CEREAL— THE BEST AND THE WORST

Not all cereals are equal in nutritional value. Some are high in sugar, while others have none. Some are fortified with up to 15 nutrients, and others aren’t fortified at all. Depending on which type you choose, cereal may not be your most healthful choice for breakfast. Here are some insider tips on choosing the best cereals from the worst:

1) The 6 to 8 grams of fiber in a one ounce serving of bran flakes with fresh fruit could make a good daily start on the National Cancer Institute’s recommendation that American adults consume from 25 to 30 grams of dietary fiber a day.

2) Cereals that contain iron are also a good choice, especially for women. If you ^on’t eat red meat or other iron-rich foods, the American Dietetic Association suggests that you choose a cereal that contains at least 45 percent of the U.S. Recommended Daily Allowance for iron. Also be sure to have orange juice or another vitamin C-rich drink with your cereal, otherwise the iron won’t be well-absorbed.

3) Nutritionists agree that breakfast should make up about one quarter of your daily nutrient requirements. A fortified cereal, with 25 percent of the U.S. Recommended Daily Allowances can be helpful as long as you also eat a variety of healthful food throughout the day.

4) Select a cereal with no more than five grams of sugar. In general, the more sugar a cereal contains, the fewer complex carbohydrates and less dietary fiber it contains.

5) If you are primarily interested in insoluble fat—the kind that prevents constipation and may protect against colon cancer—select a cereal made with whole wheat. The best advice is to eat a multigrain cereal that will provide you with both soluble and insoluble fiber, or you can rotate among different types of cereals. Whatever you choose, it should have at least 2 grams of fiber per serving.

6) Try to avoid many of the hot cereals that are now available in single- serving packets. Hot cereal bought in large, economical boxes is not only as easy to cook on the stove or in the microwave, it’s also much less expensive. While the instant varieties may seem convenient, they quite often contain a lot of unnecessary salt and sugar.

7) Many cold cereals are highly processed, while hot cereals are less tampered with. However, some hot cereals, such as farina and Cream of Wheat are processed so highly they become very smooth and creamy and loose a great deal of their fiber. You can fortify your own cereal with fiber, by adding fresh or dried fruit, and with calcium by using skim or low-fat milk.

Whatever brand of cereal you buy, be sure to read the label so you’ll be certain it contains the nutrients you need.

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