Breakfast cereal -superfood or sawdust?

Breakfast is the most important meal of the day. Most people who lose weight and keep it off eat breakfast every day. Eating breakfast can make you smarter and better able to concentrate. This is especially so for children at school. Breakfast cereal is one of the nation"s favourite choices for breakfast but how do you choose the right one that both tastes good and is also good for your health? It"s not easy when you are faced with the long cereal aisle in the supermarket with hundreds of varieties available - some are healthy choices and some are similar to boxes of biscuits! Unfortunately many of the breakfast cereals that are marketed towards children are high in sugar, salt and fat, this also effects adults because a large proportion of breakfast cereals that are marketed for children are actually eaten by adults. You will need to look at the nutrition labels to compare your favourite cereals to find out how good for you they really are? Below are the key ingredients which can help you determine whether the cereal you eat is a healthy choice or not. Fibre: A high fibre cereal contains 6g fibre per 100g (There should be about 3g fibre in a portion of breakfast cereal ). Fibre that comes from wholegrain eg wheat or oats is good for keeping us full for longer, has a protective effect against heart disease and is good for our digestive system. Salt/Sodium: Salt and sodium are the same ingredient. To work out how much salt is in food multiply the sodium figure by 2.5. Breakfast cereals which are low in salt should contain less than 0.3g salt / 0.12g sodium per 100g. Eating too much salt can lead to high blood pressure which increases the risk of heart attack and stroke. Fat: Look for cereals that have less than 3g of total fat per 100g. A surprisingly large number of breakfast cereals contain "bad" fats which are trans fats in the form of hydrogenated vegetable oil. This is the type of fat that is associated with a build up of cholesterol in the arteries causing heart disease. Sugar: Look for cereals that have less than 5g of sugar per 100g. Hidden sources of sugar are listed as glucose and syrups in the ingredient lists. Some high fibre cereals that have dried fruit may be high in sugar but this is due to the fruit content. Other tips: Milk: Choose low-fat or skimmed milk for adults and children over two years old. Low fat yoghurt can also be used as a topping. Healthy additions: Add chopped fresh and dried fruit e.g. strawberries, blueberries, apple, banana, low. Be careful adding honey if you are watching your weight or have diabetes as it has a similar sugar content and calories to pure sugar. Portion size: The recommended portion size for an adult of breakfast cereal is usually displayed on the box usually about 30g for an adult or child. If you would like more information on anything in this article or any other nutrition related queries: Contact the Community Nutrition & Dietetic Service HSE (Dublin Mid Leinster, Marlinstown Office Park, Mullingar, Co Westmeath. Phone 0449353220).