Deconstructing the Cereal Bowl

He likes it! Hey, Mikey!

Stays crunchy, even in milk!
Snap, Crackle, Pop!

It's Gr-r-reat!

Breakfast of Champions.

About one in two Americans shake flakes or Krispies from a box and top with nonfat, 2%, almond, or some other variation as their a.m. meal.

Cereal and milk is a healthier choice than a bacon and eggs, right?

Not so fast.

What is lurking in that bowl of vitamin-fortified, nonfat, maybe high fiber breakfast?

(Whole) Grains and Fiber: The Real Story

Fiber. The form of carbohydrates that is not digested or absorbed by the body.

 Soluble fiber, found in oats, beans, apples, citrus fruits, peas, and psyllium, is dissolvable in water and may control blood cholesterol and glucose levels. Soluble fiber has a sort of starchy, gummy texture. Think the long-cooked oatmeal in your college cafeteria.

Insoluble fiber is the stuff your grandma called "roughage." Found in foods like broccoli, whole wheat bread, prunes aka dried plums.  It's what keeps you "regular."

The typical western diet doesn't include nearly enough fiber, which studies have shown to effect everything from risk of cancer and diabetes to post-coronary survival rates.

So, food processors and manufacturers have found a way to add "functional" fiber to those fluffy foods we are supposed to avoid.

Can we get the same nutritional bang from a bowl of sugary breakfast cereal, dayglo mac & cheese, and a PB&J  or a Fluffernutter on white bread as we do from rolled oats and steamed broccoli? (I know some of you are on your knees in prayer!)

Functional or isolated fiber is extracted from plant sources or chemically synthesized by nice people in white labcoats.  If the ingredient list is headed by inulin (extracted from chicory root), pectin, polydextrose, methylcellulose, or maltodextrin, the cereal (English muffin, cookies, or fluffy white bread of your childhood) contains functional fiber.

Studies on the benefits of functional fiber are tenuous at best and are funded primarily by, yes, food manufacturers.

Are there any cereals on the shelves with natural fiber?

Cereals with wheat bran, corn bran, or oats are a safer bet. Conventional cereals like Fiber One, Cheerios, Grape Nuts, and Shredded Wheat (Original) feature wheat bran or oats. A bowl of steamy oatmeal is a good option. Just avoid instant and presweetened varieties. Or select from an organic brand to avoid genetically modified ingredients.

The Sugar Bowl

The typical American diet contains over 150 pounds of sugar per year. Much of that sugar is from processed foods like breakfast cereal. Excess sugar intake may contribute to a host of medical problems including chronic inflammation, heart disease, cancer, obesity, and metabolic syndromes.

In North America, if a non-organic ingredient list includes "sugar," it's likely a blend of genetically modified beet sugar and cane sugar.

The World Health Organization recommends adults consume five percent of their daily calories from sugar or a more likely target of ten percent or the equivalent of six teaspoons.  Children should consume approximately three teaspoons per day.

To paraphrase The Bard, "A rose by any other name would smell as sweet."  Sugar has lots of aliases.  Look for molasses, honey, fructose, sucrose, malt syrup, honey, and dextrose on ingredient lists.

BHT

BHTand BHT are commonly found preservatives in cereals and other processed foods. Some laboratory studies have shown BHA to have carcinogenic properties in rats and other animals. The NIH's National Toxicology Program concludes that BHA is "reasonably anticipated to be a human carcinogen."

BHT is indicated by some studies to be a weak endocrine disruptor. Consumption may impact one or more hormones and also may effect lungs, liver, kidney, and thyroid.

The GMO Factor

GMOs, or “genetically modified organisms,” are plants or animals that have been genetically engineered with DNA from bacteria, viruses or other plants and animals. These experimental combinations of genes from different species cannot occur in nature or in traditional crossbreeding.

Virtually all commercial GMOs are engineered to withstand direct application of herbicide and/or to produce an insecticide. Despite biotech industry promises, none of the GMO traits currently on the market offer increased yield, drought tolerance, enhanced nutrition, or any other consumer benefit.

(Non-GMO Project)

The production and sales of GMOs have been banned or restricted in over sixty countries worldwide, including the countries of the EEU, Japan, and Australia.  GMOs are legal in the US.  Foods labeled organic may not by law contain genetically modified ingredients. Most states in the US do not require labeling of genetically modified ingredients.

Over 90-98% of non-organic corn, soy, canola, alfalfa sprouts, sugar beets, yellow and green squash, and Hawaiian papaya are genetically modified.

Many non-organic cereals contain soy, corn, corn and soy derivatives, sugar (from sugar beets), and canola oil.

So, can the cereal bowl still hold a spot at the healthy breakfast table?

Choose from varieties that are less processed, such as rolled oats or organic brands. Avoid presweetened commercial cereals that are loaded with sugar and GMOs. And avoid those cereals you used to see advertised on Saturday morning cartoons!