According to Wikipedia, Breakfast cereal (or just cereal) is a food made from processed grains that is often eaten as the first meal of the day. It is eaten hot or cold, usually mixed with milk, yogurt, or fruit.
Some companies promote their products for the health benefits from eating oat-based and high-fiber cereals. In America, cereals are often fortified with vitamins. A significant proportion of cold cereals are made with high sugar content.
Many breakfast cereals are produced via extrusion.
Apparently, they are natural products, but there is a trend of thought that defends they are not as good as we think.
The main reasons to defend that position are:
- They include a lot of added sugar.
- Processing reduces the nutritional quality of a cereal's carbohydrate content.
- Artificial colors can speed up the development of cancerous tumors in mice.
- Many commercial varieties, including those with bran flakes and oat squares, contain 200 to 300 milligrams of sodium per serving. The Institute of Medicine recommends getting no more than 2.3 grams of sodium per day to keep your blood pressure at a safe level. Starting your day with more than 10 percent of your upper intake of sodium makes it difficult to stay below that recommended number.
- Preservatives, artificial flavoring and texture enhancers are put into cereals, resulting in a long list of ingredients.
For a healthier option, choose breakfast cereals that contain wholegrains and are lower in sugar, fat and salt. Examples include:
- wholewheat cereal biscuits
- shredded wholegrain pillows
- porridge oats
