There are all types of cereals on the market to choose from. Some cereals may taste good but contain large amounts of sugar and very little nutrient value. Cheerios is a cereal that is not lacking in the nutrient department. This breakfast cereal is a sound choice when opting for a healthier lifestyle.
Significance
Sixty eight percent of U.S. adults are overweight or obese. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, heart disease is the number one cause of death in the United States for both men and women. Many people live fast-paced lives and with that, sometimes diet suffers. Cheerios can help to replace the urge for high sugar, high fat sweets. Including this food as a regular part of a wholesome, well balanced diet can potentially stave off certain diseases.
History
Cheerios was introduced as Cheerioats in the 1940s. It was the first ready to eat cereal. In the 1970s a focus on the nutritional content of whole grains helped increase this cereal's popularity. In the 1990s, General Mills began to introduce more varieties of Cheerios.
Types
Cheerios come in many flavors, including Honey Nut and MultiGrain. Fruit flavors include Banana Nut, Apple Cinnamon and Fruity Cheerios. Frosted Cheerios are extra sweet. All these flavor options are designed to appeal to customer tastes and give them the opportunity to change things up a bit when tired of the same flavor. Cheerios flavor enhancement does tend to take away from some of its nutrition benefits. Honey Nut, Banana Nut and Fruity flavors have 9 g of sugar per serving in comparison to only 1 g of sugar per serving in the standard unflavored cereal. Multigrain flavor cheerios contain 6 g of sugar while Apple Cinnamon and Frosted have 10 or more g of sugar. Additionally, these flavors, with the exception of Multigrain, have less fiber content than the unflavored brand.
Benefits
The benefits of Cheerios are numerous. This cereal is low in fat, cholesterol and sodium while high in dietary fiber. Increased fiber intake can be filling, helping people to keep their weight down. Cheerios' soluble fiber content, when eaten with a healthy, balanced diet, may help to lower blood cholesterol, potentially leading to lower risk of heart disease. This breakfast food consists of several important vitamins and minerals including vitamins A, C and D and several of the B vitamins, magnesium and zinc. Cheerios are often eaten with milk. When combining one serving of Cheerios with whole milk, 100 percent of recommended daily folic acid, 55 percent of recommended zinc, 90 percent of recommended iron intake and at least 50 percent of recommended thiamin, riboflavin and niacin intake are met based on a 2,000 calorie diet.
Considerations
Though Cheerios are very beneficial to health, they cannot make up a whole diet or make up for a bad diet. This breakfast cereal should complement a well-rounded diet including fresh fruits and vegetables, protein sources such as peanuts and lean meats, additional whole grains, dairy foods and limited amounts of fat. Blood sugar can respond differently to different carbohydrate sources in people with diabetes. People with diabetes should consult a registered dietitian or physician for the appropriate Cheerios dietary intake recommendation.
