FitSugar

Cereal Breakdown

FitSugar — Tue, 26 Feb 2008 07:30:00 -0800

When it comes to eating breakfast during the week, I need something quick yet nutritious, so cereal is a popular choice. It amazes me how many different kinds of cereal there are out there, and how much they differ nutritionally. Want to see how they compare nutritionally? Then read more

This is the nutritional info for one cup of cereal. The ** before the name indicates that the cereal contains high fructose corn syrup or regular corn syrup.

Cereal	Calories	Total Fat (g)	Carbs (g)	Fiber (g)	Sugars (g)	Protein (g)
**All-Bran	190	2	46	20	12	8
**Apple Jacks	120	.5	28	1	15	1
Barbara's Organic O's (Apple Cinnamon)	160	2	32	2.7	14.7	4
Barbara's Shredded Oats	176	2	36.8	4	9.6	4.8
Barbara's Ultima	180	2	48	16	10	6
Barbara's Wild Puffs (Cocoa)	110	1	25	1	9	2
Cheerios	100	2	20	3	1	3
Cheerios (Honey Nut)	112	1.2	24	1.8	10.5	2.7
Cheerios (Multi Grain)	110	1	23	3	6	2
Chex (Multi-Bran)	213.3	2	52	8	13.3	4
Fiber One	118	1.6	48.6	28.8	0	4.8
Kashi Go Lean	140	1	30	10	6	13
Kashi Go Lean Crunch	190	3	36	8	13	9
Kashi Puffs	70	.5	15	1	0	2
Kellogg's Mini Wheats (unfrosted)	200	1.5	46	6	1	6
**Kellogg's Raisin Bran	190	1.5	45	7	19	5
**Kellogg's Rice Krispies	96	0	20.7	0	2.4	1.6
Nature's Path Corn Flakes	146.7	1.3	32	2.7	4	2.7
Nature's Path Crispy Rice	146.7	2	32	2.7	4	2.7
Nature's Path Optimum Power	210	2.5	40	10	12	8
Nature's Path Panda Puffs	173.3	3.3	32	2.7	9.3	4
Puffins	120	1.3	30.7	6.7	6.7	2.7
**Special K	120	.5	22	less than 1	4	7
**Special K Red Berries	110	0	25	1	10	3
**Total	133.3	.67	30.7	4	6.7	2.7
**Total Raisin Bran	160	1	40	5	17	3
**Wheaties	133.3	.67	29.3	4	5.3	4

I included the nutritional info for cereals you'd find at mainstream grocery stores and health food stores. The ones that sound healthy often contain high amounts of sugar because of the corn syrup, so be sure to read through the list of ingredients to make sure the cereal you choose is made with mostly whole grains. I always shoot for the ones that have the least amount of ingredients, the ones made with whole grains, and the ones with high amounts of fiber.

Fit's Tips: When comparing cereals on your own, check the serving sizes. Although the info above is based on one cup servings, cereal serving sizes tend to range from 1/2 a cup to 1 1/4 cup. So you may think a cereal is low in calories, but the serving size may be small.

Breakfast Cereal Breakdown Extraordinaire

FitSugar — Fri, 12 Oct 2007 03:00:00 -0700

I have no fear of sounding like a broken record when it comes to promoting breakfast as the most important meal of the day. It is a fact I feel comfortable reiterating over and over again. With breakfast on my mind, I need to share an extremely thorough online breakdown of the most popular breakfast cereals in America (apologies to all you international readers) brought to you by A Calorie Counter.

If you have ever wanted to sit down and compare all the cereals you see in the grocery aisle, but just haven't been able to make the time to do it, fear not because A Calorie Counter has done it for you. He has created a breakdown of more than 50 of the best selling cereals. The best part of this chart is that you can sort it by category. So if you are looking for the cereal with the most protein or the most fiber, your answer is just a double click away. This breakdown is truly helpful!

See how your breakfast cereal compares at Breakfast Cereal Breakdown Extraordinaire!

Source

Bark for Breakfast: Some Healthy Cereals Have NO Taste

FitSugar — Thu, 01 Mar 2007 02:30:00 -0800

Some people love to start their day with a hearty bowl of cereal. The milk, soy milk, or rice milk adds extra vitamins and protein. Cereals nowadays are made with heart-healthy whole grains, complete with the fiber and carbs you need.

However, healthy cereals are not all equal. Arrowhead Mills makes many healthy breakfast options, and they're great if you prefer a plain cereal with not much taste. Nature O's may look fun and are made with organic oats, rice, and wheat germ, but believe me when I say that they taste like bark.

