The meal that starts the day for most Americans isn’t a bowl of oatmeal or an omelet and breakfast potatoes. It’s ready-to-eat cereal. Behind beverages and bread, cereal is America’s most popular purchase in the grocery store.
The $6 billion industry has been declining in recent years, but for those of us who do partake, it’s important to know how to keep the added sugar cereal is known for to a minimum. Sure oatmeal, barley, or millet with fruit and nuts are the ideal iteration of a healthy whole grain breakfast, but not everyone can give up their cereal bowls. Here’s how familiar cereals stack up on the added sugar front.
The American Heart Association recommends no more than 100 calories of added sugar a day for women and 150 for men. That’s just 24 and 36 grams respectively. A single serving of some cereals exceed this amount. Take the most popular breakfast cereals in America: Honey Nut Cheerios, Special K, and Honey Bunches of Oats.
Honey Nut Cheerios – 110 Calories Serving Size: 3/4 cup, Protein: 2g, Added Sugars: 9g, Fiber: 2g
A better Cheerios choice may be regular Cheerios which boasts just 1 gram of added sugar in its 1 cup serving size. Multigrain Cheerios has a little less sugar than the Honey Nut variety at 6 grams, and its larger 1 cup serving size boasts the same 110 calories with an extra gram of fiber.
Special K Original – 120 Calories Serving Size: 1 cup, Protein: 6g, Added Sugars: 4g ,Fiber: 0g
The calorie count of this rice-based cereal got some unwanted publicity recently as an advertisement was deemed misleading for not mentioning the additional calorie count of added milk. The Advertising Standards Authority banned the commercial saying Kellogg’s should have made clear the calories listed did not include milk calories.
So you know, a cup of 2% milk would add 122 calories. Interesting how they didn’t mention the fact that the ad calls the 1 cup serving a “bowl.” By the way, according to the nutrition facts on their website, there is no fiber in a serving of this cereal, which may leave you less satiated than other more fiber-packed options. Sad that the box lists the milk calories of 1/2 cup of skimmed milk, when that seems like a very small amount of milk to add to a “bowl.”
Honey Bunches of Oats Honey Roasted – 120 Calories Serving Size: 3/4 cup, Protein: 2g, Added Sugars: 6g, Fiber: 2g
I like that their website mentions a serving has the same amount of calories as Special K, without pointing out that their serving size is a 1/4 cup smaller. Also interesting about this cereal is despite its name, corn, wheat and sugar are listed before oats, meaning it’s more like sugar bunches of corn.
To be fair there is honey in the ingredient list as well, just happens to be after salt, rice flour, vegetable oil and a few other ingredients. Other varieties of this Post brand cereal include Vanilla Bunches, Just Bunches and Raisin Medley, all of which add up to 200 or more calories per cup with ample amounts of added sugar.
More Filling Options
If you go for the less sugar claims, be extra vigilant in checking that yours doesn’t have artificial sweeteners. Some cereals get away with no added sugar labels, but hide the fact that artificial sweeteners are used. Fiber One and Special K Protein Plus are two examples. While a recent study in the Journal of Nutrition suggests foods, including cereals, that use artificial sweeteners can help control caloric intake, the findings show they may not be as satiating.
To help you stay full, find cereals with high protein and fiber content that aren’t too big on sugar. Many cereals bump up the protein grams with soy. Also, a number of high fiber cereals have smaller serving sizes, so if the calorie count looks minuscule, it’s probably because the serving size is smaller than usual. With the extra protein and fiber, the additional calories are nutritionally justified.
Kashi GoLean Cereal – 148 Calories Serving Size: 1 cup Protein: 13g Added Sugars: 6g Fiber: 10g
Nature’s Path Optimum Slim – 210 Calories Serving Size: 1 cup Protein: 9g Added Sugars: 7g Fiber: 9g
No Added Sugar
It’s slim pickings, but there are cereal options that have no added sugar. The drawback is that many also are scant on nutritional value. Adding sliced banana, blueberries, strawberries, or even a tablespoon of honey with protein-rich nuts will give these plain offerings a boost without the multiple sweeteners many other cereals have. These also don’t have salt in their ingredient lists, something many other cereals have in considerable amounts.
Post Shredded Wheat Original – 170 Calories Serving Size: 1 cup, Protein: 5g, Added Sugars: 0g, Fiber: 6g
Quaker Puffed Rice – 54 Calories Serving Size: 1 cup, Protein: 1g, Added Sugars: 0g, Fiber: 0.2g
Kashi 7 Whole Grain Cereals Puffs – 70 Calories Serving Size: 1 cup, Protein: 2g, Added Sugars: 0g, Fiber: 1g
Caloriecount.com
Hypnosis Subjects Lost More Weight Than 90% of Others and Kept it Off Reviewed 18 studies comparing a cognitive behavioral therapy such as relaxation training, guided imagery, self monitoring, or goal setting with the same therapy supplemented by hypnosis. Those who received the hypnosis lost more weight than 90 percent of those not receiving hypnosis and maintained the weight loss two years after treatment ended. J Consult Clin Psychol. 1996;64(3):513-516.
