# nutrition value of captain crunch **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [August 2, 2003, 10:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nutrition-value-of-captain-crunch/192608 "2003-08-02T22:24:16Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 8\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![bliebet](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/9de0a6/32.png) [@bliebet](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bliebet)\ **Post date:** [August 2, 2003, 10:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nutrition-value-of-captain-crunch/192608/1 "2003-08-02T22:24:16Z")
i have heard (and not really bought it) that a bowl of captain crunch cereal has less nutritional value than if you were to eat the cardboard box itself… does anyone know if this is true? i doubt it… ---
**Author:** ![Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/qadgop_the_mercotan/32/83_2.png) [@Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Qadgop_the_Mercotan)\ **Post date:** [August 2, 2003, 10:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nutrition-value-of-captain-crunch/192608/2 "2003-08-02T22:26:28Z")
It’s not true. It’s pretty much the same as any other cereal which is made from simple carbohydrates. Not as healthy as the cereals that contain some protein and mono-unsaturated fats, but no worse than frosted flakes or the like. QtM, MD ---
**Author:** ![Mr.Blue\_Sky](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/d26b3c/32.png) [@Mr.Blue\_Sky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr.Blue_Sky)\ **Post date:** [August 2, 2003, 10:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nutrition-value-of-captain-crunch/192608/3 "2003-08-02T22:28:12Z")
And you can’t get a sugar buzz from cardboard. And cardboard won’t scrape the roof of your mouth. ---
**Author:** ![Ephemera](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/8baadc/32.png) [@Ephemera](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ephemera)\ **Post date:** [August 2, 2003, 10:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nutrition-value-of-captain-crunch/192608/4 "2003-08-02T22:32:01Z")
Somewhat related question: All cereal commercials state that their product is “part of a nutritionally balanced breakfast” or something. I somehow doubt that. What do they actually mean when they say that? ---
**Author:** ![Q.E.D](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/51bf81/32.png) [@Q.E.D](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Q.E.D)\ **Post date:** [August 2, 2003, 10:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nutrition-value-of-captain-crunch/192608/5 "2003-08-02T22:32:32Z")
[Cap’n Crunch](http://www.nutritiondata.com/facts-001-02s0167.html) nutritional data. It’s not the best stuff for you, but clearly better than the box alone. ---
**Author:** ![I\_can\_t\_believe\_that\_s\_butter](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/8edcca/32.png) [@I\_can\_t\_believe\_that\_s\_butter](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/I_can_t_believe_that_s_butter)\ **Post date:** [August 2, 2003, 11:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nutrition-value-of-captain-crunch/192608/6 "2003-08-02T23:01:20Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Aesiron \* > \*\*Somewhat related question: All cereal commercials state that their product is “part of a nutritionally balanced breakfast” or something. I somehow doubt that. > > What do they actually mean when they say that? \*\* Well, chocolate can be _part_ of a nutrionally balanced breakfast. ---
**Author:** ![saoirse](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/5daacb/32.png) [@saoirse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/saoirse)\ **Post date:** [August 2, 2003, 11:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nutrition-value-of-captain-crunch/192608/7 "2003-08-02T23:54:05Z")
The commercials say it’s “part of a balanced breakfast,” or “the delicious part of a balanced breakfast.” The rest of a “balanced breakfast” is toast, milk and juice. I believe it came from an FDA recommendation from about 30 years ago. I don’t hink they say what a “balanced breakfast” is, anymore, though. ---
**Author:** ![Ms2001](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ms2001/32/18463_2.png) [@Ms2001](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ms2001)\ **Post date:** [August 2, 2003, 11:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nutrition-value-of-captain-crunch/192608/8 "2003-08-02T23:58:24Z")
> [@](#): > > Dear Mister Language Person: > > I am curious about the expression, “Part of this complete breakfast”. The way it comes up is, my 5-year-old will be watching TV cartoon shows in the morning, and they’ll show a commercial for a children’s compressed breakfast compound such as “Froot Loops” or “Lucky Charms”, and they always show it sitting on a table next to some actual food such as eggs, and the announcer always says: “Part of this complete breakfast”. Don’t that really mean, “Adjacent to this complete breakfast”, or “On the same table as this complete breakfast”? And couldn’t they make essentially the same claim if, instead of Froot Loops, they put a can of shaving cream there, or a dead bat? > > Answer: Yes. – Dave Barry