Is Carnation Instant Breakfast Healthy?
Carnation Instant Breakfast is marketed as a healthy breakfast product. In order to understand if it is, in fact, a healthy food product, it's important to understand the nutrition facts.
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Calories
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Carnation Instant Breakfast contains 130 calories per package, making it a relatively low calorie food. Keep in mind that this doesn't include milk, which adds additional calories.
Fat
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Carnation Instant Breakfast contains only 1 gram of fat and 0 grams of saturated fat, which can lower your LDL cholesterol levels and lead to many different types of heart conditions, according to the American Heart Association.
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Sodium & Potassium
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Carnation Instant Breakfast contains 135 mg of sodium and 240 mg of potassium. Sodium is a necessary nutrient, but the average adult should consume no more than 2300 mg per day, according to the American Heart Association. Potassium is a healthy nutrient that helps balance out your sodium intake.
Carbohydrates
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Up until this point, Carnation Instant Breakfast could be considered a healthy breakfast option. However, Carnation Instant Breakfast contains 25 grams of carbohydrates per serving, with 18 grams of sugar per serving. The American Heart Association has released research that shows consuming too much sugar can lead to diabetes, high blood pressure, and heart disease. They go on to say that women should eat no more than 25 grams of added sugar per day, and men should eat no more than 37.5 grams of added sugar per day.
Protein
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Carnation Instant Breakfast has 6 grams of protein per serving, which is 12% of your recommended daily allowance.
Bottom Line
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Carnation Instant Breakfast has some positive health attributes: it's low in calories, low in fat, contains protein, and contains vitamins and minerals. However, the high amount of sugar included means you need to really watch your sugar intake every time you eat one of these Instant Breakfast packets. Overall, it's a relatively healthy food, but Carnation has a low-sugar Instant Breakfast that is a much healthier option.
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