What cereal is right for you? With more than a hundred varieties, you’ve got choices!
Check for fiber. Pick higher-fiber cereals—with perhaps whole wheat, bran, or oats as the first ingredient. Check serving size, too. Breakfast cereals may contain a range from 0.5 to 10 fiber grams per ounce. Daily fiber goal? Age 50 or under: 25 grams for women, 38 grams for men, and slightly less (21 grams for women, 30 grams for men) if you’re older.
Analyze claims. Be sensible about highly fortified cereals (with calcium, antioxidants, B vitamins, iron, and/or zinc). One hundred percent of everything isn’t necessary, especially if you take a multivitamin/ mineral supplement, too. Herbal add-ins? Promised benefits are iffy.
Look for trans-fat. Most cereals are low in fat. Unhealthy trans-fat (partly hydrogenated fat) may appear in granola, among others.
With any breakfast cereal:
- Drink your cereal milk—for all the calcium benefits in the bowl.
- Sweeten with fruit—for vitamin C, beta carotene, fiber, and other nutrient and phytonutrient benefits, too.
- Top with yogurt—if you like cold cereal crunch. Besides its calcium, yogurt with active live cultures has probiotic benefits. (See July 19.)
- Sprinkle on nuts—for more fiber and phytonutrient benefits.
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