Choosing Cereals for Heart Health
Cereal is a favorite choice for breakfast for many people. The June 2006 issue of the AHA Cholesterol Low Down newsletter has some tips for choosing breakfast cereals.
- The cereals high in added sugar and low in fiber are usually found on the middle to low shelf, where little kids can clamor for them. Avoid these cereals. The high-in-fiber cereals tend to be pricier and on the top shelf.
- Choose cereals with at least 4 grams of dietary fiber.
- Cereals with nuts have additional fat and calories.
- When you increase your dietary fiber intake, also increase the amount of water you consume. This will help in digestion and prevent intestinal distress like gas, bloating and constipation.
- Hot cereals can be a great source of dietary fiber, although many contain added sugars. It is best to eat regular plain oatmeal, but Cream of Wheat and flavored oatmeal are still good choices.
- The same rules apply when looking at cereal bars and granola bars. Many bars look like they would be high in fiber when they are actually high in calories and low in fiber. Check the label.
- If taste is an issue, learn to mix cereals. Take a cereal like Kashi Go Lean Crunch! and mix it with another low-sugar cereal like Total Flakes or even with yogurt!
I don’t know if I could eat regular plain oatmeal but we already mix cereals at our house. It helps make the old cereal more palatable when mixed with the fresh new one. I thought it was weird when my husband first suggested it but now I do it all the time!
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