Healthy Cereal Choices

Healthy Cereal Choices
Photo Credit Oatmeal with blackberries. Bowlful of cereal. image by Monika 3 Steps Ahead from Fotolia.com

Breakfast, lunch, dinner or snack alternative, healthy cereals are a good food choice. Healthy cereals provide the body with dietary fiber, are low in sugar, preservatives and fat and supply the body with a variety of nutrients. Knowing the healthy cereal choices is a big plus.

Oatmeal

Oatmeal is a healthy cereal choice. Rich in fiber and protein and low in glycemic load, this super-food will have you feeling full for hours. Author Jonny Bowden writes in the book "The 150 Healthiest Foods on Earth, "In addition to its 5 gram of fiber content, oatmeal has the highest protein content of any popular cereal: 8 and a half grams of protein in 2/3 a cup of oats."

Nature's Path Hemp Plus Granola

Nature's Path Hemp Plus Granola cereal is not only a healthy cereal choice but also a tasty and healthy treat alternative. Crunchy in texture and rich in flavor, this is more than a cereal, but also provides additional nutrients to yogurt, cookies, fruit salad or a plain bowl of oatmeal. Nature's Path Hemp Plus Granola is not only organic, but also offers "4 grams of dietary protein and is nutritionally rich in shelled hemp seeds that add omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids," according to the Global Hemp website.

Kashi 7 Whole Grain Flakes

With 6g of protein, only 5g of sugar and 30g of whole grains, Kashi Whole Grain Flakes is a healthy cereal choice. This hearty cereal contains a blend of healthy and natural anti-oxidant rich ingredients such as wheat, oats, brown rice, barley, buckwheat, rye and sesame seeds. The "American Journal of Clinical Nutrition" says, "Whole-grain foods are a rich source of antioxidants, including vitamins, trace minerals, phenolic acids, lignans and phytoestrogens. Overall, whole grains are a potent source of numerous antioxidant compounds that may help to inhibit oxidative damage."

Healthy Valley Oat Bran

Healthy Valley Oat Bran cereal is a healthy cereal choice. Not only does it contain organic oats and oat bran but also barley, corn and brown rice flours. Oat bran is a good source of soluble dietary fiber. In the book, "Prescription for Nutritional Healing," author Phyllis A. Balch says that dietary fiber helps to lower blood cholesterol levels and stabilize blood sugar levels. In addition, author Elizabeth Lipski, in her book, "Digestive Wellness," states that, "diets that are high in soluble fiber are helpful to people with irritable bowel syndrome, Crohn's disease, hiatal hernia and peptic ulcers." She also states that dietary fiber helps to prevent obesity by slowing down digestion and the release of glucose and insulin."

References

Article reviewed by GlennK Last updated on: Oct 10, 2010

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