Your supermarket’s cereal aisle is packed full of options but not all of these options are healthy cereal options. Fortunately, it’s relatively easy to figure out which cereal is good for you and which you should steer clear of. The key here is to take some time to look at the details while keeping a few guidelines in mind.
The first thing you’ll want to be on the lookout for is a whole grain cereal instead of one that’s been made out of refined grains. This is something that should be clearly indicated on the package. It should also tell you what grains in particular are in that cereal. Be on the lookout for phrases like made with whole grains or 100 percent whole grain. This is important because it means that this is a high fiber cereal. The American Heart Association suggests that people eat plenty of high fiber foods each day to keep their heart healthy.
Secondly, a healthy cereal shouldn’t contain much, if any, sugar. A key to remember here is that if a cereal tells you that more than 25 percent of its calories are derived from sugar, then you should be looking for a different type of cereal. In order to make this determination, simply multiply the number of grams of sugar in one serving of cereal by 4. Now divide this number by the total amount of calories that are found in just one serving of the cereal. Now multiply that number by 100 and you’ll arrive at the percentage of calories that are derived from sugar. You can use this same mathematical formula to determine how much protein is in each serving. A healthy cereal should provide you with at least 3g of protein per serving.
In general you’ll want to steer clear of cereals that contain artificial colors or dyes, chemical preservatives or hydrogenated oils. On the other hand, you may want to opt for either a gluten free cereal or an organic cereal. Regardless of the choices that you make here, the important thing is for you to choose healthy cereal for you and your family to enjoy.
