How Much Sugar is Hiding in Your Favourite Cereals?
Sugar. It is finally being recognized worldwide as one of the great contributors of disease. So we decided to investigate 3 common breakfast cereals and the sugars they contain.
Cereal, aka breakfast in a box. Fast, cheap and a staple in many households, it is perceived to help fuel our day. But did you know that some breakfast cereals are so high in refined sugars that, well, you may as well just eat the box?
Breakfast is recognized to be the most important meal of the day. It is said to break-the-fast of our overnight rest from food. Being the most important meal of the day, breakfast should contain a healthy amount of protein, fats, and carbohydrates. A breakfast lacking good fats and proteins, and one that is carbohydrate loaded, can result in the following:
- A spike in blood sugars, which then leads to a drop in blood sugars, (Over time, this can lead to insulin resistance!)
- Hunger not long after you’ve eaten,
- Cravings for more sugars shortly after,
- Low moods,
- Hypoglycemic headaches,
- Increases weight gain,
- Poor concentration (especially in children),
- and gives only a short-term burst of energy, leaving you feeling flat shortly after.
With the fast, busy, overstressed lives many of us lead, it’s no wonder so many families have a few varieties of cereal boxes in their pantry. It’s an easy option that works for many. But, does it for our health? Not really.
Here are a few examples of why we recommend a change from the typical boxed breakfast favorites.
Fruity Cheerios
Claimed by the company to be a healthy start to the day, and consumed by millions in the U.S, Cheerios’ statement to health is based on the whole grain and apparently low sugar ingredients. While they do contain grains, they are highly processed, loaded with refined sugars, and contain a variety of genetically modified ingredients. With 27 grams being a serving, and 23 grams per serving of carbohydrates, that’s around 85% being converted to sugars in the body, 9g of which is refined sugars. Not the ultimate way to start off your day. Highlighted are the many types of refined sugars found on the Cheerios site:
Fruity Cheerios Ingredients: whole grain corn, sugar, whole grain oats, corn syrup, canola, pear puree concentrate, rice bran and/or canola oil, salt, corn bran, tri-sodium phosphate, sodium citrate, natural flavor, color, corn starch, vitamin E, BHT and ascorbic acid.
Courtesy: foodmatters.tv