I love cereal! As a kid, I once ate only Franken Berry cereal for three months straight. My mother said she cried herself to sleep every night. It also didn’t help that the closest place to purchase this cereal was 45 minutes away from our small town.
I DON’T recommend doing that!
However, if you are a cereal lover like myself try following a few guidelines to make your cereal a healthy and happy choice.
1) Look for cereals that have less than 140 calories per serving. Usually, the serving size is 3/4 to 1 cup, but can be smaller if it is a granola cereal.
2) Choose cereals with ten grams of sugar or less. Anything more puts you closer to dessert!
3) Try and find a cereal with two or more grams of fiber to help you stay fuller for longer.
4) Make your own homemade hot cereals. Oatmeal packets may have as much sugar in them as a candy bar. It is just as fast to put 1/2 cup of dry oats in a bowl with a tsp. of cinnamon and add one cup of hot water in the morning.
5) Use skim or 1% milk in your cereal to reduce your intake of saturated fat. Low-fat milk alternatives like soy or almond milk would also be a healthy option.
Like reading about breakfast? Check out: Let’s Talk About Breakfast Baby, Let’s Talk About…
{ 4 comments… read them below or add one }
Love the cereal criteria (and cereal jag story). While 2 better than zero I would say 5g fiber (or more) to really fill you.
Hi Lauren,
Two grams of fiber is just a baseline recommendation and if you add a fruit like a pear or apple to your breakfast you would also be getting in additional fiber
Hi! I am a fan of your blog and also of cereal =) I love this information, and agree with all but the calorie criteria. Everyone has different caloric needs, and 140 calories is not much for a meal, even when you add 100 or so calories for milk (I like a full cup ;))
For example, I often eat 1/2 cup of grape nuts (190 cals, all from healthy grains,) 1 cup skim milk, and 1/2 banana for breakfast . Of course, I am an active woman, and this is a meal.
Thanks for your blog, would love to have you visit mine!
Jessica Stonefield, RD, LN, CPT
Hi Jessica, Thanks for stopping by! These guidelines are just guidelines for the general public to follow. I work mostly with clients trying to lose weight. For more active individuals, nutritional needs would of course change.