The majority of Americans begin their mornings with breakfast cereal, according to the American Association of Cereal Chemists. In fact, breakfast cereals are a significant contributor to the necessary nutrition of daily diets in the U.S. However, nutrients are not the entirety of the composition of cereal. Much like other processed foods available in the U.S., although it contains vitamins and minerals, it may have other constituents that render it an unhealthy addition to your diet. Therefore, moderation is the only means to avoiding a potentially unhealthy habit.
Nutrients
Breakfast cereals are nutritious, as they contain nutrients inherent in the grains used to produce it as well as vitamins and minerals with which it as fortified, as required by the Food and Drug Administration. Furthermore, according to Robert Fast and Elwood Caldwell in "Breakfast Cereals and How They Are Made," those that regularly consume breakfast cereals have a diet with significantly more calcium, vitamin A, vitamin C, vitamin D, thiamine, pyridoxine, niacin, folate, vitamin B-12, iron, phosphorus and magnesium than those who do not.
Carbohydrates
Given that cereals contain mostly cereal grains, they are very high in carbohydrates. This is mostly due to their starch content, but can also result from its fiber and sugar content as well. Cereals that contain fiber, like raisin brans, often contain soluble and insoluble fiber. This is particularly healthful, as each have their own specific benefits. While insoluble fiber, which absorbs water, adds bulk to feces, eases digestion and increases satiety. Alternately, soluble fiber dissolves in water and can reduce blood glucose and cholesterol levels. Moreover, soluble fiber ferments in the intestines, which can promote probiotic bacterial.
Milk
The vast majority of those who eat breakfast cereal do so with milk. Thus, it contributes to the general healthfulness of cereal. Among the vitamins that milk contains are E, K, A and D as well as all of the B-complex vitamins. Minerals in milk are predominantly calcium and phosphorus, but also include iron, zinc, copper, molybdenum, manganese and cobalt. Milk's contribution to the overall nutrition of breakfast cereals modulates based on how much milk you prefer to add. Moreover, you can use milk alternatives, such as soy milk or almond milk, that will otherwise affect the nutritional value of your meal.
Fat, Sugar And Sodium
Inasmuch as breakfast cereals contain vitamins and minerals, they also contain sugar, fat and sodium, which can detract from their healthfulness. Of these, sugar occurs in cereals most abundantly, even predominantly in some. Sugar can contribute significantly to weight gain, as the body converts excess glucose into fat after storing a given amount as glycogen. Moreover, excess sugar consumption that maintains high blood glucose levels can lead to health complications such as eye, liver and renal damage. Although it is unlikely that a breakfast of a single serving of breakfast cereal will lead to sugar-related health complications on its own, many cereals contain enough to contribute to a existing problem. Most cereals also contain sodium, although not as much as other meals, such as those that contain seasoned meat, tend to. Some cereals contain fat as well, although usually in small amounts. Overall, the fat and sodium content will not altogether diminish the healthfulness of breakfast cereals, but its sugar content can, depending on the cereal and your overall diet.
Age
Breakfast cereal nutrition tends to modulate based on the age group that it targets. For example, children's breakfast cereal tends to have the most sugar and sodium, but the least fiber and is thus the least nutritious. Breakfast cereal that targets adults is usually the most nutritious, containing the most fiber, but the least sodium and sugar. Family-oriented breakfast cereals, which come in the largest containers, rest between children's and adult cereals in terms of fiber, sugar and sodium proportions. All three types, however, tend to have similar proportions of nutrients.
References
- Rudd Center for Food Policy and Obesity: Evaluating the Nutritional Quality and Marketing of Children's Cereals
- University of Illinois: Milk Composition and Synthesis Resource Library
- "Breakfast Cereals and How They Are Made"; Robert B. Fast and Elwood F. Caldwell; The American Association of Cereal Chemists; 2003
- MedlinePlus.com: Diabetes
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