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Don't Be A CEREAL KILLER!

Read cereal labels!! To help you decide whether a particular product merits a place in your pantry or is better left on the shelf, consider these six criteria for a healthy cereal:

The grains should be whole (e.g. "whole wheat" or "wheat bran," not just "wheat").
Protein content should be at least 3 grams per serving
The total carbohydrate-to-sugar ratio should be no less than four to one.* This means if the "Total Carbohydrate" line says 24 grams, the "sugars" should have a value of 6 grams or less. That tells you that most of the carbs come from the grain and fibers, not from the added sugars. On the other hand, a cereal with 28 grams of total carbohydrate and 15 grams of sugars would fall into the "junk cereal" category. Super nutritious cereals have a carb-to- sugar ratio of six or seven to one (e.g., 23 grams to 3 grams). Also look for the "five and five" rule: Less than 5 grams of sugar and at least 5 grams of fiber.
Zinc content should be 25 to 40 percent of the recommended daily allowance. Zinc is essential for the proper function of cellular metabolism. About 100 enzymes rely on zinc to help them catalyze vital chemical reactions. Zinc protects cell membranes from oxidative damage and stabilizes the structure of cell proteins. Zinc also helps control the release of hormones and the transmission of nerve impulses.
- Iron content should be 25 to 40 percent of the RDA.
- Other vitamin and mineral content should be 25 to 40 percent of the RDA.
Make sure your cereal contains little or none of the following...
- hydrogenated oils
- dyes or artificial colors
- chemical preservatives
- Don't be deceived by a fruity name and pretty little berries floating all over the front of the box. (I don't know about you but my berries sink....) In most cereals there's very little fruit. Dried fruit may be heavier than grain so it may be listed near the top of the ingredient list, leading consumers to believe that they are getting a lot of fruit in the cereal. Add your own!! Even if they were frozen, defrost and thrown them on.
- When comparing the nutrient-density of cereals it's best to make comparisons based on the calories per serving rather than the volume or weight of a serving. For example, an ounce of a nutrient-dense cereal, such as “All-Bran” with extra fiber, would contain fewer calories and take up less volume than a more light and airy puffed rice. It would seem that you're getting more calories if you eat the bigger bowl of puffed rice, but, you'll get more nutrients per calorie in the bran cereal.
- The quality of the grain is more important than the percentage of the vitamins listed on the box. Synthetic vitamins may be cheaper to add than nutritious grains. For example, a cereal listing "corn" or "wheat" but containing a lot of vitamins may not be as nutritious as a cereal listing "whole wheat" or "whole bran" yet containing a lower percentage of vitamins.
- Outrageous names on cereal boxes usually mean that a lot of good nutrition has been left out. This is particularly true of cereals targeted at children who are most influenced by the catchy name and hype on the front of the box and in the TV commercials. Children are too young to read the nutritional facts and ingredients list on the side of the box and rely on their parents to look out for their nutritional best interest.
- Protein: at least one gram per serving
- Iron: at least three milligrams per serving. Remember, after infants and toddlers are weaned from breast milk or formula, cereals may supply around half of an infant's daily requirement for iron, which averages around six to ten milligrams a day. Infant cereals generally contain more iron per serving than adult cereals since they are enriched with iron.

Choose fiber-rich cereals. Slow going? One of the most important components of cereals is fiber, which acts like an intestinal broom and sponge, soaking up water and sweeping out waste in the form of softer stools. A high fiber cereal will prevent constipation.

Another way to evaluate the amount of sugar in a cereal is to look at the number of grams of sugar per one ounce serving. As a general guide, more than seven grams of sugar (1.5 teaspoons) per one ounce serving is too much. Some cereals, especially those in our junk category, have 3 to 4 teaspoons of sugar added per one ounce serving. Even your kids might say "too sweet!"

WOW!!! Have a look at the comparison! All are single servings.....

Cocoa Puffs :
Calories 117	Dietary Fibre 0.7 g	Fat 0.96g	Sugars 14.1g	Carbs 26.4g	Protein 1.2g
Special K with berries :
Calories 110	Dietary Fibre 1g	Fat 0g	Sugars 10g	Carbs 27g	Protein 2g
Lucky charms :
Calories 114	Dietary Fibre 1.5g	Fat 1.14g	Sugars 12.9	Carbs 24.9g	Protein 2.1g
Cheerios :
Calories 111	Dietary Fibre 3.6g	Fat 1.77g	Sugars 1.18	Carbs 22.2g	Protein 3.55g
Oatmeal :
Calories 145	Dietary Fibre 3.7g	Fat 2.39g	Sugars 0.56g	Carbs 25.37g	Protein 6.06g

Eat like a Queen or a King at Breakfast!

Yours in Health,
GI JANE

Jane's Blog

Don't Be A CEREAL KILLER!

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