Your guide to choosing the perfect breakfast cereal
From oats to fruit loops, the cereal aisle in the supermarket can be a bit overwhelming at times. Cereals are a great way to kickstart the day, being a quick, easy breakfast packed with essential vitamins and minerals. With breakfast often being crowned ‘as one of the most important meals of the day’ it is crucial to find a nourishing and enjoyable meal as well as fuelling our body with the energy we need for the day.
Here are our top tips to finding a breakfast cereal that suits you!
1. Look for wholegrains
Wholegrains are an important addition to cereals as they are a source of carbohydrates, protein, fibre as well as containing vitamins and minerals, including B vitamins, vitamin E, folate, zinc, and iron. Wholegrains have been shown to be beneficial in chronic disease with studies showing a reduced risk of heart disease and diabetes. Wholegrains can be found listed in the ingredients. Examples of wholegrains that you may see in the ingredients list for cereals include wheat, rice, oats, barely, corn and rye.
Aim for at least 50% wholegrains – the percentage of wholegrains will be found within the ingredients list. Higher percentage ingredients will be listed as one of the first ingredients.
2. Fibre is our friend!
Fibre is a type of carbohydrate beneficial for our gut health including helping with the digestion process and keeping us fuller for longer. Breakfast cereals are an excellent way to meet our fibre requirements. Current fibre recommendations for Australian adults are set between 25-30g/day of dietary fibre.
Aim for at least 10g of fibre per 100g. A handy tip when looking for high fibre cereals is finding those that contain wholegrains.
3. Limit the sugar
A simple guide when it comes to sugar is the less the better. Often cereals that are targeted at kids tend to be higher in sugar as well as those that contain dried fruit. Similar to wholegrains, look in the ingredients list to see if sugar is listed as one of the first ingredients. Sugar may also have different ‘hidden’ names including glucose, sucrose, dextrose, honey, sugar/maple/agave syrup, brown sugar, and maltodextrin.
Aim for 15g of sugar per 100g. If you enjoy fruit with your cereal opt for whole fruits like apples or banana as an alternative to dried fruit.
4. Watch out for salt
You may not expect cereals to be high in sodium (salt) but commercially can be added during processing or cooking. The Australian recommendations for sodium for the average adult is 2000mg/day, which is equivalent to 5g of salt per day, or one teaspoon. Currently, most Australians are consuming twice the recommended amount of sodium per day.
Aim for low sodium – a rough guide for most foods is less than 400mg sodium per 100g.
5. Add toppings
Cereal does not have to be bland – adding toppings to your cereal can be a great way to get a serve of fruit in for the day or even boost your calcium. Some great combinations for cereal toppings can include:
o Yoghurt and mixed berries on weet-bix or oats
o Nut butter and berries served with porridge
o Banana and cinnamon on top of a muesli or oats
o Mixed nuts and seeds added into any cereal!
Not sure what or where to look on the nutritional information panel? Click here for a guide.
The bottom line
Who says you can’t have cereal for another meal or snack? Here are some of our top picks in cereal you can look out for in the supermarket!
· Weet-bix (including hi-bran and multigrain blends)
· Uncle Tobys Rolled Oats
· All-bran original and wheat flakes
· Be natural 5 whole grain flakes
· Carman’s fruit free muesli
