choosing a breakfast cereal
Do you eat cereal everyday for breakfast? Or maybe for a snack? Choosing the right cereal can be daunting. There are so many on the market today. Some are just plain sugar treats, more cookies or candy than food. But many have at least one serving of whole grains that are so important to a good diet. Recent research suggests those who eat more whole grains are at lower risk of diabetes and heart disease. Refined grain cereals have not shown the benefits that whole grain cereals do.
Your cereal should be high in fiber and low in sugars. But it should also taste good. Eating a bowlful of straw is not exactly a prescription for good health. Luckily, most whole grains have a rich nutty taste. Even so, to some, that whole grain make not taste so good. Dried fruit and nuts add a great deal of nutrition to cereals.
Bran is also a good way to add value to cereal. There are plenty of breakfast cereals with the word “bran” in the title, or at least on the box. Bran’s biggest benefit is boosting the grams of fiber per serving. This makes the cereal seem more filling, both in the short run and a couple hours. Recent research found that adding bran to the diet reduced the risk of weight gain in men aged 40-75. Another study, in women aged 38-63, reported that as intake of fiber and whole-grain foods went up, the rate of weight gain tended to decrease.
Here is a list of 8 healthy and great tasting breakfast cereals as reported by WebMD: Health & Cooking:
- Post Grape-Nuts Trail Mix Crunch: 5 grams fiber, and 22% calories from sugar. The first three ingredients are whole grain wheat, malted barley, and sugar, followed by raisins and wheat bran.
- Fiber One Bran Cereal: 14 grams fiber, 0% calories from sugar. First three ingredients are whole-grain wheat bran, corn bran, and cornstarch. This cereal only appeals to some people. I would suggest enhancing the flavor with cinnamon, fresh or dried fruit, and/or roasted nuts.
- Fiber One Honey Clusters: 13 grams fiber, 15% calories from sugar. The first three ingredients are whole-grain wheat, corn bran, and wheat bran.
- Quaker Oatmeal Squares: 5 grams fiber, 19% calories from sugar. The first three ingredients are whole oat flour, whole-wheat flour, and brown sugar.
- Shredded wheat: 6 grams fiber, 0% calories from sugar (for a generic brand). The only ingredient is 100% whole grain cereal. I enjoy this with added fresh or dried fruit and nuts. If you opt for the frosted variety, it has 6 grams fiber and gets 23% of its calories from sugar.
- Frosted Mini Wheats: 6 grams fiber, 24% calories from sugar. The first three ingredients are whole-grain wheat, sugar, and high-fructose corn syrup.
- Raisin Bran: 7 grams fiber, 40% calories from sugar (in Kellogg’s brand). The first three ingredients are whole wheat, raisins, and wheat bran). Sugar is listed fourth in the ingredient list, but many of the calories from sugar come from the raisins.
- Kashi Heart to Heart Honey Toasted Oat Cereal: 5 grams fiber, 18% calories from sugar. The first three ingredients are whole oat flour, oat bran, and evaporated cane juice. This is a higher-fiber alternative to Cheerios. I think they taste better, too. But that may be because there is more sweetener added (the evaporated cane juice).
In “How to pick a breakfast cereal” on DrMirkin.com, Diana Mirkin gives an exhaustive list of healthy/whole grain and bran cereals. She also list some “not recommended” cereals. (Hey! My fave Cinnamon Toast Crunch is on her recommended list!)