What is good about Nature O's is that they are made with no added sugar, so if you're watching that, this cereal might be a great option for you. The only thing is, if you don't like the taste, you won't eat it.

Food Review: Me & Goji Customized Cereal

FitSugar — Wed, 25 Feb 2009 04:30:00 -0800

I start every day with breakfast - it's the most important meal of the day - so cereal is a staple at my house. We mix types of cereals here to create personalized blends, so when I read about customized, artisanal cereal blends from Me & Goji, I was more than intrigued. The cereal makers were kind enough to indulge my curiosity and sent me a couple of their favorite creations, plus one of my own - FitSugar's Berry Trifecta featuring raspberries, blueberries, and mulberries.

You begin the process of customizing your blend by selecting a cereal base (about $5), from granola and museli to several types of whole grain flakes. Then you can choose from over 30 add-ins, like more grains, dried fruit, nuts, seeds, spices, even chocolate or cacao nibs.

To see what I thought of the cereal and some nutritional information read more.

I really like the "flaxed and flaked" cereal base (corn flakes fortified with sesame, flax, and amaranth seeds) used in Wintry Wake Up and pictured above. This cereal flavor includes goji berries, dried cranberries, dried apples, golden raisins, pumpkin seeds, and cinnamon, and these add-ins are plentiful. I never took a bite of plain flakes, and the cereal is tasty from flake to fruit. Mixed with plain yogurt, a 3/4-cup serving kept me full until about 10:30, my morning snack time. One serving of this cereal is 184 calories, with 4.8 grams of protein and 4.7 grams of fiber. The sugar content is 9 grams, due to sugar used to sweeten the cranberries and apples, as well as the natural sugars in the raisins. But the cereal doesn't taste sweet.

Each ingredient you add to your customized mix increases the price of the cereal, and a tube of Wintry Wake Up is $13. This seems pricey, but the stylish tube the cereal arrives in holds 15 servings of cereal, which is almost twice that of a normal box of cereal.

If you've ever had a hankering to design your own cereal, you should head on over to the Me & Goji website and play around. I might not be able to afford this cereal all the time, but it is a healthy indulgence I believe in. Have you ever ordered cereal from Me & Goji? If yes, describe your custom cereal below.

Diet Tip: Mix Your Cereals

FitSugar — Wed, 29 Oct 2008 12:00:00 -0700

I'm a fan of cereal for breakfast because it's quick, inexpensive, and a great way to add whole grains to my diet. The combination of the good carbs and fiber from the cereal, plus the calcium and protein from the milk make it a healthy breakfast choice. If you look at the nutritional info of cereals, they're all so different. Some are high in fiber but low on flavor. Some are high in protein but high in calories. So I like to mix my cereals to reap the benefits of them all.

Don't just eyeball your cereal parfait because you'll most likely end up with a 500-calorie bowl of breakfast. I take a measuring cup and mix three to five different cereals in it. Choose from cereals that contain at least three grams of fiber and three grams of protein per serving. Each cereal should be around 100 to 200 calories per serving and contain no more than 15 grams of sugar. You'll end up with a custom-made cereal that has a variety of textures and tastes, and it will also be full of fiber and protein.

Yogurt and Granola vs. Cereal and Milk

FitSugar — Tue, 05 May 2009 13:00:00 -0700

It's breakfast time and you can't decide if you should have yogurt and granola or cereal and milk. Both are good forms of protein and calcium, and they also contain fiber. Depending on your specific needs though, you may want the breakfast that contains more calories (since you're going for a long bike ride), or maybe you're concerned with getting the least amount of sodium (because of your high blood pressure).

So let's compare the two. To see the nutritional info for each meal read more.

Food	Calories	Fat (g)	Cholesterol (mg)	Sodium (mg)	Carbs (g)	Fiber (g)	Sugars (g)	Protein (g)	Calcium (mg)
6 oz. Chobani Vanilla Yogurt	120	0	0	65	13	0	13	16	200
1/4 cup Bear Naked Fit Granola (Vanilla Almond)	120	2.5	0	15	19	3	3	3	0
1/4 cup blueberries	21	.1	0	0	5.3	.9	3.6	.3	2.2
Total	261	2.6	0	80	37.3	3.9	19.6	19.3	202.2

Food	Calories	Fat (g)	Cholesterol (mg)	Sodium (mg)	Carbs (g)	Fiber (g)	Sugars (g)	Protein (g)	Calcium (mg)
1 cup skim milk	91	.7	5	130	12.3	0	12.3	8.7	316.2
1 cup Kashi Go Lean cereal	140	1	0	85	30	10	6	13	60
1/4 cup sliced strawberries	13	.1	0	0	3.2	.8	1.9	.3	6.6
Total	244	1.8	5	215	45.5	10.8	20.2	22	382.8

As you can see, yogurt and granola contain less cholesterol, less sodium, fewer carbs, and slightly less sugars. A bowl of cereal and milk contains fewer calories, less fat, more fiber, slightly more protein, and a great deal more calcium. Now that you can see the two comparisons side by side, you can can decide which meal is right for you.

