Eating whole-grain, fortified cereals for breakfast gives you a jump-start on your daily totals of fiber, protein, vitamins and minerals. The key to keeping cereal healthy is to choose a nutritious variety with few grams of fat and sugar. Don't add sugar at the table, and eat it with non-fat or low-fat milk. Breakfast cereals offer different nutritional perks for different people but share a common benefit of providing substantial energy for the day.
Low-Fat, Low-Sugar Cereals
Many ready-to-eat wheat, rice, corn, barley and rye cereals and hot cereals such as cream of wheat and corn grits are low in fat and sugar. They'll stay that way if you don't add butter, cream or table sugar to them. Oats have higher fat content than any other cereal, but most of it is healthy unsaturated fat. Fat and sugar increase food calories, and consuming too much of them may increase your risk for heart disease and type 2 diabetes. Avoid cereal brands with sugar frosting or marshmallows. The American Diabetes Association suggests eating cereals with less than 6 g of sugar content.
Diet Cereals
If low calories are your top priority, choose breakfast cereals that have 100 calories or less per suggested serving. Some brands of bran flakes have fewer than 80 calories, and some unsweetened generic puffed-rice and puffed-wheat cereals contain fewer than 60 calories, according to the USDA. Adding 1 cup of non-fat milk increases your calorie total by only 83, while providing significant calcium and vitamins A and D.
High-Fiber Cereals
Cereal can be a consistent source of dietary fiber if you eat it frequently to achieve your FDA-recommended daily total of 25 g. Some ready-to-eat cereals have natural fiber content of 3 g to 10 g per serving. Some have added fiber content that brings the total to 13 g per serving. The Harvard School of Public Health reports that a high-fiber diet can lower your risk of developing heart disease, diverticulitis, diabetes and constipation.
Vitamin- and Mineral-Fortified Cereals
Whole-grain cereal already has significant iron and various B vitamin content, which is increased to 100 percent daily values in many varieties. When you add non-fat or low-fat milk to your breakfast, your stores of calcium, potassium and vitamins A, B and D increase. Cereal manufacturers enrich many products with extra nutrients for everyday health and to meet the special needs of some consumers. For instance, added iron and folate benefit pregnant women, and added vitamin B-12 and calcium help those over 50 to avoid deficiencies and osteoporosis.
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