Tips on Finding the Healthiest Breakfast Cereal

Tips on Finding the Healthiest Breakfast Cereal
Page content

Introduction

Everyone knows breakfast is the most important meal of the day and that skipping breakfast makes for a rough morning at work. But we don’t put a lot of thought into what we actually eat for breakfast. We might have a donut for breakfast but wouldn’t dream of having a frosted deep-fried piece of cake for dinner. Neither bacon nor sausage is exactly a grilled chicken breast.

Breakfast cereal sometimes seems to be the best alternative, and finding the healthiest breakfast cereal can be easier than it seems.

Don’t believe the hype

Ignore the ads, especially the ones that say “mom approves” because the cereal has grains and isn’t a jelly donut.

Also don’t believe the front of the cereal box. The Food and Drug Administration and the Federal Trade Commission have both investigated major cereal companies in recent months for claims that are misleading or worse. The FTC busted Kellogg Co. for a goofy suggestion that the sugar-loaded Frosted Mini-Wheats raise children’s attentiveness.

The FDA is taking on General Mills’ Cheerios for suggestions about lowering cholesterol with whole grain oats - not so much the claim as what it omits. The problem with health claims is often the suggestion that the product will instantly make you healthier without any other changes to diet or lifestyle.

Even the claims of “now with less sugar” or “high fiber” should be taken with a grain of salt (and there might be more than a few grains in the cereal).

Find the right balance

Instead, study the ingredient label and nutrition information on the back of the box. The healthiest breakfast cereal should be low in sugar and high in fiber. Ideally, it should also be high in protein, particularly for vegetarians. Of course, you’re probably already on the lookout for low levels of fat, but pay more attention to saturated fat content.

Also, you’ll notice the amounts of sugar, fat, etc., are measured per serving, and the servings may not be very big. Multiply the amounts by five if you eat five servings of a relatively low-sugar cereal.

Don’t trust the name of the breakfast cereal or the type. Granola seems especially healthy, but can be loaded with fat — and full of additives and extra ingredients.

Simplify

In general, these additives and extras should be avoided. Avoid breakfast cereal that contains ingredients you can’t pronounce or that your great grandmother wouldn’t recognize. In fact, avoid breakfast cereal with any long list of ingredients. The healthiest breakfast cereal is typically the most simple.

Even if you don’t have a few extra minutes to cook real oatmeal, you can find a good, simple breakfast cereal.

This post is part of the series: Finding the Best Breakfast Cereal

Finding the healthiest breakfast cereal doesn’t always mean looking at the front of the box. Many breakfast cereals can have misleading advertising. Learn tips on how to find the best breakfast cereal and discover the nutritional value of many popular brand-name breakfast cereals.

  1. What to Look for in a Breakfast Cereal
  2. Ten Healthy-Sounding Breakfast Cereals - Are They Nutritious?