If you are looking for an easy way to improve your health, eat breakfast. People who eat breakfast are more likely to meet their nutrient needs, have lower blood cholesterol levels and be thinner than breakfast skippers, says the dietitian website RD411. Many complain of the lack of time for breakfast. But if you give yourself just a few extra minutes in the morning, you can easily eat a healthy bowl of breakfast cereal.
Components of a Healthy Breakfast Cereal
With so many choices, it can be hard to determine what makes a healthy breakfast cereal. Reading the food label can help you find a healthy choice. A healthy breakfast cereal should have at least 3g of fiber per serving, and an even better cereal will have 5g of fiber per serving. Your healthy breakfast cereal should also contain less than 5g of sugar per serving, unless it has fruit. Cereals with fruit will naturally have higher amounts of sugar listed on the food label. In these cases, read the ingredients list and avoid any cereals that list sugar as one of the top ingredients. If calories are a concern for you, choose cereals with fewer than 120 calories per serving.
Shredded Wheat
The only ingredients in Post Shredded wheat are whole-grain wheat and BHT, which acts as a preservative. This simple cereal tops the list of healthy breakfast cereal choices for the health advocacy group Center for Science in the Public Interest. One Shredded Wheat biscuit contains 80 calories, 0g of fat, 18.5g of carbohydrates, 3g of total fat, 0g of sugar, 0g of sodium and 2.5g of protein.
Wheaties
The Center for Science in the Public Interest also considers Wheaties a healthy cereal choice. A 3/4-cup serving of regular Wheaties contains 100 calories, 0.5g of total fat, 190mg of sodium, 22g of carbohydrates, 3g of fiber, 4g of sugar and 3g of protein.
Fiber One
General Mill's Fiber One cereal also makes a healthy choice. One serving meets nearly a day's worth of your daily fiber needs. A 1/2-cup serving contains 60 calories, 1g of total fat, 105mg of sodium, 25g of carbohydrates, 14g of fiber, 0g of sugar and 2g of protein. To keep the sugar content down, Fiber One is sweetened with the sugar substitute aspartame.
Post Raisin Bran
Of your fruit and cereal choices, Post Raisin Bran makes a healthy choice. A 1-cup serving contains 190 calories, 1g of total fat, 250mg of sodium, 46g of carbohydrates, 8g of fiber, 19g of sugar and 5g of protein. While Post Raisin Bran contains sugar, it is the fourth ingredient listed after whole wheat, raisins and wheat bran.
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