How to Choose A Healthy Breakfast Cereal

A healthy breakfast consisting of cereal and other foods is the perfect way to start a busy day. Known as a power meal, a healthy breakfast provides the right fuel to keep the body functioning at its optimal best. Breakfast cereals are a convenient and quick way to meet individual nutritional needs at breakfast. Research suggests that eating a healthy breakfast makes kids and adults smarter, and perform better at school and workplaces. The right breakfast cereal with a balanced nutritional profile is an excellent aid in weight loss and weight management efforts. Here is how to select a healthy breakfast cereal that packs a nutritional punch.

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Hot cereal or
• Cold cereal
• Milk
• Fruit
• Nuts

1. Look for the words whole grain on the label of a cereal box, and check the ingredient list also to make sure that the cereal is made out of whole grains only.

2. Choose a cereal that is high in fiber. Look for a breakfast cereal that has at least 6 grams of fiber in a serving. Breakfast is an excellent time to pack in some fiber into a diet for digestive health. In addition, a high fiber breakfast keeps a person full until lunch, and has a huge list of other health benefits. Bran, whole grain and oats are naturally high in fiber.

3. Examine nutritional needs at a given point and choose a whole grain breakfast cereal with added nutrients accordingly. Look for a cereal with probiotics when focusing on digestive health. Find a cereal high in omega-3 fatty acids when joint or brain health is the focus. Look for a breakfast cereal that is low in sodium when high blood pressure is a concern. Find a cereal fortified with iron when anemia is a concern.

4. When focusing on weight loss, choose a breakfast cereal that is whole grain, low in sugar and fat, high in protein (with at least 10 grams in a serving), and also high in fiber (also with 10 grams in a serving).

5. Watch out for cereals that are fortified with vitamins especially when also taking a multi vitamin supplement in a day.

6. Choose a hot or a cold cereal based on craving and the weather. Hot cereals have a comforting melt in the mouth quality that make them ideal for winter mornings.

Tips & Warnings

• Eat cereal with milk to increase calcium and Vitamin D intake in a diet.
• Add a serving of berries to breakfast cereal to further boost their nutritional quotient.
• Look for a cereal that is minimally processed.
• Watch out for added sugars in cereals!

Resources

• Nutritional information of breakfast cereals

[admiller]

on 5/6/2009 Well-thought out advice on choosing a healthy breakfast cereal. I like the high fiber tip. Thank you.

[kittykat3]

on 5/6/2009 Excellent tips on how to choose a healthy breakfast cereal. 5*

[sonni57]

on 5/6/2009 Starting the day out right with a healthy breakfast cereal is a good way to maintain good health.