Exploring Nature Valley

What is protein?

Proteins are polypeptides comprised of chains of amino acids, and their sequence determines their shape and specific function. They are comprised of alpha helices and beta sheets/strands, all of which is held together by hydrogen bonds. Protein on nutrition labels is actually a mixture of many different types of proteins!

How much protein are these granola bars contributing to the % DV?
One granola bar has 2 grams of protein, so they are contributing to 2% of the daily value. Since a nutrition label is based off of a 2000-calorie diet, a person should have 100 grams of protein a day, and this is only contributing 2. Both granola bars contribute 4 grams or 4%.
What food items are responsible for the protein?
These bars contain whole grain oats, yellow corn flour, and soy flour, which would all contribute to the protein content.
How many calories are due to protein?
In one bar, there are 90 calories, and 8 are from protein. There are 4 calories per 1 gram of protein, so there is double that for 2 grams.

What are fats?
Fats are lipids, which are a large class of molecules; they can also be called triglycerides. Triglycerides are made up of a combination of fatty acids and glycerol, and are amphiphilic. As a whole, they are hydrophobic. There are three different types of fats: saturated, monounsaturated, and polyunsaturated. Solid fats have a lot of saturated fat because their shape allows them to stack neatly and create more Van der Waals attractions, where as unsaturated fats contain one or more double bonds, making the shape harder to stack and creates less VDW attractions.  Unsaturated fats can further be separated into cis- and trans-, where the Hydrogens caught up in the double bond to Carbon are on the same side or different sides of the fat, respectively.
How much fat is this food contributing to the %DV?
One bar has 3 grams of fat, and contributes to 5% of the recommended daily value. The common nutrition label is based off of a 2000-calorie diet, a person should have 65 grams of fats a day, and this is only contributing 3. Both granola bars contribute 6 grams or 9%.
What food items are responsible for the fat?
The bars contain whole grain oats, canola oil, yellow corn flour, soy flour, and soy lecithin that may contribute to the fat content.
What types of fats does it contain? Why do we care?
The bars contain mostly cis unsaturated fats, specifically polyunsaturated fats. Polyunsaturated fats form more than one Carbon double bond, and they contain vital Omega-3s that humans need to produce anti-inflammatory signaling molecules. Polyunsaturated fats have more health benefits than that of saturated fats.
How many calories are due to fat?
In one bar, 30 calories are due to fat content. In two, 60 calories are due to fat. It is listed on the label.