Pro Nutro claims it contains all the essential vitamins and minerals needed to give you sustained energy and a healthy balanced diet. It is high in carbohydrates to give you energy, high in fibre for a healthy digestive system, cholesterol free and free from trans fats.
The legend says that Pro Nutro was once developed as a food source for the black people in South Africa during the old Apartheid regime, to prevent malnutrition. Pro Nutro consisted of all the essential dairy requirements and formed a meal in its self. When it was first launched the people did not like the taste and the product didn't sell. However, after modifying the recipe for taste purposes and broadening the target market to the greater public, it began its road to great success.
However, much debate can be seen on online forums about the use of Genetically modified (GM) maize and soya seen in Pro Nutro cereals. The cereal box does not state any use of GM ingredients. Because we have not yet discovered the effects of GM foods on our bodies, much concern is raised over our health and safety. Pro Nutro should be allowing consumers to choose if they want to consume GM foods or not. However, GM foods can be seen in most foods these days and has been hugely successful in feeding the world's poorer that would have lead many to starvation. What do you think?
Also to note, Pro Nutro is not halaal which turns away a now rather big proportion of the South African market. Although I don't know how far this is taken.
My love for Pro Nutro is currently under great threat from a new competitor on the market.... Future Life!
This morning I found myself dashing into the Umhloti spar still in my pajamas because we had run out of Future Life at home! It is quite astonishing how Future Life has acclaimed such strong brand presence and positioning in the market in such a short period. The fact that it is now competing with such a classic like Pro Nutro, proves in its winning formula and unique benefits.
For those who aren't familiar with the brand, Future Life is an energy and immune boosting cereal that forms part of a healthy balanced diet. Future Life is South Africa's first and only low GI cereal to contain clinically tested MODUCARE, and has 23 vitamins and mineral, 29 amino acids and even Omega 3 and 6!
Taken directly from their home page:
"It is perfect for athletes of all levels and for high performance sports such as triathlon, cycling, marathons, surfing, swimming and rugby. The low GI means sustained energy release over an extended period of time and the vitamins and minerals ensure that your body stays strong while its under stress or challenging conditions. Future Life is also ideal for children, business executives on the go, diabetes and other medical conditions, and for all round healthy living for the whole family."
The fact that Future Life only needs to be added with water proves to be one of its best selling points. This makes the cereal easy to travel with and very convenient. The brand is also aligned with consumer interests of healthy eating, daily exercise and a balanced diet. Its also great as a healthy snack in between meals.
But my question is: Since Future Life cereal was initially used as a all-in-one-meal for AIDS patients, is Future Life Fattening for those of us who don't partake in intense daily exercise?
From reading a few articles about Future Life, I've come to the realization that Future Life is a great source of low GI energy that helps keep you full for longer hours. Therefore it is good to eat it before exercise or when you feel you need that extra boost in the morning for sustained energy levels. However, I do believe that for someone like my self, a non-athlete, should not consume Future Life in excessive amounts but rather every odd day.
Too much Future Life can lead to weight gain, unless you are Patrick Lambie (rugby player) who has 4 bowls a day apparently :)
To compare between the two cereals, below is a basic table of the nutritional information highlighting the differences.
It is therefore obvious that Future Life is higher in Energy, Protein, Total fat and falling just behind on Total Fibre where Pro Nutro takes the lead. However it is important to note that the Pro Nutro used for this purpose is the Wholewheat Pro Nutro which is higher in fibre. But will this sway even the most loyal Pro Nutro fan?
Im afraid I am one of those Pro Nutro fans who have now turned to Future Life for my daily breakfast. Its not only the delicious flavour that attracts me but the fact that it gives me sustained energy in the morning and keeps me full for longer. I have now hooked a lot of my friends and find myself marketing the product without trying!
Happy Food. Happy Photo's. Happy Life.
Hello,
ReplyDeleteThank you for the article. A good read :)
I took the time to look into the ingredients in both Pro Nutro & Future Life. Most of the Vitamins are unfortunately Synthetics (Man-made). There is a lot of Scientific proof that Synthetics can be negative to one's health in high doses. Also Future Life doesn’t show any results of their 'Clinical Tests' regarding Moducare which I find suspect..
