When it comes to breakfast cereal there are so many to choose from, so how can you make sure you are picking the right one? Here are some tips to find a nutritious cereal amongst all the other sugary creations.
Choosing a breakfast cereal can be tricky because even those that promote being healthy options often aren’t. The trick is to ignore the health claims on the front of the box and focus on the Nutrition Facts panel. Also be sure to check the serving size. A cereal may seem healthy until you read the fine print. “If a cereal says it has 10 grams of sugar and a serving size of 30 grams, that means the cereal is one-third sugar.”
Eating whole grains in the morning is important. Recent studies suggests that those who eat more whole grains are at lower risk of diabetes and heart disease. If you look at the list of ingredients, whole grain should be first or second on the list. If instead you see rice or rice flour, stay away from this cereal. These mean that it is made up of refined grain which is not good for you.
Another thing you should look for in a cereal is fiber. Fiber helps to keep you full and has several other health benefits. Fiber from whole grain and bran are the best option. Other fibers such as oat fiber, soy fiber and corn fiber are isolated fibers which mean they are removed from grains and made into powder; they have no proven health benefits. In addition, make sure the cereal contains less than 250 calories per cup and does not contain artificial sweeteners like aspartame.
Other 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. Eating refined grains had the opposite effect. As the intake of refined-grain foods increased, so did weight gain.”
Now that you know the dos and don’t of breakfast cereal, here is a list of some cereals that meet the criteria.
Cascadian Farms Honey Nut Os: organic cereal with 110 calories, 3 g of fiber, 7 g of sugar per cup
Nature’s Path ...
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