How to Choose a Breakfast Cereal

A question I’m often asked is what breakfast cereal should I have?

Particularly for those managing Type 2 Diabetes or looking to reduce their carbohydrates for weight management, this can be a tricky question as cereals are by definition, predominately carbohydrate based. This can make it difficult to balance blood sugar levels, especially if you’re having a sugary or low nutrient value cereal. There are a few things to look for when trying to choose a better option.

What to look for:

• Something high in fibre- ideally something 10g per 100g or greater. Fibre is incredibly important for many reasons including satiety, weight management and a healthy gut.
• Low in sugar- try to keep it under 15g of sugar per 100g
• Preferably is a source of wholegrains- it will say on the packaging if it is a good source, or otherwise a wholegrain should be listed as one of the first 3 ingredients.

So what would I recommend? A few cereals that fit the bill:

• Good old fashioned rolled oats (9.2g fibre, 1.0g sugar)
• An untoasted natural muesli e.g. Carman’s fruit free muesli or Sunsol Natural Muesli (10g fibre, 8g sugar)
• Jordan’s low sugar Granola (8.6g fibre, 3.2g sugar)
• Weet-bix (11g fibre, 3.3g sugar)
• Kellogg’s Guardian Cereal (18.4g fibre, 15.1g sugar)
• Be Natural Breakfast cereals (5.1g fibre, 9.1g sugar). This one is a little lower in fibre but still a good source of wholegrains
• Carman’s Goodness and Grains Flakes (8.5g fibre, 1.4g sugar). This one is new on the market and a great option.

Don’t forget you can customise your breakfast by adding fruit and or nuts, with your choice of milk (regular or plant based) and adding yoghurt for extra protein and healthy fats.

 

Louise Cato

Accredited Practising Dietitian