Not such a healthy start to the day

[Ameeratul Layl]

Breakfast cereals can contain similar sugar levels to chocolate bars, a consumer group warns.

A high fat and salt content may belie the products' healthy image, Which? researchers claim.

More than three-quarters of the 275 cereals tested by the consumer group had high sugar levels. This rose to 88 per cent of the 52 products specifically aimed at children.

One fifth of all cereals tested had high levels of salt and seven per cent contained high levels of saturated fat.

Asda and Morrisons' Golden Puffs were the worst offenders for sugar at 55g per 100g of the cereal.

Kellogg's Coco Pop Straws had 34g of sugar per 100g - comparable to a two finger Kit Kat. And some puffed wheat cereals had more sugar per 100g than a Toffee Crisp.

Jordan's Crispy Nut Four Combo had the highest fat content at 28.5g per 100g - the same amount per serving as a McDonald's McBacon Roll, Which? said.
Kellogg's All-Bran and Morrisons' Right Balance had the highest amount of salt per suggested portion size.

And Sainsbury's Crunchy Oat Cereal had 20.3g of fat per 100g - nearly as much as the chain's thick pork sausages, Which? said.

Of the cereals aimed at children, the three worst offenders were Quaker Oatso Simple Kids, Kellogg's Coco Pops Straws and Mornflake Pecan and Maple Crisp.

They would all get 'red lights' for sugar content under the Food Standards Agency's new labelling scheme.

Which? researchers surveyed 275 different types and flavours of cereals from leading brands and the UK's four largest supermarket chains.

The group is calling on manufacturers to cut down on salt, saturated fat and sugar in breakfast cereals.

The Association of Cereal Food Manufacturers, which represents Cereal Partners, Dailycer, Jordans, Kellogg's, Morning Foods, Quaker and Weetabix, said its members cut cereals' salt content by an average 33 per cent between 1998 and 2005.

An Asda spokeswoman said: "We have 70 Asda brand cereals ranging from the ultra-healthy ones highlighted in this survey through to sweet treats like Golden Puffs. This gives customers what they consistently ask us for - variety.''

A Sainsbury's spokeswoman said all the store's breakfast cereals were clearly labelled, including the one which had fared badly in the Which? survey.

 

[Mezier]

Agreed sis.

Oatmeal is 1000x healthier! Eat that in the morning with some milk. Add some (SOME!) brownsugar for taste.

 

[Ameeratul Layl]

Agreed sis.

Oatmeal is 1000x healthier! Eat that in the morning with some milk. Add some (SOME!) brownsugar for taste.

Brownsugar? I was thinking more on the lines of honey.

 

[Nawal89]

^my mom makes it with honey..it doent taste very nice :X.

I usually just eat a slice or two of wheat bread with something..And sometimes fruit.

 

[Ameeratul Layl]

^my mom makes it with honey..it doent taste very nice :X.

I usually just eat a slice or two of wheat bread with something..And sometimes fruit.

I still think others should try it - if they haven't.
I prefer fruit though. Keeps the skin looking healthy.

 

[IbnAbdulHakim]

^my mom makes it with honey..it doent taste very nice :X.

I usually just eat a slice or two of wheat bread with something..And sometimes fruit.

this is what i hav and i think i've began to develop gas ffended:

 

[Muezzin]

Oh, man. These diet fads are making it so we can't even use one of those funky Coco Pops straws! Can't people just exercise more?

this is what i hav and i think i've began to develop gas ffended:

Sell it on eBay, man.

 

[Snowflake]

Oats are good. The Prophet (saw) said that too. They're also good for lowering colestrol. They're also a low GI food and therefore release sugar (natural sugar) slowly keeping your blood sugar levels steady. It's when your blood sugar yo-yo's that you get hungry soon after eating and as a result over-eat and put on weight.


Apart from oats, weetabix with milk (no sugar) tastes yummy and keeps you feeling full for hours.

