2024 Author: Isabella Gilson | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 03:14
Today, many people prefer to eat corn flakes or rice balls with milk in the morning. But are breakfast cereals really he althy, as their manufacturers claim? This article takes a closer look at breakfast cereals and their impact on human he alth.
What is cereal?
These products are cereals made from recycled grains. They are often eaten with milk, yogurt, fruits or nuts.
These grain products are often fortified with vitamins and minerals. This means that additional nutrients have been added to make the dish he althier.
How is breakfast cereal produced?
As a rule, it includes the following stages:
Processing: grains are processed into flour and subjected to high temperatures.
Mixing: The resulting semi-finished product is then mixed with ingredients such as sugar, chocolate and water.
Extrusion: Many breakfast cereals are produced by extrusion. This is a high temperature process that uses a flaking machine.
Drying: the extraction of liquid by heat.
Shaping: the product is shaped into different shapes -balls, stars, figurines or rectangles.
Breakfast flakes can also be airy - in the form of flakes or various geometric shapes. The appetizer can also be covered in chocolate or icing before drying.
Breakfast cereal is made from refined grains, most commonly through a process called extrusion. This technology is a high degree of product processing, during which many ingredients are added. Most of these meals end up high in sugar and fast carbohydrates.
Potential harm
The addition of sugar is the only but very significant drawback in the production of dry cereal snacks. This can lead to weight gain and other he alth problems if consumed regularly in large quantities. The main difficulty is that many people try to follow the principles of a he althy diet, eliminating sugar from their diet, but still get it from ready-made processed foods.
According to nutritionists, breakfast cereals are among the most commonly consumed processed foods high in added sugars.
However, in most of these cereals, sugar is listed as the second or third ingredient, that is, if you read the label inattentively, it may not be noticed.
What could be the danger?
Starting the day with a high-sugar breakfast will spike your blood levels and boost your outputinsulin.
After a few hours, blood glucose levels will plummet, and the body will begin to crave another food with an equally high carbohydrate content, thus creating a vicious cycle of overeating.
Excessive sugar intake may also increase the risk of type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular disease and cancer.
What conclusion can be drawn from this?
Most breakfast cereals are high in sugar and made from refined grains. Excessive consumption of this product may have harmful effects and may increase the risk of a number of diseases.
As a rule, on the front side of the box it is indicated that this is a he althy product enriched with vitamins. Often, packaging includes misleading labels such as "low fat" and "whole grain."
But if you look at the full list of ingredients, you can see that most of the product is refined grains and sugar. Other useful components will be available, but their percentage is usually too small. This means that the benefits of breakfast cereals, which have been promoted for a long time, are highly questionable.
They are overly processed foods made with added sugar. A small amount of whole grains in the composition does not negate the harmful effects of other ingredients.
Impact on children
The big problem is thatthe manufacturers of these foodstuffs carry out promotions aimed at children. Companies use bright colors, cartoon characters and various colorful figurines to attract the attention of young consumers.
No wonder this leads kids to associate breakfast cereals with fun and entertainment. A classic example is the Nesquik breakfast cereal. Every child knows the funny bunny from the chocolate cereal commercial.
This also affects taste preferences. Studies show that children prefer products that have images of popular cartoon characters on the package.
Such intrusive advertising for some products is even considered a risk factor for childhood obesity and other nutrition-related diseases.
In addition to attracting children's attention, these foods are often misleading about their he alth benefits. For example, Nestlé breakfast cereals are presented as a special children's breakfast rich in vitamins and microelements, which is doubly useful with milk. It does contain the claimed substances, but the content of sugar and chocolate significantly reduces the benefits.
Does this mean you shouldn't eat cereal?
Actually, these snacks are not completely harmful. Sometimes they can be used without any fear. If you want to eat breakfast cereal daily, you must follow certain rules.
Ideally, you need to choosecereal made from crushed whole grains that contain less than 5 grams of sugar per serving. Read labels to find out what ingredients are in the product and how much.
Secondly, the fiber content is important. Breakfast cereals that contain at least 3 grams of fiber per serving are really he althy. Eating enough of this substance has many he alth benefits.
Third, pay attention to the portion size. Breakfast cereal is usually crunchy and tasty, which is the reason why you can eat a large number of calories at one time. Measure how much you eat and be sure to use the serving size information on the package.
Final verdict
Read the list of ingredients very carefully. Ignore the listing of he althy arguments on the front of the box. Check out the full list of ingredients. The first two or three components are the most important, since the product is mainly composed of them.
However, food manufacturers can sometimes use tricks to hide the amount of sugar present in a snack. If it is listed multiple times under different names, it may not be in the first three items.
You can make your breakfast he althier by adding some protein to it. This will help you feel full faster and reduce your appetite. A tablespoon of nuts, seeds, or natural yogurt are good choices to serve with cereal. You can also add some fresh berries or pieces of juicy fruit.
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