To help keep your portions in line with your needs, balance out your plate with other foods — a heaping helping of non-starchy veggies and enough protein to satisfy your appetite. Breakfast cereal often finds itself in the crossfire between added sugar and refined grains, but it deserves another look. In addition to being a convenient option — a key consideration for most weekday mornings — cereal is often fortified with nutrients, like iron and B vitamins, that our diets commonly lack.
That means choosing cereal for breakfast can help you meet your daily nutrient targets. Add cereal to milk or yogurt and the nutrient content goes up considerably.
An ideal breakfast cereal is percent whole grain and provides at least 3 grams of fiber more is better with fewer than 6 grams of added sugar less than that or no added sugar is best. To become a smarter cereal shopper, scan the serving size along with the ingredient list and these attributes. Boost the protein content by serving it over Greek yogurt instead of with milk, or have a little Greek yogurt on the side.
Score triple bonus points if you add some grated zucchini, carrots or another veggie to your breakfast cereal! Hey, veggies are often added to overnight oats, so why not try them in other cereals? For starters, mix your usual choice with a less sweetened whole grain cereal until your taste buds adapt. Or just call it what it is: Dessert. You can make it an even more nutritious treat by adding in some nuts or seeds, which will also make your dessert more filling. Granola contains healthy ingredients such as oats, nuts and dried fruit, and it can serve as a tasty topping to yogurt or cereal.
But since it can pack up to calories per cup thanks to sugar and other ingredient treats , it's important to sprinkle, not pour. Ready-to-eat breakfast cereal can make for a convenient and healthy breakfast, especially if it's made with whole grains, is low in sugar and is served with fresh fruit and low-fat milk.
But sugary cereals that lack fiber and protein can cause a blood sugar spike and crash before lunchtime. Order a California roll, and you'll get heart-healthy monounsaturated fats from avocado and zinc from crab, all for calories.
But a crunchy shrimp tempura roll, which is battered and fried and often drizzled with spicy mayo, has about more calories and three times the amount of fat. Air-popped popcorn is a healthy, whole-grain, antioxidant-rich snack that's low in calories. But movie theater popcorn, which is popped in coconut oil, is a diet disaster, contributing 1, calories and about three days worth of saturated fat for a medium bucket -- and that's without the buttery topping.
A Greek yogurt with no added sugar makes for a filling protein- and calcium-rich snack. But sweetened yogurts with flavorings or fruit purees have less protein and are more like dessert, with up to 8 teaspoons of sugar. Protein can also help you feel full. Some cereals have added protein, and some, like oatmeal, are naturally a little higher in protein. While sweet cereals may have only 1 or 2 grams of protein, healthier options can have closer to 10 grams.
Most Americans eat way more than the recommended daily amount of sugar 36 grams for men and 25 grams for women. To start your day on the right foot, look for low-sugar cereals with less than 6 grams of added sugar per serving, Patton suggests. And beware of hidden sweet stuff. Check the ingredient list for sugar imposters, including glucose, maltodextrin, high fructose corn syrup and evaporated cane juice.
Choose a cereal with less than milligrams of sodium per serving. For all its charms, cereal can be sneaky. Many high-fiber cereals are pretty carb-dense, so pay attention to portion sizes and calories. This means they provide fewer kilojoules per gram of food. High-fibre foods take longer to digest and create a feeling of fullness, which can discourage overeating. Wholegrains are also naturally low in saturated fat and contain healthier polyunsaturated fatty acids.
High-fibre foods such as wholegrain cereal products increase movement of food through the digestive tract. The result is increased stool faeces bulk, softer and larger stools, and more frequent bowel actions. This provides a good environment for beneficial bowel bacteria, while decreasing levels of destructive bacteria and the build-up of carcinogenic compounds. Wheat fibre can bind certain toxins and remove them from the large bowel in the faeces.
Eating one to three serves of wholegrain cereals high in dietary fibre each day is associated with a reduced risk of colorectal cancer in adults. Three servings of wholegrains daily about 90 g may lead to a 20 per cent reduction in the risk of colorectal cancer — and further reductions in risk may be possible with higher wholegrain intakes. Wholegrain cereals are recommended as part of a healthy diet.
The Australian Guide to Healthy Eating recommends adults aged years eat six serves of cereal foods daily, most of which should be wholegrain. In older adults aged years, men and women should consume at least six serves and four serves of cereal foods respectively.
In adults aged 70 years and over, men and women should consume at least 4. Amounts recommended for children and adolescents depend on their age and sex.
This page has been produced in consultation with and approved by:. The size of a standard drink can vary according to the type of alcohol.
A common misconception is that anorexia nervosa only affects young women, but it affects males and females of all ages. Antioxidants scavenge free radicals from the body's cells, and prevent or reduce the damage caused by oxidation. No special diet or 'miracle food' can cure arthritis, but some conditions may be helped by avoiding or including certain foods. It is important to identify any foods or food chemicals that may trigger your asthma, but this must be done under strict medical supervision.
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