You're on week three of a low-carb diet and doing great. Except for breakfast. You open the 'fridge to begrudgingly weigh your options: free-range hard-boiled eggs or leftover chicken breasts from last night's dinner. You miss the easier pre-low carb days, when you could slurp a bowl of Cap'n Crunch and be on your way. Fortunately, a cereal does exist that fits your carb allowance and allows you to get your cereal fix in a rush.
Fiber One Proves a Rare Exception in the Cereal Aisle
Finding anything resembling a low-carb option in the cereal aisle can pose a challenge. Don't be fooled by the manufacturers' nutrient claims all over the box. Most cereals -- even so-called healthy ones -- are nothing more than sugar-coated grain, and even one serving can exceed your day's carb allowance. Fiber One proves a rare exception. One half-cup serving of this cereal contains a mere 60 calories and a whopping 14 g of fiber. The FDA recommends at least 25 g of fiber daily, and some nutritionists suggest upwards of 50 g. Meeting that quota becomes easy with Fiber One.
Fiber Can Be a Powerful Ally in Weight Loss
Fiber can slow stomach emptying, soften stools and making them more frequent, and bind cholesterol. Translation: you stay fuller longer, keep things moving nicely down there, and reduce your cholesterol. You might also discover lower numbers on your scale: Dr. Jonny Bowden, author of "Living Low Carb," calls fiber the number-one nutrient for weight loss. Meeting fiber requirements on any diet can be a challenge. One option is a supplement like Metamucil or fiber capsules. If swallowing a gritty glass of water or numerous pills grosses you out, however, Fiber One provides a tastier alternative.
Carb-Consciously Weighing Your Milk Options
A serving of Fiber One contains 25 g of carbohydrate. On a low-carb diet you can subtract fiber from the carb count, since your body lacks the enzymes to digest it. What is left are "net carbs," or the carbohydrates your body actually uses. Subtract Fiber One's 14 g of fiber, and Fiber One has a mere 11 g of carbs. That means a bowl can easily to fit into all but the most stringent low-carb plans. Fiber One also contains 25 percent of several B vitamin as well as calcium and zinc.
Low-carb dieters generally eschew milk, though you could certainly work in half a cup, with about seven carbs, into your plan. If you're lactose intolerant or just want to avoid cow's milk, however, coconut milk or almond milk make lower-carb options. Half a cup of almond milk, for example, contains a mere one carbohydrate.
Keep These Things in Mind Before You Put the Box in Your Cart...
Three caveats about Fiber One. It offers only 2 g of protein. Studies show a protein-based breakfast makes losing weight easier, since protein is more satiating than carbohydrate. Solution: toss a quarter cup of sliced almonds into your bowl and -- with the almond milk -- you'll nicely spike the protein to about 12 g for sustained energy throughout the morning.
Fiber One doesn't contain sugar, but it does have aspartame, the same sweetener as in diet soda. According to osteopathic physician Dr. Joseph Mercola, FDA-approved artificial sweetener "is, by far, the most dangerous substance on the market that is added to foods." It can create headaches, fatigue, weight gain, and a whole host of other ailments you'd rather not have. Aspartame contains methanol, or wood alcohol.
Finally, Fiber One contains whole grain wheat and wheat bran as its first two ingredients. If you have any sort of gluten intolerance, you'll want to put the box back on the shelf.
The Importance of a Whole Foods Diet
You'll get greater weight-loss benefits and feel more satiated eating whole, unprocessed foods. But if thinking about eating another egg for breakfast makes you want to run for a big plate of syrup-drenched French toast, Fiber One provides a crunchy option to meet your daily fiber quota while also fitting with your carb-counting eating plan.
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