For further reading; http://www.nutriteam.com/natural.htm
Feel free to contact me at bcjhouart@gmail.com if you have any questions :)
Regards
Brad
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5pHNz_M0UYg
DeleteHave a look at how we should be eating, both products should not be consumed by humans, synthetics and maize are not ideal, spiking your insulin and making you feel full is all you getting from these products
Out of the frying pan into the fire?http://www.urbansprout.co.za/which_foods_at_your_supermarket_have_just_tested_positive_for_gm
ReplyDeleteMarketer's dream! A varied diet is always the best choice. No one should eat the same thing every day. Plus the advertising leaves a lot to be desired- just a link to the "clinical test results " would be a start. All crops are 'genetically modified' ie bred to contain certain desired qualities! It is the insertion of genes from other organisms that may- read may, cause a problem.
ReplyDeleteHi Chantal,
DeleteBelow is a link with an article on a Former Pro-GMO Scientist that Speaks Out on the Real Dangers of Genetically Engineered Food, thought it may be an interesting read?
http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2013/05/28/gmo-dangers.aspx
My wife got me Futurelife Low GI and I have to say WOW! I I feel great.ProNutro has to have sugar added to make it tasty. Futurelife tastes great and I feel fuller for longer.But I do agree a varied diet is best.
ReplyDeleteThis comment has been removed by the author.
DeleteHi Lauritz, most agreed! I now add a few tablespoons to my All Bran in the morning, so you getting the best of both.
DeleteHave a good Watch here http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5pHNz_M0UYg
Deletewhy don't u think pro-nutro is Halaal? Pronutro meets the requirements based on whats written on the box. Its just not inspected or certified.
ReplyDeletePurely becuase they will not pay for the Halaal certification.
DeleteFuture Life has the right idea in many areas of its product. The low-GI, the gluten-free, the added Omega 3's, etc. But it does have the GMO problem. If the company can create and release a product that is all the above plus is also GMO free, then we have a winner. For those unfamiliar with the GMO issues, GMOs are genetically modified (altered) foods and honest research has shown that GMOs cause the body's immune to be activated as the human (and animal) body doesn't recognise GMO foods as a natural food source and therefore needs to repel them as an attack on the system. There are many ramifications to this which would take too long describe here. PS: This is not an attack on Future Life as they use soy and maize from SA farmers that have been conned into growing GMO crops. So many other foods contain GMOs as well. PPS: There was a message from the CEO of Future Life that promised a non-GMO version of the product. Haven't seen anything since but it may take a while source the ingredients.
ReplyDeleteSince most cereals use Maize, and since all Maize seem to contain some kind of GMO, what are the real alternatives to Futurelife & Co? I have moved to this cereal completely for the last two years. Maybe the only alternative is fruit?
ReplyDeleteMy findings tell me that futurelife does indeed help to add weight but not muscle weight. I have been on it (and unfortunately gotten addicted to it for the past year and half, getting an addiction to a food is ALWAYS a bad sign that there is some strange ingredient causing that addiction) Also they claim to be safe for diabetics but yet it contains 15g of sugar per 100grams! thats a lot!! Definitely not healthy. They also claim to stop using GMO in their products but have not released any dates for such moves. Breakfast is such a struggle.. an important meal but no has the time to make Oats anymore, I certainly dont! Such a bummer to find out that Pronutro has been filled with GMO's I feel sick to my stomach. Ive been on that stuff for years. Yo think the harm I have done to my body and they didnt have the decency to label it that way..
ReplyDeleteI'm so glad I'm not the only one who's addicted to it!! The first two times I ate it, I thought it was gross...and now I can't get enough of it O_O I'm worried that there's definitely some strange ingredient in there!!
DeleteI don't know what it is about Futurelife, But on too many occasions now I have discovered that a new client (no, I am NOT going to punt my product-this is not an advert but an honest worrying observation) who arent losing weight even though they are attempting to eat healthily are using Futurelife as a breakfast......or in a handful of cases my clients hav attempted to switch to Futurelife because it seems so similar to my product( as far as nutrients go), and their body fat percentage actually rises? Even though they follow my plan for the rest of their day There is definately something in that!
ReplyDeleteStrange, Ive thought the exact same thing, I started out by not loving it but now I almost crave it, and Ive spoken to many people that have the same issues. It does seem suspect!
