Let's face it: Cereal is often guilty of almost every cardinal sins of nutrition. Sugar. Marshmallows. Food dyes. Artificial flavors. More sugar. But before it became an American breakfast staple with sky-high sugar counts, cereal had a clean record--as a nourishing food for health spa patients. In 1863, sanatorium operator and vegetarian lames Caleb Jackson invented the first cereal in an attempt to combat the digestive woes of a population that routinely ate meat for breakfast. The cereal, which he named Granula, was composed of heavy bran nuggets that required overnight soaking to be chewable.
Fast forward to the 1950s, when cereal morphed into an almost dessert-like food, with up to 56 percent sugar packed in one bowl! Today, many grocery aisles still overflow with not-so-healthful options, but fortunately, it is possible to return to cereal's noble roots. The fight kind can provide a host of nutritional benefits, from fiber to B vitamins like folate and niacin to minerals like iron, magnesium, and selenium.
People always recommend looking for a cereal that's flaky or puffy as opposed to dense and nuggety; lighter cereals usually contain fewer calories per portion than more dense ones. With any cereal, it's best to eat no more than 1-2 cups per serving. This can contain up to two whole-grain servings while leaving room for low-fat milk or other add-ons.
Be a Label Lover
Look for three key numbers [on labels]: calories, fiber grams, and sugar grams. It is recommended cereals that contain no more than 200 calories per cup, provide at least 4 g of fiber, and add up to less than 15 g of sugar per serving. Stay away from labels that list sugar, dextrose, and high fructose corn syrup as ingredients, particularly if they are among the first five ingredients.
Go Grainy
When selecting a boxed cereal, look for whole-grain varieties. Whole grains are high in fiber and can help prevent type 2 diabetes, heart disease, and even some cancers. To glean the full benefit of whole grains.
Brown rice, barley, steel-cut oatmeal, quinoa, amaranth, millet, buckwheat, or bulgur can all provide a nutritious breakfast when cooked. Many health food stores have a bulk bin section featuring a variety of cereal grains. Expert suggests soaking the grains with dried fruit overnight, and then adding sunflower seeds and a little half-and-half after cooking it in the morning.
Substitute for Sugar
A final tips for boosting your morning bowl's nutritional value: An ideal way of sweetening cereal is to simply add some dried fruit--raisins or currants, dried apricots, prunes, mango, pineapple, or banana. Also can reduce sugar by mixing sweetened cereals with less sugary ones. Or top with fresh fruit like berries and a sprinkle of stevia or drizzle of honey.
The good thing about breakfast cereals
