The Best Breakfast Cereals for Weight Loss

When you’re faced with morning madness, the easiest path to a healthy breakfast is often a cereal box. But when it comes to nutrition, the choices in the cereal aisle don’t stack up evenly. You know you need to skip brands with added chocolate chips, marshmallows, and fake fruity-Os, but picking the best of the best seemingly healthy cereals can be a confusing chore.

“Never judge a cereal by the front of the box — the manufacturers aren’t there to help you be healthy,” says Gretchen Chriszt, MS, RD, LD, a dietitian with the Cleveland Clinic in Ohio. To get the real scoop, you need to scan the ingredients and nutrition facts label for sneaky sugar sources and hidden processed ingredients. What you want to see: One serving should provide at least 3 grams of fiber (5 grams or more is considered “high-fiber”), less than 10 grams of sugar, and less than 200 milligrams (mg) of salt. The next time you shop, reach for one of these best bets.

General Mills Cheerios

Serving size: 1 cup
Calories: 100
Sugar: 1 gram
Sodium: 160 mg
Fiber: 3 grams
Fat: 2 grams
Protein: 3 grams

For a healthy breakfast, stick to classic Cheerios. “They are high in fiber and low in sugar, all those things that we look for,” Chriszt explains. “Go with the plain Cheerios, not the honey nut or vanilla or any of the other flavors.” There are also many store-brand or generic versions of Cheerios, which are acceptable as well. Need to add pizzazz to plain cereal? “Try adding some fruit to give it some sweetness,” Chriszt suggests.

Kellogg's All-Bran

Serving size: 1/2 cup
Calories: 80
Sugar: 6 grams
Sodium: 80 mg
Fiber: 10 grams
Fat: 1 gram
Protein: 4 grams

“One of the main things that I look at is the fiber content,” says dietitian Gretchen Kauth, MEd, RD, of Western Michigan University in Kalamazoo. “The fiber recommendation is 20 to 35 grams a day, and if you can get a fourth to a third at breakfast, that’s good.” All-Bran is a cereal that really delivers on fiber, but Kauth points out that this cereal’s serving size might not seem substantial enough to many people. Add volume to your healthy breakfast and up the nutrition and flavor with berries, cut or dried fruit, or a small serving of nuts.

General Mills Fiber One Original

Calories: 60
Sugar: 0 grams
Sodium: 105 mg
Fiber: 14 grams
Fat: 1 gram
Protein: 2 grams

A serving of this cereal provides just about half of the fiber you need for the entire day. That’s fine if you’re used to eating a lot of fiber, but Chriszt cautions that "when your gastrointestinal tract is not used to a high amount of fiber, it’s best to do it gradually.” Otherwise you risk feeling uncomfortable because of excess gas, which can undermine your healthy choice. If eating a very high-fiber cereal is one of your nutrition goals, start with a lower-fiber cereal and gradually work your way up over the course of a few weeks while increasing fiber at other times during the day. Keep in mind: This cereal has no sugar because it is sweetened with aspartame, which is not to everyone’s taste.

Kashi 7 Whole Grain Nuggets

Serving size: 1/2 cup
Calories: 210
Sugar: 3 grams
Sodium: 260 mg
Fiber: 7 grams
Fat: 1.5 grams
Protein: 7 grams

Chriszt advocates looking carefully at nutrition labels to make sure that the grains in the cereals you eat are whole grains, not processed, and that they are at or near the beginning of the ingredients list. Kashi 7 Whole Grain Nuggets are whole-grain, Chriszt says, even though when you read the nutrition label it will include a trademarked ingredient description that reads “Kashi Seven Whole Grains & Sesame.” This brand, often found in the organic and health food sections of grocery stores, is a little high in sodium, but you can always balance that out by opting for lower-sodium choices the rest of the day.