 

[searchingsoul]

I've always agreed that breakfast cereals aren't as healthy as some people like to believe. I remember my grandparents eating eggs, bacon, sausages, and gravies for breakfast and they were slimmer and healthier than generations fed fortified cereals.

 

[Looking4Peace]

I've always agreed that breakfast cereals aren't as healthy as some people like to believe. I remember my grandparents eating eggs, bacon, sausages, and gravies for breakfast and they were slimmer and healthier than generations fed fortified cereals.

yup natural foods are the way to go, people dont want to realize or maybe believe that refined sugars and carbs are way worse for the health then some fat here and there, i learned the hard way after i was near obesity, you would never know i was like that now that im very slim and muscular and got my blood sugar and cholestorol down like no other, if your gonna fill up on carbs at all do it naturally by fruit and such, not processed garbage thats just meant make money not to do u any good. Also eggs arent as bad as people think they are you can eat them everyday as long as u have a good balance of foods going on, its trans fats that affect cholesterol more then cholesterol itself which again is in many processed foods.

 

[searchingsoul]

yup natural foods are the way to go, people dont want to realize or maybe believe that refined sugars and carbs are way worse for the health then some fat here and there, i learned the hard way after i was near obesity, you would never know i was like that now that im very slim and muscular and got my blood sugar and cholestorol down like no other, if your gonna fill up on carbs at all do it naturally by fruit and such, not processed garbage thats just meant make money not to do u any good. Also eggs arent as bad as people think they are you can eat them everyday as long as u have a good balance of foods going on, its trans fats that affect cholesterol more then cholesterol itself which again is in many processed foods.

Congratulations on your weight loss and healthy lifestyle. You offer very sound advice. I think natural foods are best too. Sometimes people question why I use real butter and real cheese. I tell them that it breaks down in our bodies correctly. It scares me that I can place fat free cheese in the microwave and it doesn't melt. Think about it, does it break down in your body?

I'm sure my diet and that of my kids is very high in natural fats but we are healthy. My husband who often lives away from home eats a lot of convenience foods, many which are diet foods, and he looks like a walking heart attack. Go figure.

 

[Looking4Peace]

Congratulations on your weight loss and healthy lifestyle. You offer very sound advice. I think natural foods are best too. Sometimes people question why I use real butter and real cheese. I tell them that it breaks down in our bodies correctly. It scares me that I can place fat free cheese in the microwave and it doesn't melt. Think about it, does it break down in your body?

I'm sure my diet and that of my kids is very high in natural fats but we are healthy. My husband who often lives away from home eats a lot of convenience foods, many which are diet foods, and he looks like a walking heart attack. Go figure.

Thanks, sorry to hear about your husband cant he just bring stuff from home like salads and fruits?, and also nuts are very good to sustain hunger while providing good fat and protein, he really doesnt have to eat convienent foods to keep full, please try to talk to him about it.

 

[searchingsoul]

Thanks, sorry to hear about your husband cant he just bring stuff from home like salads and fruits?, and also nuts are very good to sustain hunger while providing good fat and protein, he really doesnt have to eat convienent foods to keep full, please try to talk to him about it.

Oh I have talked to him about it but it falls on deaf ears. LOL I also think God talks to him about it in the form of angina attacks.

 

[Snowflake]

I've always agreed that breakfast cereals aren't as healthy as some people like to believe. I remember my grandparents eating eggs, bacon, sausages, and gravies for breakfast and they were slimmer and healthier than generations fed fortified cereals.

I can't believe it myself why anyone would think sugar-loaded cereals are an healthy option. Even if they supply vital nutrients, they reverse the benefits cuz they are loaded with added salt and sugar. But there are cereals which provide good nutrients and fibre. But they're the bland looking one's and don't appeal to children. Oats really are the best.

As for our grandparents, they were healthier as a result of all the work they did, without labour saving devices. Imagine washing a load of terries nappies by hand every day. That alone is sure to burn some calories. :uhwhat