Hypnosis Over 30 Times as Effective for Weight Loss Treatment included group hypnosis with metaphors for ego-strengthening, decision making and motivation, ideomotor exploration in individual hypnosis, and group hypnosis with maintenance suggestions. Hypnosis was more effective than a control group: an average of 17 lbs lost by the hypnosis group vs. an average of .5 lbs lost by the control group Consulting and Clinical Psychology, 54, 489-492.
Two Years Later: Hypnosis Subjects Continued To Lose Significant Weight 109 people had treatment for weight with or without hypnosis. After 9-weeks both groups lost significant weight. At 8-month and 2-year follow-ups, the hypnosis subjects were found to have continued to lose significant weight, while those in other group showed little further change. Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology (1985)
Hypnosis can more than double the effects of traditional weight loss approaches Review of 5 weight loss studies showed that hypnosis can more than double the effects of traditional weight loss approaches. U. Conn, Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology in 1996 (Vol. 64, No. 3, pgs 517-519).
Save money at the store:
Buy in bulk. Remember that, typically, more packaging means more expense. So while those little single servings of oatmeal are cute and convenient, do the math, and you’ll see there’s more bang (well, oats) for your buck if you go for the 18-ounce canister. Head to the bulk food aisle for products with long shelf lives, such as beans, lentils and granola, and keep some bulk in your wallet.
Ask for a discount:
If you’re regularly buying a specific product in bulk, ask the store manager for a discount on that item, especially if it’s a specialty ingredient like tahini.
The manager may very well grace you with, say, a 10 percent discount on that product going forward. Even if she doesn’t, you might as well ask, right? Asking for a discount is also fair game at the farmers market if you become a regular.
Stick to whole food sources:
The more people needed to manufacture, package, distribute, transport and market your food, the more it will cost. (It’s doubtful any of those people worked for free.) Avoid processed foods, and try loading up on whole grains, vegetables, fruits, legumes and seeds. Oh, and whole foods happen to be the more nutritious choice, too.
Be mindful of food labels:
Organic! Vegan! Gluten-free! These buzzwords can look promising when they’re plastered on a package of flavored kale chips. But take a look at the ingredient list, and you may find it’s nearly as long and unreadable as that of the sugar cereal in the next aisle.
Always be a food detective and check ingredient lists, even for a product with front-of-package labeling that screams how “natural” it is. You know what food ingredients don’t need guesswork?
A bundle of kale from the produce aisle. Make your own kale chips at home, and you’ll know exactly what’s in them.Shop at wholesale warehouses. If it’s an option, head to stores such as Costco and Sam’s Club for foods with longer shelf lives, such as canned foods and seasonings.
Then head to a farmers market. Get some fresh air, support local vendors and potentially save. Often, the produce at these markets was picked the day before, which means they’ll last longer in your kitchen and help reduce wasted food (and money). Pro tip: Head to the market toward the end of the day, and you may snag discounts as vendors pack up their remaining goods.
Continue saving money at home:
Plan, plan, plan. Before going to the store, take inventory of your pantry, fridge and freezer. Know which foods you already have, which foods you need and which foods are quickly going south.
This inventory will ensure you’re only spending money on foods you actually need and not doubling up on items you already have, which will then run the risk of going bad. Make a detailed shopping list of those foods as you plan your week’s worth of meals.
Use fresh foods first:
Loaded up on fresh peaches, plums, Swiss chard, squash, apples and zucchini at the store? Excellent! But beware that fresh foods – especially delicate produce like leafy greens – will be the first to spoil. So plan your meals accordingly: Prepare meals with fresh produce the first few days after shopping, and as they’re used up, start turning to your canned and frozen foods.
Stock your pantry.:
Save money by keeping your cupboards full of canned plant-based foods like tomatoes and dried foods, such as those oats and lentils you bought in bulk. Not only are these options typically more affordable, but they have longer shelf lives than fresh foods. So when you run out of fresh produce or don’t want to spend time cooking, you can look to the pantry, instead of ordering an expensive veggie pizza.
Cook in big batches:
Kudos if you’ve largely avoided those pricey convenience foods, but for busy after-work scrambles and eating-over-the-keyboard lunches, you could probably still use some convenience. Try making foods in bulk when you have time so you can enjoy them when you’re swamped.
For example, make a double batch of Cindy Silver’s lentil soup, and you can enjoy it Sunday, and then reheat Monday and change up the sides for a super-fast dinner. Make your own individual breakfast bars with all that granola you bought in bulk, and pack one for lunch each day of the week to save money at the vending machine.
Make Dreena Burton’s hummus, and store it in a few airtight containers, so you have a quick and easy snack or appetizer ready to serve.
By: Laura McMullen