Kellogg's Bite Size Unfrosted Mini-Wheats

Serving size: 30 pieces
Calories: 190
Sugar: 0 grams
Sodium: 0 mg
Fiber: 8 grams
Fat: 1 gram
Protein: 6 grams

Unfrosted wheat bites may strike you as a bit dull, but think of this cereal as an opportunity to build a healthy breakfast. “I think it’s really great to pair a food that is high in protein, like milk or yogurt, with your cereal,” Chriszt advises, adding that the combination is filling and satisfying. Rather than opting for a frosted mini-wheat variety, which adds sugar and subtracts some fiber and protein, get sweetness by slicing in half a banana or sprinkling on a tablespoon of raisins or a dash of cinnamon, which adds flavor and may help control blood-sugar spikes.

Kashi GoLean

Serving size: 1 cup
Calories: 140
Sugar: 6 grams
Sodium: 85 mg
Fiber: 10 grams
Fat: 1 gram
Protein: 13 grams

Kashi GoLean has an unusually high amount of protein for a high-fiber cereal thanks to the addition of soy protein to the mix — a combination that could help you feel full longer. It also contains a natural food dye, annatto, made from the outer coat of the seed of a tropical shrub. There isn’t a lot of research linking artificial dyes to health problems, “but if you’re of the opinion that you want to eat as whole as possible, skip them,” Chriszt says.

Post Shredded Wheat 'n Bran

Serving size: 1 1/4 cups
Calories: 200
Sugar: 0 grams
Sodium: 0 mg
Fiber: 9 grams
Fat: 1 gram
Protein: 6 grams

You can’t get much simpler than this cereal. It contains just two ingredients: whole wheat and bran, which makes it a great one to have in your pantry as part of your breakfast rotation. “Factor in variety,” Kauth says. This will prevent boredom and give you different flavors, textures, and nutrition to choose from.

Nature's Path Organic SmartBran

Serving size: 1/2 cup
Calories: 80
Sugar: 6 grams
Sodium: 130 mg
Fiber: 13 grams
Fat: 1 gram
Protein: 3 grams

This patented mix of whole grains includes psyllium seed husks along with wheat bran and oat bran. Psyllium is available as a fiber supplement that’s added to beverages to meet daily fiber needs and often recommended to keep you regular. Nature’s Path is an option if you’d rather get your daily dose in a cereal. This organic brand of breakfast cereals can be harder to find (you can buy it online) and might be more expensive than more traditional supermarket brands, but if you’d like to experiment with tastes and textures, it’s worth a try.

Comment below if you found this helpful. Which cereal is your favourite? Let me know in the comment section below.



Source

Surprising Sources of Hidden Sugar

Pasta Sauces

They taste savory, not sweet -- but many pasta sauces have between 6 and 12 grams of sugar per half-cup serving. That’s the same amount you’d get from a chocolate chip cookie. The American Heart Association recommends that women have no more than 100 calories of sugar per day (about 6 teaspoons' worth) and men have no more than 150 calories (about 9 teaspoons).  Too much sugar can lead to extra pounds, and that’s bad for your health. So, look on the ingredient label for the sugar content of your favorite marinara or Alfredo before planning your meal.  

Granola Bars

Check granola bar labels for ingredients like corn syrup, brown sugar, honey, brown sugar syrup, dextrose, and fructose. Some have a yogurt or chocolate coating, or chocolate chips, which can ramp up the sugars fast -- anywhere from 8 to 12 grams per serving. Instead of eating a 1-ounce granola bar, switch to 1 ounce of granola (about 1/3 cup) and the sugar lowers to about 5 grams.

Yogurt

Yogurt is full of healthy calcium and protein, but even low-fat flavored yogurt can have 17 to 33 grams pf sugar per 8-ounce serving -- that’s about as much as 2 scoops (1 cup) of chocolate ice cream. When shopping, look for ones that are lower in sugar. Or, buy it plain and toss in the fruit of your choice.