ReplyDeleteI personally don't believe in any high carb breakfast. I use future life before intensive exercise, and that works like a bomb for energy! But I think protein is the best breakfast hands down! In doing that I lost 8kgs of excess fat and kept the muscle using this healthy protein shake in the morning. And I still love Pro Nutro from time to time!😜
ReplyDeleteHi Ashleigh, thank you for posting such a comprehensive comparison of Pronutro and Futurelife. I would like to help you answer your question "Can Futurelife make you fat?"...
ReplyDeleteThe simple answer is “No” FUTURELIFE® Smart Food cannot make you fat when eaten as part of a healthy eating plan.
Weight gain is largely related to your eating behaviour (such as portion control, comfort eating or snacking) and your activity levels, rather than the type of food itself. For your body to perform at its peak and for a person to maintain a healthy weight, your Energy Input (i.e. the food you eat) and your Energy Output (i.e. activity level or exercise level) must always be in balance. If you eat too much and you are less active you will gain weight. I.e. if your energy input outweighs your energy output you will gain weight.
FUTURELIFE® Smart Food provides a complete meal providing the perfect balance of carbohydrates, protein and fat. It contains all the vitamins and minerals needed to live a healthy lifestyle, and therefore it is a nutritious, balanced meal. A balanced meal (i.e. FUTURELIFE® Smart Food) contains 60% carbohydrates, 20% protein and 20% fat. This is the recommendation made by the South African Food Based Dietary Guidelines.
FUTURELIFE® Smart Food is low GI, meaning that the energy provided is released slowly into your blood stream, providing you with sustained energy that will keep you feeling fuller for longer. This fact makes it suitable for people living with Diabetes and for those looking to reduce hunger cravings or snack attacks. Because FUTURELIFE® Smart Food is a complete meal; you may have it for breakfast, lunch or supper as a meal or shake.
Did you know that the average person requires between 40g-70g of fat per day. A 50g portion of FUTURELIFE® Smart Food provides you with 4.9g of fat. This equates to 5% to 10% of your daily fat intake. It is important to differentiate between good fats and bad fats. The fat found in FUTURELIFE® Smart Food are predominantly good plant fats such as Polyunsaturated Fats, Monounsaturated Fats and Omega 3 Fatty Acids.
If you are trying to lose weight or maintain weight it is suggested that women should have 4 to 5 heaped tablespoons of FUTURELIFE® Smart Food at a time with water or skimmed milk. We recommend that men have 5 to 7 tablespoons as a portion serving size. If one complies with these guidelines, you will only consume between 5% to 15% of your daily nutritional intake.
In conclusion, eating the recommended serving size of FUTURELIFE® Smart Food, as part of a healthy eating plan, cannot make you fat.
I hope I have managed to answer your question, but should you have any other queries please feel free to contact me at bridget@futurelife.co.za.
The Futurelife Dietitian
Thank you, this gave a lot of information for me. People at my work eat Pro Nutro and Futurelife, so I wondered which one I should pick
ReplyDeleteHi Ashleigh, my son Michael has also just graduated from Vega. Thank you for the interesting read. I have been debating this issue myself for a while now too. I contacted Futurelife last year about the GMO issue and they said they'd stopped using GMO in July of 2013. Sadly I still prefer ProNutro which is a big no no now because of the GMO. I treat breakfast as the main meal of the day and don't always have time to cook Jungle Oats, which by the way has no GMO's. Not crazy about Muesli. Anyone know if All Bran Flakes are okay? Haven't researched this yet.
ReplyDeleteThank you for the article. it is informative - insulin spikes etc.
ReplyDeleteThank you for the article, I am one of those people who only exercise on the weekend because of work, and I was wary of the weight gain comments my friend's made about taking futurelife. I love it as a cereal and snack, and won't stop. However, I never have it after 4pm as I am less active and won't be using up the added energy.
ReplyDeleteI've been having ProNutro for over 40 years now and I don't have any health issues! Breakfast @ 7:30 am next meal @10 am one banana and a cup of tea lunch @ 12:45...! I'm a cyclist doing over 200 km per week...! One has to have a balanced diet it's what you consume for the rest of days of the week that matters. If you are eating too much meat dishes every day and not much greens, then you'll definitely have health problems...!
ReplyDelete