Thinking outside the box

Deseret News (Salt Lake City), Mar 4, 2003 by Valerie PhillipsDeseret News food editor

Breakfast of champions or junk food? Cold breakfast cereals have been called both. Their inventors back in the early 1900s touted them as health food. But today, many of the products on the cereal aisle are highly processed flours with artificial colors and flavors -- and they're loaded with sugar.

In a recent press release criticizing the high amount of sugar in American diets, the Center for Science in the Public Interest pointed out that a healthy limit on sugar should be no more than 10 teaspoons a day, and one serving of Kellogg's Marshmallow Blasted Froot Loops provides 40 percent of that.

"Because sugary foods often replace more healthful foods, diets high in sugar are almost certainly contributing to osteoporosis, cancer and heart disease," says Marion Nestle, a nutrition professor at New York University and managing editor of the 1988 Surgeon General's Report on Diet and Health.

Yet it's somewhat ironic that breakfast cereal is a major source of vitamins and minerals for most American children. In a study published in the October 1988 issue of Pediatrics, researchers looked at the diets of 4,000 children ages 2 to 18. They found that ready- to-eat cereal was a top contributor to overall intakes of fiber, vitamin A, vitamin C, iron and folacin. The reason? Most breakfast cereals are fortified with vitamins and minerals that they don't normally have.

The researchers noted that breakfast cereals, especially non- sugary ones, can be a healthful addition to a balanced diet, but they cautioned that they shouldn't be substituted for fruits, vegetables, milk and whole grains that naturally contain nutrients.

Eating some type of breakfast is important, says Pauline Williams, Utah State University Extension agent for Salt Lake County.

"Breakfast gives you a metabolic boost, provides energy and nutrients needed for thinking and activity and curbs midmorning hunger pains," she said. "Compared to breakfast eaters, breakfast skippers do not perform as well in the classroom, miss important nutrients in their diet and are less able to do physical work in the mid-morning."

At around 50 cents to $1 per serving, a bowl of cereal and milk is a fairly economical way to refuel your body. The milk poured over cereal gives the advantage of calcium. Many health groups advocate "3- a-day" servings of dairy products to cut the risk of osteoporosis.

Maria Givler, a registered dietitian who works as a child nutrition specialist for the Women, Infant and Children program (WIC), says cold or hot cereal is one of many breakfast options that can fit into a healthful diet.

"If you're using low-fat milk, you have the advantage of moderate calories, compared to the traditional bacon, eggs and pancakes," she said. "Also you get fortification with iron, folic acid, other vitamins and minerals, the option of whole grains and ease. But all foods can fit into a healthy diet, with variety and moderation as the key. You can have cold cereal for breakfast one day, oatmeal the next day, bacon, eggs and pancakes the following day."

Fortified foods can be useful, Givler added, pointing out that most cold cereals now have added folic acid. When a pregnant mother has adequate stores of this B vitamin, the occurrence of neural tube defects in babies (such as spina bifida) is significantly reduced.

However, added vitamins and minerals in a product don't exactly mirror the benefits that are naturally in whole foods, she cautioned. "For example, fruits and vegetables contain a variety of different nutrients and phytochemicals -- a biological condition that is not currently replicated in pill form."

All breakfast cereals really aren't the same. Givler compared two cereals -- Raisin Bran in the "healthy" corner and Cocoa Puffs, representing the sweetened cereals.

"Don't get me wrong, I'm not saying to never eat Cocoa Puffs -- remember all foods can fit," Givler said. However, on the label, ingredients are listed from the highest amount to the least, and Cocoa Puffs lists "sugar" as its top ingredient. (If your favorite cereal has "sugar" as the first or second ingredient listed, it's high in sugar.) Raisin Bran lists "whole wheat." Although a cup of Cocoa Puffs has fewer calories than a cup of Raisin Bran, the Raisin Bran provides more protein, potassium and fiber. (Cocoa Puffs have zero fiber; Raisin Bran contains 7 grams.) Soluble fiber helps reduce cholesterol, and insoluble fiber helps speed waste through the intestines, which may reduce the risk of colon cancer.

One surprise on the nutrition facts panel, though, is that Raisin Bran contains 19 grams of "sugars," while Cocoa Puffs only has 14 grams of "sugars." This is misleading, because some of the sugar comes from the dried raisins.

While grains themselves contain little fat, some granola-type cereals made with nuts and oils can contain a surprising amount of fat. By using low-fat or skim milk, you can decrease the fat content without giving up the calcium and other nutrients from milk.