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Cereal manufacturers are now holding the sugar to appeal to consumers aiming to eat healthier fare.
Photo illustration by BRANDON POLLOCK / Courier Photo Editor
Photo illustration by BRANDON POLLOCK / Courier Photo Editor
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Read labels carefully for a truly healthy breakfast
By KAREN HEINSELMAN, Courier Staff Writer
WAVERLY --- Chocolate-flavored puffs boast whole grain goodness. Rainbow-colored loops offer a lower sugar option. High-fiber flakes promise weight loss.
Breakfast cereals have traditionally competed for consumers' attention using colorful containers and characters, star athletes, catchy jingles and cool toys. Now, the nation's biggest cereal companies are using America's obsession with waistlines as their newest marketing tool.
But slogans don't guarantee a bowl full of health, dietitians say. Breakfast lovers would do well to learn how to read labels.
"You want to look at the ingredient list and make sure sugar is as far down the list as possible," said Monica Lursen, a dietitian at the Waverly Health Center.
The body needs sugar, Lursen said. The problem comes when consumers eat to much of it, and the "wrong" kind at that.
Labels don't have to differentiate between added sugars and natural sugars. For example, Post Raisin Bran is higher in sugar than, say Kellogg's Froot Loops. But the flaky cereal is still a good choice, Lursen added, because one naturally sweet ingredient, raisins, also is high in fiber. Heart-healthy whole grain wheat also is the dominate ingredient.
"Obviously we want the sources of our sugar to be quality," Lursen said. "Choose your calories by the company they keep."
The marketing of Corn Flakes and other crunchy, edible-by-spoon foods was successful because of America's shift away from traditionally heavy, high-fat breakfasts, according to the Kellogg's Web site.
Cereal is still a popular choice for children. Nearly 90 percent of children ages 6 to 12 regularly eat cereal, according to consumer research firm NPD Group. Two-thirds of them eat sweetened cereals.
But today, marshmallows, chocolate cookies and food coloring bob around in the milk alongside corn, rice and wheat.
Cereal spokespersons say the industry is aware of America's growing problem of obesity. In recent years, the biggest bowls in the breakfast business have turned out reduced-sugar versions of their favorite cereals. But does less sugar equal more nutrients and fewer calories?
Not necessarily.
Often, to maintain flavor and texture, food that is low in sugar also is higher in protein or fat, which means higher in calories and a greater potential for more pounds.
"It's really difficult for consumers to make choices, because they really don't understand the trade-off that happens ... when they have traded one nutrient for another and the calories haven't changed that much," Lursen said.
Dietitians advise shoppers perusing the breakfast aisle to compare the amount of protein, vitamins and minerals. Fortunately, grocery shelves these days are loaded with whole grain choices.
At Grin and Grow Daycare on East Fourth Street in Waterloo, employees encourage students to make balanced breakfast decisions. Twice a week, the tots pick between a "healthy" cereal such as bran flakes and one "fun" cereal with a cocoa, fruity or frosty flavor, said director Melissa Ellis. Even though most kids prefer a colorful breakfast, they still digest a lessen about nutrition and making conscious decisions about diet.
"We usually tell them that the ones with the cartoons on the box usually are made with a lot of sugar," Ellis said. "Usually the cereal that has less sugar is more plain."
Despite the potential for confusion over ingredients and overall health benefits, Lursen said, cereal generally is a good choice in the morning.
"Eating breakfast, whatever it is you choose, is better than not eating any breakfast at all," she said.
Contact Karen Heinselman at 291-1482 or karen.heinselman@wcfcourier.com. The Associated Press contributed to this article.
Breakfast cereals have traditionally competed for consumers' attention using colorful containers and characters, star athletes, catchy jingles and cool toys. Now, the nation's biggest cereal companies are using America's obsession with waistlines as their newest marketing tool.
But slogans don't guarantee a bowl full of health, dietitians say. Breakfast lovers would do well to learn how to read labels.
"You want to look at the ingredient list and make sure sugar is as far down the list as possible," said Monica Lursen, a dietitian at the Waverly Health Center.
The body needs sugar, Lursen said. The problem comes when consumers eat to much of it, and the "wrong" kind at that.
Labels don't have to differentiate between added sugars and natural sugars. For example, Post Raisin Bran is higher in sugar than, say Kellogg's Froot Loops. But the flaky cereal is still a good choice, Lursen added, because one naturally sweet ingredient, raisins, also is high in fiber. Heart-healthy whole grain wheat also is the dominate ingredient.
"Obviously we want the sources of our sugar to be quality," Lursen said. "Choose your calories by the company they keep."
The marketing of Corn Flakes and other crunchy, edible-by-spoon foods was successful because of America's shift away from traditionally heavy, high-fat breakfasts, according to the Kellogg's Web site.
Cereal is still a popular choice for children. Nearly 90 percent of children ages 6 to 12 regularly eat cereal, according to consumer research firm NPD Group. Two-thirds of them eat sweetened cereals.
But today, marshmallows, chocolate cookies and food coloring bob around in the milk alongside corn, rice and wheat.
Cereal spokespersons say the industry is aware of America's growing problem of obesity. In recent years, the biggest bowls in the breakfast business have turned out reduced-sugar versions of their favorite cereals. But does less sugar equal more nutrients and fewer calories?
Not necessarily.
Often, to maintain flavor and texture, food that is low in sugar also is higher in protein or fat, which means higher in calories and a greater potential for more pounds.
"It's really difficult for consumers to make choices, because they really don't understand the trade-off that happens ... when they have traded one nutrient for another and the calories haven't changed that much," Lursen said.
Dietitians advise shoppers perusing the breakfast aisle to compare the amount of protein, vitamins and minerals. Fortunately, grocery shelves these days are loaded with whole grain choices.
At Grin and Grow Daycare on East Fourth Street in Waterloo, employees encourage students to make balanced breakfast decisions. Twice a week, the tots pick between a "healthy" cereal such as bran flakes and one "fun" cereal with a cocoa, fruity or frosty flavor, said director Melissa Ellis. Even though most kids prefer a colorful breakfast, they still digest a lessen about nutrition and making conscious decisions about diet.
"We usually tell them that the ones with the cartoons on the box usually are made with a lot of sugar," Ellis said. "Usually the cereal that has less sugar is more plain."
Despite the potential for confusion over ingredients and overall health benefits, Lursen said, cereal generally is a good choice in the morning.
"Eating breakfast, whatever it is you choose, is better than not eating any breakfast at all," she said.
Contact Karen Heinselman at 291-1482 or karen.heinselman@wcfcourier.com. The Associated Press contributed to this article.
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