. However, many students choose unhealthy cereals, which can lead to poor performance in class. The objective of this report is to compare and analyze the healthiness of cereals compared to their cost.

Methods

Part 1 - Methods
We compared 10 different cereals in this study. We ranked cereals based on five components: Price: College students live on a tight budget, which makes price an important factor for determining the best overall cereal. Cereals that cost too much can deter college students from purchasing them. Protein: Since most college students are living on their own for the first time, they tend to neglect their health. Cereals that have protein will help keep students healthy and perform well in the classroom. Sugar: Sugar is an important factor for college students in choosing their cereal. Students tend to consume too much sugar, which can harm their health. Cereals that have low sugar content keep students from falling asleep when their bodies use up the sugar from the cereal. Fiber: College students tend to purchase foods that are low in fiber, which leads to poor digestion. Students with digestion issues perform worse in the classroom because they dont get the nutrients they need. Cereals that are high in fiber allow students to digest their food properly.

Cereal Recommendation

Calories: Students need calories because calories give energy. However, too many calories can lead to weight gain, a problem especially prevalent among freshmen. Cereals with lower calories can help prevent weight gain. Ranking: We ranked each cereal based on the highest or lowest value: Price: lowest value Protein: highest value Sugar: lowest value Fiber: highest value Calories: least value In each category, the top three cereals were ranked by number. Cereals that were closest to the criteria were ranked number one, two, and three respectively. Cereals that tied were ranked evenly. We gave a final ranking based on which cereal had the closest value in the most categories. We gave final rankings to the top three cereals.

Methods

Apple Jacks

Rice Krispies

Cereal Recommendation

Cinnamon Toast Crunch

Cocoa Puffs

Methods

Great Grains Crunchy Pecans

Golden Grahams

Cereal Recommendation

All-Bran

Frosted Mini-Wheats

Methods

Multi-Grain Cheerios

Lucky Charms

Results

11

Part 2 - Results
Cereals were compared by the individual categories outlined in the methodology, and the results of this comparison are summarized in the five graphs below.
Graph 1. Comparative sugar content of cereals in grams.

Sugar Content
Sugar content per 3/4 cup (g) 12 10 8 6 4 2 0 2.1 Sugar (g) 4.7 9 10 8 6 9 10 7.8 11

Graph 2. Comparative fiber content of cereals in grams.

Fiber Content
Fiber content per 3/4 cup (g) 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 0 9

5 2 2 0 2.1 0 2

4.3

Fiber (g)

12
Graph 3. Comparative protein content of cereals in grams.

Cereal Recommendation

Protein Content
Protein content per 3/4 cup (g) 16 14 12 10 8 6 4 2 0 15

5 1 2 1.4 1.6 1 1

3.5

Protein (g)

Graph 4. Comparative prices per box of cereal at Walmart, in US dollars.

Walmart Prices Per Box

4 3.5 3 2.5 2 1.5 1 0.5 0 3.48 2.82 2.82 2.92

Price in US Dollars

3.18 2.78

2.92

2.82

2.98

2.82

Results

13

Calories
250 Carloies per 3/4 cup 200 150 100 50 0 130 120 78 86 120 120 70 Calories 134 100 210

After examining the data from the graphs, we ranked the cereals by category from 1 to 3, with 1 best the best and 3 being the least best.

CATEGORY SUGAR FIBER PROTEIN PRICE

FIRST Rice Krispies All Bran All Bran All Bran

SECOND Multigrain Cheerios GG Pecan Crunch GG Pecan Crunch Lucky Charms, CocoaPuffs, Golden Grahams, Cinnamon Toast Crunch Rice Krispies

THIRD All Bran Frosted Miniwheats Frosted Miniwheats Apple Jacks, Rice Krispies

CALORIES

Cocoa Puffs

Multigrain Cheerios

Conclusion

Part 3 - Conclusion
The goal of this study was to find the healthiest cereal for the lowest price in a sample of 10 cereals. Relative healthiness of a cereal can be quantified by their sugar, fiber, protein, and caloric contents. Relative inexpensiveness can be quantified by the prices of cereals in their typical packaging and box size as seen in grocery stores. There was no definitive winner in all cereal categories However, the results seem to indicate that the All Bran cereal is the healthiest in terms of protein and fiber content; it is also the most inexpensive cereal in our sample. This would make this cereal most appealing to students concerned with both health and price.

Recommendation

17

Part 4 - Recommendation
Based on the results, we recommend All Bran as the best choice for healthiest cereal at the lowest price; however, this recommendation does not account for taste. Compared to the other cereals in our sample, All Bran may not appeal as strongly to students based on taste.

Index

19

Index
All-Bran, 8 Apple Jacks, 5 budget, v Calories, 4 Cinnamon Toast Crunch, 6 Cocoa Puffs, 6 College students, v cost effective, v Fiber, 3 Frosted Mini-Wheats, 8 Golden Grahams, 7 Great Grains Crunchy Pecans, 7 Lucky Charms, 9 Multi-Grain Cheerios, 9 Price, 3 Protein:, 3 Rice Krispies, 5 Sugar, 3

References

21

References
Nutrition Data (2013). Nutrition Facts. Retrieved from http://nutritiondata.self.com. Oyunt001 (2011, October 16) How Much Influence does Sleep have on Your Performance. [Web log post]. Retrieved from http://blog.lib.umn.edu/meyer769/section16&17/2011/10/how-much influence-does-sleep-have-on-your-performance.html