Ask a Dietitian

As seen on BCTV February 22/00

Is it just me or is the cereal aisle getting bigger and bigger all the time? It’s almost overwhelming to think of all the products in this aisle. Just picture all of the manufacturing sites, the printing companies and advertising tied in to all of this stuff!

We all know that “Breakfast” is the most important meal of the day. So, we want to make it count. Like all meals, our bowl or plate should include a large portion of vegetables or fruit, about 2-4 ounces of protein and some high quality grains. Without saying anymore, this begins to eliminate some cereals for obvious reasons. If you are a cereal fan, here is a 5-step guide to choosing a good one…

1. Ideally, it should be the color of cardboard! That is, brown or whole grain as opposed to white, purple, green or blue!
2. Check the label on the side panel for the “2-8-2 Rule”. This means the cereal should have less than 2 grams of fat, less than 8 grams of sugar and more than 2 grams of fibre per serving.
3. Choose a cereal that is a good source of iron, B vitamins and other key nutrients. This is often indicated by a label saying the cereal is “enriched”.
4. Check the source of the fat. Surprisingly, cereal can be a source of the bad trans fats. Trans go in cognito on labels disguised as hydrogenated fat or vegetable oil shortening. Avoid products with these fats.
5. If you can’t immediately identify what grain or plant the cereal used to be, it may not be the most nutritious. For example, hot oatmeal, obviously comes from oats! All bran cereals come from wheat bran. Some of the neon-colored, funkier cereals are less obvious and hence, generally a less nutritious choice.

Watch for the Eating for Energy segment every Tuesday on BCTV’s Noon News Hour!

Article written by Patricia Chuey and reprinted with permission