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All About the Foods We Eat / How To Pick A Breakfast Cereal
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The healthiest 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 oat groats, barley or wheat berries, served like oatmeal - perhaps with cinnamon or raisins. Most of the prepared hot cereals such as oatmeal are made from whole grains and are just fine, too, but not as filling.
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. You should avoid foods with partially hydrogenated oils (or "trans fats"), and they show up in an alarming number of cereal brands (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.)
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.
Recommended: Cereals made from Whole Grains
(no trans fats, little or no added sugars -- as of Fall 1999. Check the labels occasionally -- ingredients can change. )
Cheerios - General Mills
Chex, Wheat - General Mills
Grape Nuts - Post
Healthy Choice Toasted Brown Sugar Squares - Kelloggs
Just Right with Fruit & Nuts - Kelloggs
Kashi - Kashi Company
Mini-Wheats, Raisin Squares - Kelloggs
Mini-Wheats, Frosted, Bite-Size - Kelloggs
Mini-Wheats, Frosted - Kelloggs
Muesli - Familia
Nutri-Grain, Golden Wheat - Kelloggs
Nutri-Grain, Almond-Raisin - Kelloggs
Oatmeal Crisp, Almond - General Mills
Oatmeal Crisp, Apple Cinnamon - General Mills
Oatmeal Crisp, Raisin - General Mills
Oatmeal Squares - Quaker
Organic Healthy Fiber Multigrain Flakes - Health Valley
Puffed Wheat - Quaker
Shredded Wheat - Post
Shredded Wheat & Bran - Post
Shredded Wheat, Frosted - Post
Shredded Wheat, Spoon Size - Post
Total, Whole Grain - General Mills
Wheaties, Crispy 'n' Raisins - General Mills
Recommended: All Bran or High Bran Cereals
(no trans fats, little or no added sugars. )
100% Bran - Post
All Bran, bran buds - Kelloggs
All-Bran, extra fiber - Kelloggs
All-Bran, original - Kelloggs
Bran Flakes - Post
Chex, Multi-Bran - General Mills
Complete Wheat Bran Flakes - Kelloggs
Complete Oat Bran Flakes - Kelloggs
Fiber 7 Flakes - Health Valley
Fiber One - General Mills
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
Total, Raisin Bran - General Mills
Not Recommended - Cereals that Contain Partially Hydrogenated Oils (Trans Fats)
Many also are primarily refined grains and high in added sugars.
100% Natural Granola with Raisins, Low Fat - Quaker
100% NaturalGranola - Quaker
Alpha Bits, Frosted - Post
Alpha Bits, Marshmallow - Post
Apple Zaps - Quaker
Basic Four - General Mills
Cap'n Crunch - Quaker
Cap'n Crunch, Crunch Berries - Quaker
Cap'n Crunch, Peanut Butter Crunch - Quaker
Cap'n Crunch, Oops, All Berries - Quaker
Cheerios, Multi-Grain Plus - General Mills
Cheerios, Apple Cinnamon - General Mills
Cinnamon Toast Crunch - General Mills
Cinnamon Grahams - General Mills
Cocoa Frosted Flakes - Kelloggs
Cocoa Blasts - Quaker
Cocoa Krispies - Kelloggs
Cocoa Pebbles - Post
Cocoa Puffs - General Mills
Cookie Crisp/Chocolate Chip - General Mills
Count Chocula - General Mills
Cracklin' Oat Bran - Kelloggs
French Toast Crunch - General Mills
Froot Loops - Kelloggs
Fruit & Fiber with Dates, Raisins & Walnuts - Post
Fruit & Fiber with Peaches, Raisins & Almonds - Post
Fruity Pebbles - Post
Golden Grahams - General Mills
Golden Crisp - Post
Granola, Low Fat - Kelloggs
Granola with Raisins, Low Fat
Grape Nut Flakes - Post
Healthy Choice Mueslix - Kelloggs
Healthy Choice Almond Crunch with Raisins - Kelloggs
Healthy Choice Low Fat Granola with Raisins - Kelloggs
Honey Bunches of Oats, Almond - Post
Honey Bunches of Oats, Honey Roasted - Post
Just Right with Crunchy Nuggets - Kelloggs
Kix, Berry Berry - General Mills
Mini-Wheats, Strawberry Squares - Kelloggs
Morning Traditions, Great Grains, Raisins, Dates & Pecans - Post
Morning Traditions, Great Grains, Crunchy Pecan - Post
Morning Traditions, Banana Nut Crunch - Post
Morning Traditions, Blueberry Morning - Post
Oreo O's - Post
Raisin Nut Bran - General Mills
Reese's Peanut Butter Puffs - General Mills
Shredded Wheat, Honey Nut, Bite Size - Post
Smacks - Kelloggs
Sweet Crunch - Quaker
Toasted Oatmeal, Honey Nut - Quaker
Toasted Oatmeal - Quaker
Trix, Wildberry - General Mills
Waffle Crisp - Post
Wheaties (plain) - General Mills
Not Recommended - Cereals Made from Refined Grains
Many of these also contain a lot of added sugar
Apple Jacks - Kelloggs
Breakfast Mates, Corn Flakes - Kelloggs
Breakfast Mates, Frosted Flakes - Kelloggs
Breakfast Mates, Milk - Kelloggs
Cheerios, Team - General Mills
Cheerios, Honey Nut - General Mills
Cheerios, Frosted - General Mills
Chex, Rice - General Mills
Chex, Corn - General Mills
Clusters, Honey Nut - General Mills
Corn Pops - Kelloggs
Corn Flakes, Honey Crunch - Kelloggs
Corn Flakes - Kelloggs
Crispix - Kelloggs
Frosted Flakes - Kelloggs
Honey Comb - Post
Kix - General Mills
Life - Quaker
Life, Cinnamon - Quaker
Lucky Charms - General Mills
Product 19 - Kelloggs
Puffed Rice - Quaker
Rice Krispies, Razzle Dazzle - Kelloggs
Rice Krispies - Kelloggs
Smart Start - Kelloggs
Special K - Kelloggs
Total, Corn Flakes - General Mills
Wheaties, Honey Frosted - General Mills
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