While there are lots of unhealthy breakfast cereals out there, enough nutritious varieties remain to fit into a healthy diet, whatever your nutritional needs may be. Selection is important, particularly if you eat cereal every day. The effect of fat, sugar and calories can offset the big daily values of more beneficial nutrients in hot and ready-to-eat cereals. Whether you're looking for a breakfast to support your health, high activity or weight maintenance, many whole-grain cereals fill the bill.
Heart-healthy Cereals
If you eat cereal to help protect your cardiovascular system, look for brands with the most fiber and little or no saturated fat. The relatively high soluble fiber in oats benefits your blood cholesterol level, while insoluble fiber content, which is higher in wheat flakes, is also linked to lower cardiovascular risk and disease progression. You'll find similar, though lesser, benefits in barley and rice cereals. The American Heart Association suggests getting part of your 25 g of fiber per day from whole-grain cereal.
Fortified Cereals
If you eat cereal to increase your vitamin and mineral intake, you may get up to 100 percent benefits in daily values, or DVs, of iron, folate, B-6, B-12, calcium and other nutrients per suggested serving. Cereals don't naturally contain that much nutrition, but manufacturers enrich many brands to meet special dietary needs. You can ensure that you'll achieve your DVs of iron and folate when pregnant, for instance, or get extra calcium to prevent osteoporosis. Read the nutrition facts on packages for the percent DV of the nutrients you are looking for. Wheat, corn, oat, rice, rye and barley cereals may be fortified.
High-energy Cereals
If you eat cereal before training runs, sports play or long days at work, you'll want a healthy cereal that provides energy through something other than simple sugars. Unsweetened oatmeal provides bulk and complex carbohydrates in greater calorie counts for more energy to burn than less dense cereals, such as puffed wheat or puffed rice. High-fiber wheat cereals also satisfy a strong appetite. Nuts make good protein enhancements, but sugar often accompanies them, so you may want to add your own.
Low-calorie Cereals
If you eat cereal to maintain or lose weight, a low-cal variety of 100 calories or less will keep your daily diet on track. The National Institutes of Health notes that cereal fiber makes you feel full, which discourages overeating and aids weight loss. Check the nutrient DVs, and choose an oat or wheat bran cereal with ample nutrition. Some lower-quality low-calorie wheat or rice cereals may not be fortified.
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