General Mills makes Cheerios breakfast cereals from toasted whole-grain oats. Varieties of Cheerios include original, honey nut, multigrain and apple cinnamon. Cheerios.com states that its Apple Cinnamon Cheerios have won the ChefsBest Award for best taste. When choosing a breakfast cereal, you should also consider its nutritional value to determine whether it fits into your meal plan.
Calories and Macronutrients
Apple Cinnamon Cheerios have 120 calories per serving size of three-quarters of a cup or 30 g. The cereal has 1.5 g total fat including 0.5 g each of heart-healthy monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats from canola or rice bran oil. This cereal is free from dangerous saturated and trans fats. Each serving has 2 g protein, 24 g carbohydrates and 11 g sugars. Sources of added sugars in this cereal include sugar, brown sugar and corn syrup.
Whole Grains
Whole grains provide essential nutrients and may lower the risk of cardiovascular disease and help in weight control. To choose whole-grain products, the American Heart Association recommends reading the list of ingredients on the nutrition facts label and choosing a product that lists a whole grain such as oats as its first ingredient. Apple Cinnamon Cheerios have oats as its first ingredient, and all cereals from General Mills have at least 8 g whole grains per serving.
Bone Health
Calcium and vitamin D are essential nutrients for bone health, but according to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services 2005 Dietary Guidelines some Americans may be deficient. This could lead to bone disease such as osteopenia or osteoporosis. Apple Cinnamon Cheerios have 10 percent of the daily value for vitamin D and calcium. If you eat a serving of this cereal with a half cup of skim milk, you will have 25 percent of the daily value for vitamin D and calcium.
Fiber
Dietary fiber is either insoluble or soluble and, according to the American Heart Association, someone on a 2,000-calorie diet should get 25 g total dietary fiber per day. Apple Cinnamon Cheerios has 2 g dietary fiber per serving. As part of a diet low in saturated and trans fat, soluble fiber can reduce the risk for heart disease by lowering LDL cholesterol levels. Apple Cinnamon Cheerios contain oats, which have more soluble fiber per ounce than any other whole grain.
Vitamins and Minerals
According to MayoClinic.com, people who eat breakfast often come closer to achieving their recommended intake of vitamins and minerals than people who skip breakfast. A fortified breakfast cereal can help you get your essential nutrients. A serving of Apple Cinnamon Cheerios provides 12 vitamins and minerals. This includes 25 percent of the daily value for thiamin, niacin, riboflavin, vitamins B6 and B12 and the minerals iron and zinc. It has 50 percent of the daily value for folate, which is essential for women who are or may become pregnant to prevent birth defects.
References
- Cheerios.com: Apple Cinnamon Cheerios
- GeneralMills.com: Nutritional Facts: Apple Cinnamon Cheerios
- American Heart Association: Whole Grains and Fiber
- U.S. Department of Health and Human Services: Dietary Guidelines for Americans: 2005
- MayoClinic.com: Healthy Breakfast: Quick, Flexible Options to Grab at Home
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