Is this cereal for you?
The November issue of Consumer Reports rates 105 hot and cold cereals.Cereals are a major dietary source of complex carbohydrates and fiber but some tested by Consumer Reports were about half sugar, hard to swallow, instantly mushy in milk, tasting of vitamins or cardboard, or expensive.
About one-third of the tested cereals had only a token amount of fiber or none at all.
The magazine found that many cereals popular with kids are full of sugar. For example, Kellogg's Smacks are 53 percent sugar; Apple Jacks 49 percent; Froot Loops 46 percent; both Cocoa Krispies and Frosted Flakes are 39 percent.
General Foods' Post brand Marshmallow Alpha-Bits is 49 percent sugar; Cocoa Pebbles 46 percent; Fruity Pebbles 42 percent.
General Mills' Cocoa Puffs are 46 percent sugar; Trix and Lucky Charms both 42 percent.
Ralston Purina's Cookie-Crisp Chocolate Chip is 46 percent sugar and Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles is 39 percent.
Guidelines for choosing a cereal are simple, says the magazine. It should provide a significant amount of dietary fiber. There are two types of fiber - insoluble and soluble. Insoluble fiber is the kind in wheat bran and can speed food through the digestive system and may, in the long run, lower the ris of colorectal cancer by sweeping the gut from harmful substances.
Soluble fiber, found in oat bran, rice bran and barley, can lower blood cholesterol by binding with the cholesterol that the liver has released into the intestines.
Research suggests that a breakfast of high-fiber cereal may mean you're less hungry later in the day. People who had eaten a high-fiber cereal for breakfast took significantly less food from a luncheon buffet than those who had eaten low-fiber cereal.
The magazine recommends that you eat cereals with high and moderate fiber. Top-rated high-fiber cold cereals were All-Bran with Extra Fiber and Fiber One.
Among the moderate-fiber group are Nabisco Shredded Wheat Spoon Size and Kellogg's Common Sense Oat Bran.
If you like hot cereals, there's high-fiber Wheatena, moderate-fiber Quaker Oat Bran or Instant Quaker Oatmeal Regular Flavor.
The magazine suggests that you increase your intake of fiber gradually. If you increase your intake too rapidly you may suffer from diarrhea, bloating, gas or other digestive problems.
The side panel on the side of the cereal box tells you how much fiber the cereal contains. If the panel doesn't list fiber, the cereal likely has no significant amount.
The magazine suggests that you consider the rest of the cereal's profile, too. Look for brands that are low on sugar. Use ones with added vitamins and minerals if you don't always manager to eat a balanced diet.
Spread your bets over a variety of cereals. One cereal's strengths will balance another's weaknesses.
Don't worry about fat or protein. Your body probably doesn't need extra protein and most cereals don't have much fat. If you eat your cereal with whole milk, however, you may want to switch to skim or low-fat milk.