Instant Oatmeal

Oatmeal has a good rep for being full of healthy fiber, but many fruit-flavored instant ones have between 10 and 15 grams of sugar per packet. “Reduced sugar” varieties can have closer to 5 or 6 grams per packet. Better yet, add apple slices to plain instant oatmeal. It has less than 1 gram of sugar in a packet.

Salad Dressing

Sweet dressings, such as raspberry vinaigrette, French, and Catalina, have the most sugar-- about 5 to 7 grams of sugar in a 2-tablespoon serving. So watch how much you pour on. A lower-sugar option is a light homemade vinegar and oil dressing. It will have only about 1 gram of sugar in the same amount.

Breakfast Cereals

Yes, we all know fruity kids’ cereals are high in sugar, but even healthier-sounding ones sneak it in. Many popular oat, corn and bran cereals have 10-20 grams or more per cup. No matter what the front of the box promises, read the ingredients label to be sure of what you’re getting.

Energy Drinks

Most of those drinks that say they’ll give you a lift have tons of sugar along with caffeine. Some energy drinks have about 25 grams per 8-ounce serving. How about having some cool water instead? Sometimes being dehydrated can make you feel tired.

Packaged Fruits

Mandarin oranges in light syrup have about 39 grams of sugar per 1-cup serving. You can minimize the sugar somewhat by draining the cup -- that gets you to about 15.5 grams. Better yet, just have fresh fruit.

Coleslaw

That’s the “healthy” side dish at the fast-food restaurant, isn’t it? Think again. One regular-size side of coleslaw from many popular fast-food places will cost you about 15 grams in sugar. You can learn what goes into some of your favorite restaurant offerings by looking it up online on their website. If you're craving coleslaw, you can always make a low-sugar version at home.

Tea

You’re wary of the added calories and sugar in juices, so you’ve switched to tea. Uh-oh. Many popular teas have a surprising amount of sugar. The leading brands of lemon-flavored iced tea, for example, all have about 32 grams of sugar per bottle. A cup of apple juice has 24 grams. You can control sugar if you brew your own tea instead. Also, some flavored waters aren’t high in sugar -- check labels, though.

Dried Fruit

With all the water taken out, dried fruit has way more sugar by volume than fresh fruits. A small box of raisins -- 1.5 ounces -- has more than 25 grams of sugar. Instead, you could eat a cup of grapes for 15 grams of sugar.

Ketchup

At about 4 grams per tablespoon, ketchup on your burger can give you a minor sugar boost. That's not as much as some other foods on this list, but if you’re trying to cut back on sugar, switch to regular yellow mustard -- it gives you less than 1 gram of sugar per tablespoon.

Are you shocked at how many foods you thought were healthy are actually packed with hidden sugars!? What do you think! I'm sticking to raw, untouched, unprocessed foods. Anything packaged or processed in any way will contain hidden sugar.

Source
http://www.webmd.com/diet/ss/hidden-sugar-slideshow

Sources

Reviewed by Elaine Magee, MPH, RD on 3/, 014

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The Best Cereal for Weight Loss

Oatmeal has been trendy with foodies and celebs for a while now, thanks in part to its rep as a low-fat, high-protein superfood. But here's another reason to boil some water and make yourself a bowl tomorrow morning:Oatmeal can help keep you from packing on pounds, according to a new study from the Journal of the American College of Nutrition. 

Researchers gave one group of study subjects oatmeal for breakfast, while a second group was served a ready-to-eat oat-based breakfast cereal. Both breakfasts clocked in at 363 total calories. When asked to rate their appetite at regular intervals after finishing, the oatmeal eaters described themselves as significantly less hungry and more satisfied than the cereal eaters—even up to four hours following their meal. Researchers think it has to do with the fact that oatmeal is thicker and delivers more filling fiber than other cereals. 

 

Whatever the reason, the study results suggest that oatmeal keeps hunger at bay, which can help you stay slim—all the more reason to make one of these easy, delicious oatmeal recipes. 

Source
http://www.womenshealthmag.com/weight-loss/best-cereal-for-weight-loss