The most healthful breakfast is whole grain cereal. If you're trying to lose weight, control cholesterol or diabetes, or just need a lot of energy, your best bet is a hot cooked cereal of whole grains, such as oatmeal; or barley, brown rice or wheat berries cooked and served like oatmeal. Flavor it with raisins or other dried fruits, cinnamon, and perhaps a handful of nuts such as pine nuts.
If you prefer cold cereal, you need to check the list of ingredients carefully. The FIRST ingredient should be a whole grain. Then scan through the entire list and if you see the words "partially hydrogenated," put the box back on the shelf. We recommend that you avoid foods with partially hydrogenated oils (or "trans fats"), and they still show up in many cereals (see the list below.)
Once you've eliminated all the brands made with refined grains or partially hydrogenated oils, check for ADDED sugars (you want little or none) and fiber (you want a lot.)
Raisins or other dried fruits will add a lot of grams of sugar to the listing on the nutrition panel; they are not distinguished from added sugars, so you can only estimate the amounts.
The fiber content listed on the nutrition label can be confusing because it's based on serving size, and very light cereals (such as puffed wheat) show little fiber per serving, but an acceptable amount when you adjust for weight. Cereals made from bran (the outer covering removed from whole grains) will have higher fiber content than cereals made from whole grains (which have the germ and starchy parts of the grains as well as the fiber), but they can be hard to digest.
2007 Update:I'm delighted to note that partially hydrogenated oils (trans fats) have been taken out of many cereals. The old list included 56 brands with PHO's; the new list has only 13! Most of the popular General Mills, Post and Quaker cereal brands no longer have them. Kelloggs is the one major cereal maker that has not yet removed them from many of their leading products; hopefully they will respond to consumer pressure soon.
Is it really whole grain? Manufacturers have also responded to the call for more whole grains in our diet, so you will find a lot more choices that meet my recommendation of "whole grains as the first ingredient". However, many that claim to be "whole grain" still include refined grains. You may need to do some detective work to see what you're getting. One-ingredient whole grain cereals (i.e., shredded wheat, puffed wheat, oatmeal) are sure bets. If you see milled corn, corn meal, wheat flour or rice in
Recommended: Cereals made from Whole Grains
(No trans fats, little or no added sugars; but check the list of ingredients -- recipes can change.)
Cheerios - General Mills
Chex, Wheat or Multi Grain - General Mills
Cinnamon Toast Crunch - General Mills
Cinnamon Grahams - General Mills
French Toast Crunch - General Mills
Golden Grahams - General Mills
Grape Nuts - Post
Grape Nut Flakes - Post
Great Grains, all varieties - Post
Healthy Choice Toasted Brown Sugar Squares - Kelloggs
Kashi (all varieties) - Kashi Company
Life - Quaker
Mini-Wheats, all varieties - Kelloggs
Muesli - Familia
Nutri-Grain, all varieties - Kelloggs
Oatmeal Crisp, all varieties - General Mills
Oatmeal Squares - Quaker
Organic Healthy Fiber Multigrain Flakes - Health Valley
Puffed Wheat - Quaker and others
Shredded Wheat, all varieties and sizes - Post and others
South Beach Diet Toasted Wheats
Total - General Mills
Uncle Sam - U.S. Mills
Weetabix
Wheaties - General Mills
Barbara's, Cascadian Farm, Mother's, Nature's Promise and other smaller brands that specialize in "healthful" cereals (but always check the list of ingredients).
Recommended: All Bran or High Bran Cereals
(no trans fats, little or no added sugars. )
100% Bran - Post
All Bran, all varieties - Kelloggs
Bran Flakes - Post
Chex, Multi-Bran - General Mills
Complete Wheat Bran Flakes - Kelloggs
Complete Oat Bran Flakes - Kelloggs
Cracklin' Oat Bran - Kelloggs
Crunchy Corn Bran - Quaker
Fiber 7 Flakes - Health Valley
Fiber One - General Mills
Fruit & Bran - Post
Granola, Low Fat - Kelloggs
Oat Bran - Quaker
Oat Bran Flakes - Health Valley
Oat Bran Flakes with Raisins - Health Valley
Organic Bran with Raisins - Health Valley
Raisin Bran - Kelloggs
Raisin Bran Flakes - Health Valley
Raisin Bran, Whole Grain Wheat - Post
Raisin Nut Bran - General Mills
Shredded Wheat 'n' Bran - Post
Total, Raisin Bran - General Mills
Weight Watchers Flakes 'n' Fiber
100% Natural Granola - Quaker
Not Recommended - Cereals that Contain Partially Hydrogenated Oils (Trans Fats)*
Many also are primarily refined grains and high in added sugars.
Basic Four - General Mills
Cocoa Krispies - Kelloggs
Corn Pops - Kelloggs
Froot Loops - Kelloggs
Golden Crisp - Post
Granola with Raisins, Low Fat - Kelloggs* (see note below)
Healthy Choice Mueslix - Kelloggs
Healthy Choice Almond Crunch with Raisins - Kelloggs
Healthy Choice Low Fat Granola with Raisins - Kelloggs
Mini-Swirlz - Kelloggs
Smacks - Kelloggs
Smart Start - Kelloggs
Special K - Kelloggs
Not Recommended - Cereals Made from Refined Grains
Many of these also contain a lot of added sugar
Apple Jacks - Kelloggs
Cap'n Crunch, all varieties - Quaker
Chex, Rice or Corn - General Mills
Cocoa Frosted Flakes - Kelloggs
Cocoa Blasts - Quaker
Cocoa Pebbles - Post
Cocoa Puffs - General Mills
Cookie Crisp/Chocolate Chip - General Mills
Corn Pops - Kelloggs
Corn Flakes - Kelloggs and others
Count Chocula - General Mills
Crispix - Kelloggs
Frosted Flakes - Kelloggs
Fruity Pebbles - Post
Honey Bunches of Oats - Post
Honey Comb - Post
Honey Nut Clusters - General Mills
Kix - General Mills
Lucky Charms - General Mills
Product 19 - Kelloggs
Puffed Rice - Quaker
Reese's Peanut Butter Puffs - General Mills
Rice Krispies, all varieties - Kelloggs
Total Corn Flakes - General Mills
*When I checked these cereals on 1/26/07, Kelloggs' Low Fat Granola with Raisins contained partially hydrogenated oils while their plain Low Fat Granola had none. I hope this means that Kelloggs is following the lead of the other cereal makers and that PHO's will soon be gone from all of their products. Meanwhile, protect yourself and check the list of ingredients! Cereal recipes change.
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