Choosing a
healthy breakfast cereal is becoming a hard task for a lot of people. Do you go
for nutrition or do you go for taste? The trick is finding a breakfast cereal
that has healthful attributes but has a great taste as well. Experts say it’s
beneficial to at least eat a cereal almost daily, be it breakfast or as a
snack. A breakfast cereal can either add a lot of good stuff to your body or
add a lot of nothing. But having known how a breakfast cereal can add value to
your health, how do you go about choosing the right one? Well, in this article I
have outlined five tips that should help you when choosing a breakfast cereal.
1.Go for
whole grains
Experts have
always recommend whole-grain cereals. They help lower the risk of diabetes and
heart disease. Research has shown that people who eat more whole grains are at
a lower risk of developing heart conditions or diabetes. So, if you eat
breakfast cereals ensure you at least get one serving of whole grains.
Unlike
whole-grain cereals, breakfast cereals made with refined grains are generally
not associated with health benefits. You should also note that refined-grain
breakfast cereals do not help in lowering the risk of gaining weight as whole
grain cereals.
2.Choose
bran
If you’re
looking for breakfast cereals high in fibre then bran is one factor you should
consider. Brans contain dietary fibre.They are also rich in
omegas,starch,protein, vitamins and minerals, making them nutritional
powerhouses.
Breakfast
cereals high in fibre also help lower cholesterol and improve intestinal
health.Proper intestinal health ensures effective absorption of nutrients into
your blood stream.
3.Amount of
sugar
Breakfast
cereals with high amounts of sugar are tasty, but are these high amounts of
sugar good for your health? It is highly advisable that one goes for low sugar
breakfast cereals. For one, cereals with high amounts of sugar usually have low
amounts of fibre. You should therefore go for cereals containing 5 grams of
sugar or less per serving. As an example, a cereal with 10 grams of sugar per
serving is equivalent to about three teaspoons of sugar per breakfast cereal
bowl! This isn’t really great for your health.
4.Amount of
protein
How much
protein should a breakfast cereal have? Each serving size should contain at
least 3 grams of protein. Although many people overlook the importance of
proteins in breakfast cereals, experts advice you go for high protein breakfast
cereals.This will ensure you get some protein to keep your breakfast balanced
even if you don’t have a boiled egg.
5.Vitamins and
minerals
We all know
the importance of vitamins and minerals to our bodies, but are we keen to
ensure we get enough of them? Reading nutrition labels is one way to determine
which breakfast cereals contain the most vitamins and minerals. The next time
you go shopping for breakfast cereals choose one that contains healthy doses of
calcium, vitamin D, folic acid, vitamin C, and potassium.
Although
choosing a healthy breakfast cereal might not be the simplest of tasks for many
people, you can always achieve it by considering the above facts. Always ensure
that you read the list of ingredients before purchasing a breakfast cereal.
