Quaker Oats Instant Grits: Nutritional Information

By: Valerie Liles

Grits, most notably a Southern dish but originally a Native American staple, consists of coarsely ground corn cooked into a porridge of sorts. Cooked grits resemble cream of wheat or cream of rice but have the taste of corn. Grits usually are eaten for breakfast but also are a common side dish for lunch or dinner. Quaker Instant Grits come in a variety of flavors.

Serving Size and Varieties

A single serving consists of one packet equal to 28 grams, with one box having 12 packets. Instant Grits also come in an 18 ounce family size box. Varieties of Quaker Instant Grits include Butter, Cheddar Cheese, Cheese Lovers Variety, Country Bacon, Red Eye Gravy & Country Ham, Flavor Variety Pack and Original.

Calories, Fat and Sodium

One serving of Quaker Instant Grits has 100 calories, with no fat and 310 milligrams of sodium, providing 13 percent daily value based on a 2,000-calorie diet. Quaker Instant Grits has no cholesterol or potassium. In comparison, the Cheddar Cheese flavor of Quaker Instant Grits has 100 calories with 15 calories from fat and a total fat content of 1.5 grams. Cheddar Cheese Grits has 470 milligrams of sodium providing 20 percent daily value.

Carbohydrates and Protein

Total carbohydrates include starches, fiber and sugars. One serving of Quaker Instant Grits contains 22 grams of total carbohydrates, providing 7 percent daily value. One serving has 1 grams of dietary fiber, providing 5 percent daily value, and no sugars. A single serving of Quaker Instant Grits Original provides 2 grams of protein. The Cheddar Cheese variety has 20 grams of total carbohydrates, with 1 gram of dietary fiber, 1 gram of sugars and 3 grams of protein.

Vitamins and Minerals

Quaker Instant Grits contains 10 percent of the daily value of calcium, thiamin, riboflavin, niacin and folic acid, and 45 percent daily value of iron. Quaker Instant Grits Cheddar Cheese provides the same daily values as Instant Grits Original.

Ingredients

Quaker Instant Grits ingredients include degerminated white corn grits, salt, calcium carbonate, reduced iron, niacin and thiamin mononitrate-B vitamins and BHT and citric acid as preservatives. Quaker Instant Grits contains degerminated white corn, which is further processed giving the corn meal and ultimately the grits a smoother texture. The Cheddar Cheese variety has significantly more ingredients than Original Grits, because of the added flavoring.