Breakfast Cereals as a Source of ProteinThe protein content of cereal grains is small relative to their carbohydrate content. For example, white wheat contains 75.4% carbohydrate but only 9.4% protein. For wheat made into flour, the ratio is even more in favor of carbohydrate.
With breakfast cereal, the situation is exacerbated when sugar is added to the formula. Because of then high ratio carbohydrate to protein, the protein content is frequently discounted.
The protein of breakfast cereal is often given short shrift because the protein in cereal grains is known to be deficient in certain essential amino acids, such as lysine. However, the combination of cereals with milk helps to alleviate this deficiency in many cases.
Although the protein quality of breakfast cereals as individual foods does not compare favorably with that of animal products like meat and milk, this is not to say that cereal grain proteins in general are devoid of specific amino acids as gelatin is devoid tryptophan.
Mixtures of cereal grains eaten in large enough quantities will supply all the essential amino acids needed for growth and maintenance, the cereal grains certainly make their contribution to human protein needs, as attested to by the millions of people throughout several millennia who survived primarily on such grain.
Their diets were sometimes supplemented with legumes and only occasionally with sources of animal protein, from meat, fish and milk. It is reasonable to assume that breakfast cereals can make the same contributions as the cereal grains did, provided the protein is not significantly diminished or damaging by processing.
Breakfast Cereals as a Source of Protein
