Millions of consumers wake up every morning and reach for the quickest and most convenient option when it comes to pre-made breakfast- cereal. Breakfast cereals have substantially increased in popularity in modern times, but the majority of people are oblivious to the actual nutritional content of their favorite cereal. Many cereals claim to be enriched and fortified with vitamins and minerals but at the same time, may be full of artificial sweeteners, saturated fats and artificial colorings. This essay compares the nutritional value of five brand name cereals to determine the best and worst from a health and nutritionally balanced standpoint.
Food product labels and advertising can be deceptive in giving the average consumer information about what exactly they can receive from their food. It is important to evaluate food products according the accepted definition of healthy and not just take the take these terms at face value. Healthy can also be relative according to your personal health requirements, and your family risk factors and hereditary predispositions should also play a part in determining the kind of foods we eat. It was found that the healthiest cereal has a combination of essential vitamins, minerals was low in sugar. The healthiest cereal was labeled organic but was not enriched in any vitamins and minerals and contained saturated fat.
There are certain diseases that have a significant influence from hereditary factors as well as lifestyle factors. Diabetes is one of such diseases and is usually preceded by consistently high levels of blood sugar. My grandfather has high blood sugar, so it would be important for me to avoid foods high in added sugar. It would also be beneficial consume foods high in dietary fiber, as this has a positive effect in decreasing blood sugar and increasing metabolism (Chandalia et al, 2000).
The breakfast cereals’ nutritional value will be evaluated according to the FDA’s recently updated definition of healthy food products. It states that for a product to be defined as healthy "Their products aren't low in total fat but have a fat composition of mostly monounsaturated (MUFA) and polyunsaturated (PUFA) fatty acids, and include the amounts of MUFAs and PUFAs on the Nutrition Facts label; or they contain at least 10% DV per reference amount customarily consumed (RACC) for potassium or vitamin D and include these amounts on the Nutrition Facts label” (US Food and Drug Administration, 2016)
When I wake up in the morning my go to cereal is Cookie Crisp. Cookie Crisp is a chocolate flavored, corn-based cereal. It seems to be high in added sugar, as sugar is the second ingredient on the ingredient list and also has two types of syrup- corn syrup and brown sugar syrup- which would be additional sources of sugar. It is also low in dietary fiber. However, it is rich in vitamins such as Vitamin A, C, B12, B6 and D. It is also low in fat and does not contain trans-fat. Cookie Crisp cereal is also a good source of iron, which is important to avoid the effects of iron deficiency such as anemia. Anemia is especially dangerous in small children and pregnant women. (Abbaspour & Kelishadi, 2014)
The second cereal that I will be discussing is Raisin Brain. This cereal is my least favorite. One of the main reasons is simply because I dislike the taste. Raisin Bran is a whole wheat-based cereal that also contains raisins. It also seems to be quite high in sugar, at 10g per serving. It is also fortified with a number of vitamins such as Vitamin B6, B12, Thiamin, and Riboflavin. It is also enriched with iron, magnesium, phosphorus and zinc.
Most people have seen the commercials when it comes to Cheerios. It is advertised as being the healthiest option for consumers. Cheerios is a toasted whole grain oat cereal. It has little added sugar and its fat content is mainly polyunsaturated fat and monounsaturated fats. It is fortified with calcium, iron, phosphorus, magnesium, zinc and folic acid. It is also has high levels of potassium and vitamin D. Cheerios is slightly high in dietary sodium.
Pumpkin and Flax Granola has 9g of fat but according to the FDA definition of health, it is considered healthy because these fats are mainly polyunsaturated fats and monounsaturated fats. It does not seem to be enriched in any vitamins but is also high in dietary fiber. It is also enriched with iron.
Froot Loops is made out of corn flour, wheat flour, whole grain oat flour, sugar and contains a number of artificial colorings. It contains saturated fat and is low in potassium. It is enriched with Vitamins A, C, D, B6 and B12. Froot Loops also contain a high amount of dietary fiber, which is important in lowering blood sugar and improving bowel health.
Evaluating these cereals , it can be determined that the healthiest option would be the one with the highest level of potassium or vitamin D , and also other important minerals such as calcium, iron, phosphorus and Vitamins such as A, C, B12, B6. Vitamin A is especially important in healthy development of the visual apparatus and its deficiency can lead to xerophthalmia and eventually childhood blindness (Arlappa, 2013). Vitamin D is another essential vitamin in our body’s metabolic processes and research shows that Vitamin D deficiency increases the risk of some common cancers, type 1 diabetes, cardiovascular diseases and osteoporosis. (Holick, 2004). According to my personal dietary requirements, it is important for the healthiest cereal to be low in added sugar and high in dietary fiber, due to my family history of high blood sugar.
In my opinion, Cheerios is the best and healthiest choice from a nutritional standpoint. It contains 6% and 10% of required daily amount of potassium and Vitamin D respectively.it also has a high amount of dietary fiber and is enriched with iron. It is also low in added sugar. Pumpkin Flax Granola does not seem to be enriched with any vitamins or minerals, except iron and so may be considered the unhealthiest option.
From this project, I have learnt that healthy foods are not simply determined by the amount of calories or fats but also the type of fats contained in the food and the type of minerals and vitamins in it. It is also important to adjust your consumption to complement your individual health needs and requirements. It is also important to note that a product labeled as “organic” or “healthy” may not necessarily be the healthiest or best option nutritionally.