Good cereals vs. bad cereals: How to find a healthy cereal

Article written by Joanna McMillan We all know breakfast is an important part of the day - it sets you up for the day, fires up your metabolism, gets your brain and body in gear so that you make better choices, and are more motivated to eat well and move more. But while most people enjoy the convenience of a breakfast cereal, we need to be choosy about which one we have.

There are so many cereals on the market at the moment it’s often hard to distinguish between the good and the bad. The first thing you should consider is the fibre content of the cereal.

Fibre is extremely important as it helps promote digestive health and it keeps you ‘regular’. It’s important to look after your gut health because the digestive tract plays a significant role in the immune system, helping to protect the body from harmful bacteria and toxins. There are also added benefits of consuming fibre such as reducing cholesterol levels and slowing the rise in blood glucose after meals, which is good news for diabetics.

The Glycemic Index (GI) of cereals is another key factor to consider. High GI foods don’t provide a sustained release of energy, often leaving us hungry and craving a sugary treat mid-morning, which is a nightmare for people who want to manage their weight. It’s therefore important to keep an eye out for low GI cereals that will keep you fuller for longer throughout the day.

Another defining factor between good and bad cereals is whether or not they contain whole grains. Try to avoid highly processed grains and opt for whole grains instead. The reason for this is that refining the grain strips away many of the nutrients and fibre. Highly refined grains are generally high GI, stimulate a lot of insulin in the body to deal with them and raise the risk of being overweight, heart disease, diabetes and even certain cancers. People think of sugar as being bad, when in fact white flour products are usually just as bad, if not worse, for you.

In terms of the best cereals on the market, I’d recommend a cereal such as Goodness Superfoods Protein 1st, which is high in protein and fibre, and is low GI – all of which are all factors that help keep you fuller for longer and help to control appetite and weight. What makes this cereal stand out to me is the inclusion a unique whole grain called BARLEYmax which was developed by the CSIRO. BARLEYmax is extremely high in fibre and also contains a special type of fibre called resistant starch which may also help to lower cholesterol and is particularly good for promoting the growth of the good bacteria in the bowel, aiding with gut health and keeping you regular.

In terms of what to avoid, steer away from the sugar-coated cereals you used to eat when you were a kid, as well the highly processed ones with little fibre. The key thing is to look for a cereal that is high in fibre, has a low GI and is minimally processed, and once you add milk or yoghurt you also have a high protein and nutritious meal that will keep you going throughout the day.

Joanna is one of Australia’s best-known nutrition and healthy lifestyle experts. She is a regular on the Nine Network as the official nutritionist for TODAY and is a judge on the new show Excess Baggage. Joanna is an author of several books including the award winning Inner Health Outer Beauty and the internationally published The Low GI Diet, and writes a weekly column in Sunday Life. You can find her http://www.drjoanna.com.au/