Breakfast cereals – friend or foe?

Milo cereal, Sultana Bra, Crunchy Nut, Fruit Loops or Coco pops anyone?

As you may be aware, many commercial breakfast cereals which are marketed as “health foods”, are loaded with added sugar – some contain over 40% sugar! Many of the most commonly purchased cereals also display the Heart Foundation’s tick of approval (due to a lowered sodium content) giving the impression they are a heart-healthy choice. This concerns me immensely and really ruffles my feathers. Don’t be fooled by the common claims found on cereal boxes such as “high in fibre”, “Made with 50% whole-grains”, “A good source of calcium”… or my personal favourite… “99% fat-free”.Cereal companies contend that breakfast is the most important meal of the day. To be fair, there is literature to suggest that people who don’t eat breakfast are more likely to be overweight, and it has been found that over 90% of successful dieters usually eat breakfast. However, most of the research which showed positive weight loss effects (from eating their cereals), was funded by the actual cereal companies! Hmmm… somehow I’m not convinced. Remember, not ALL people who eat breakfast are of a healthy weight and this partially because of the difference in the quality of breakfast options.In my opinion, breakfast is ONE of the most important meals of the day (along with lunch), and skipping breakfast can lead to blood sugar dysregulation (resulting in low energy, poor concentration, irritability and headaches), and an increased likelihood of being overweight due to overeating the wrong kinds of foods later in the day. In a future blog, I’ll discuss the interesting concept of “intermittent fasting”, which involves delaying (not skipping) breakfast to achieve a healthy weight. For now, though, I would actually argue that the benefits of breakfast only apply when your choice is HEALTHY, and not sugar coated.

So what IS a healthy breakfast option?

Breakfast should always include a generous amount of good quality protein, favourable fats and fibre. Next time you buy a cereal, skip over the marketing blurb on the front of the box, and head straight for the ingredients and nutritional panel to see what the sugar level is, and what the ingredients are! Here is a guide to the sugar content of Australian breakfast cereals – although it’s a little out-dated now (2008), it’s pretty comprehensive and shows nice comparisons.The other, more preferable option, is to avoid the breakfast cereal aisle altogether!

Here are some nutritious and delicious ways to start the day:

• Make your OWN cereal – Mix together some coconut, almonds, dates, grated apple, and sunflower seeds, poppy seeds, macadamia nuts, cashews, rolled oats /puffed amaranth/almond flakes and/or naturally dried fruit. Alternatively, my favourite prepared seeded cereals are ‘Kapai Puku’, ‘Forage’ and ‘Mojo Muesli’.
• Berry Smoothie – 1 handful of fresh or frozen berries (or alternative fresh fruit), 200mL pure water, Ice (Optional extras: 1 tablespoon of chia seeds/ linseeds, ½ an avocado for extra creaminess, almond/coconut/oat milk, 1 tablespoon of coconut oil, sprinkle of cinnamon, 1 tablespoon of good quality protein powder, 1 teaspoon of stevia/honey)
• Eggs – They can be scrambled, boiled, poached or made into an omelette. Add some ricotta/cottage cheese, salmon and vegetables (i.e. spinach, onion, spinach, capsicum, tomatoes, avocado) and fresh herbs to garnish.
• Porridge – Natural rolled oats/quinoa flakes, with almond/malt-free soy/oat milk/coconut milk, a handful of fresh fruit, a few teaspoons of chia/flaxseeds, a drizzling of local honey, and a sprinkle of cinnamon.
• Full-fat Greek/natural yoghurt with some fresh seasonal fruit – add some ground chia/flaxseeds, some maple syrup and raw nuts.
• Almond meal/buckwheat pancakes – with ricotta cheese and berries

Breakfast can also be a quick stir-fry or leftovers from dinner… who says breakfast needs to look like “breakfast”? Opt for some ‘Sardine and sweet potato patties’, or some ‘Corn fritters with tomato relish and avocado’! Start your day with a meal that is’t going to leave you hungry, overweight and irritable; but nourished, energized and satiated.