As meal replacements go, cereal and milk is not always an unhealthy choice. Most cereals contain enough complex carbohydrates to fuel your body until its next meal, and serving with almond milk adds lean protein to the mix. If you keep your serving sizes small, you may be able to build up a growing calorie deficit that can help you lose weight. However, your individual results depend on a wide variety of factors and cereal is hardly a balanced meal for long term use.
Nutrition Facts
The nutritional value of a cereal meal replacement depends on what goes into your cereal and how much you eat. A cup of almond milk has about 90 calories, 5 g fat, 10 g carbohydrates, 7 g fiber, 1 g sugar and 1 g protein, but cereals have different values. According to the USDA, a cup of flaked bran cereal has about 130 calories, 4 g protein, 1 g fat, 32 g carbohydrates, 7 g fiber and 7.5 g sugar, and a cup of crispy cookie cereal has 100 calories, 1 g protein, 1 g fat, 22 g carbohydrates, 1 g fiber and more than 10 g sugar. Whole grain cereals, with their high fiber and protein counts, are the healthiest choices. A cup of cooked oatmeal has about 165 calories, 6 g protein, 3.5 g fat, 28 g carbohydrates, 4 g fiber and 0.5 g sugar. Granola is another nutritious option, but it's high in calories. One cup has 410 calories, 10 g protein, 12.5 g fat, 6.5 g fiber, 70 g carbohydrates, almost 25 g of which is sugar.
Weight Loss
Your weight loss results depend on more than just what you eat as an occasional meal replacement. To lose weight on a low-calorie regime, you must consistently burn more calories than you eat. Thus, your substitute of cereal and almond milk needs to contain fewer calories than you'd eat at a regular meal, and you also must regulate your portion sizes throughout the day. Cereal is not suitable for a low-carb regime. The level of physical activity you get also plays a role -- the more active you are, the more calories you'll burn and the more you will be able to eat and still lose weight.
Balance
There are some potential risks to replacing most meals with cereal and almond milk. Although those foods can offer beneficial nutrients, they don't contain the vitamins and minerals that fruits and vegetables provide, so relying on them too heavily can lead to nutrient deficiencies or other health problems. The National Institutes of Health recommends that anyone following a weight loss plan eat regular servings of fruits, vegetables and lean proteins in addition to low-fat dairy products and whole grains.
Considerations
Talk with your doctor or a registered dietitian before starting any meal replacement or weight loss plan. To build the healthiest replacements possible and work toward safe weight loss, serve fresh or frozen fruit with your cereal and almond milk, moderate your serving sizes and pick whole grain cereals with little added sugar or fat.
Member Comments