Healthy Recipe: Make Your Own Muesli

FitSugar — Sat, 24 Jan 2009 03:00:00 -0800

Muesli is a traditional breakfast cereal made from rolled oats, fruit, and nuts. Since it's full of such wholesome ingredients, it's really healthy. You can buy it prepackaged, but I prefer to make my own so I can add in extra tasty ingredients that not only add more vitamins and fiber, but enhance the flavor as well.

To see how I make mine, read more.

All you need is a big bowl and ingredients such as these:

Rolled oats
Corn flakes
Spelt flakes
Bran flakes
Puffed rice
Dried cranberries
Dried blueberries
Dried apples
Raisins
Almond slivers
Sunflower seeds
Flax seeds
Walnuts
Cashews
Cinnamon

Mix a cup each of three different grains, one cup of dried fruit, a half cup of nuts/seeds, and two tablespoons cinnamon. It makes about four 3/4-cup servings. Enjoy with milk or vanilla soymilk. It's a delicious, hearty breakfast that will keep you full until lunch.

Tips for Picking a Healthy Cereal

FitSugar — Tue, 15 Jul 2008 03:30:00 -0700

The cereal aisle at any grocery store is usually pretty intimidating. There are literally hundreds of choices and many of them have health claims right on the front of the box, but do you know how to pick a healthy cereal? Fitness magazine consulted Jackie Newgent, R.D., a culinary nutritionist in New York, to find out what to look for when picking out the right cereal. Here are highlights:

Three or more grams of total fiber per serving.
One or more grams of soluble fiber, which may help lower cholesterol and keeps blood sugar stable. (Whole-oat cereals are especially good sources.)
Fewer than two grams of saturated fat and no trans fats, both of which contribute to heart disease risk.
Fewer than 10 grams of sugar, unless it has dried fruit, which contain natural sugars.

Does your favorite cereal meet these requirements?

Source

Make Your Own Cereal With MojaMix

FitSugar — Wed, 04 Nov 2009 11:00:56 -0800

Bored with Breakfast? MojaMix allows you to choose from an array of nutritious nibbles, so you can make your own personally customized cereal. It's really simple to do. Just choose your cereal base (granola, flakes, Os, etc.) that costs $4.99. Then choose as many dried fruits as you want including mango and goji berries, and you pay between $.40 and $1.30 for each, depending on what you choose. Then add nuts and seeds (they even have chia seeds), which cost between $.30 and $.90 for each. Then if you want, throw in some extras like raw cacao nibs. You get to name the cereal made especially by you, and when it arrives in the mail, it comes with the nutritional info on the bag.

See what my bowl of Good Morning Medley looks like when you read more.

Here's the cereal I made with these ingredients: Three Brothers (Wheat Flakes, Rye Flakes, Oat Flakes), Mango, Raisins, Almonds, Cashew Nuts, Cranberries, Blueberries, Cherries, Sunflower Seeds, and Walnuts. This hearty cereal is delicious with milk, yogurt, or heated up like oatmeal.

Those Weird Dried Berries in Cereal, Good for You?

FitSugar — Wed, 20 Dec 2006 02:00:00 -0800

If you buy cereals with the berries already in the box, you may be wondering if they are as healthy as their fresh counterparts.

As long as the berries are freeze-dried then they will still retain the nutrients from when they were fresh. Freeze-dried fruits retain almost as much of the antioxidant phytochemicals (found in fresh fruits). The freeze-dried fruits may not have as much vitamin C as their fresh counterparts.

Freeze-dried fruits are a great alternative to fresh fruits since you can keep freeze-dried fruits longer and they are much more cost effective. However, if you think that you are getting enough fruit for the day in your cereal, think again. It's a good start but you may want to also incorporate fruit into your other meals throughout the day. Also watch out for sugar in cereals with freeze-dried fruit, due to the tart bitterness of the freeze-dried fruit there may be more sugar added to the cereal to help with the taste.

Fit's Tip: A serving of dried fruit is one-quarter cup and a serving of diced, cooked, or frozen fruit is one-half cup.