4 Surprising Cereals That Cause Obesity

You have likely heard many times and from many sources that breakfast is the most important meal of the day. Since most people do not have time to cook up something hot, cold breakfast cereals tend to be the most popular breakfast choice. Of course, the type of cereal that you choose is important.
Most people know that cereals that are full of sugar are not a great breakfast choice. So, they stay away from things like Frosted Flakes, Fruit Loops, and other cereals that are obviously filled with sugar. However, you might be surprised at some of the other cereals that have high sugar content which causes obesity . The following four items are often eaten for breakfast because it is a common misconception that they, and other cereals like them, are actually very healthy. You might see words like bran, fiber, and oatmeal and make the assumption that they are good choices. That’s why it is important to read the labels! The labels will tell you a lot more about the item you are considering then the name or the blurbs on the box that stand out.

Fiber One Raisin Bran Clusters

What could be wrong with this? You can see fiber and bran in the title and yummy raisins for flavor. It’s got to be a good choice right? If you look at the Fiber One site and check out the nutritional information of the cereal there’s something surprising there. Yes, there’s a whopping 10 grams of fiber in it and there’s only 1.5 grams of fat (none of it saturated) but you will be shocked at the sugar content – 14 grams! That’s a lot of sugar considering that there’s only 170 calories in a 1 cup portion size. Sugar is a carbohydrate and each gram of carbs is 4 calories so 14 x4 equals 56 calories and that means that 33% of the calories in this cereal comes from sugar!

Raisin Bran Crunch

If you thought that was bad, check out the nutritional information on a cereal that almost everyone thinks of as being a great choice to start the day off right. It’s bran – how can that get messed up? Again, check out the nutritional information provided on the Raisin Bran site. In a 1 cup serving of 190 calories there is fiber but it is not as much as you would think – only 4 grams. There is only one gram of fat but the sugar? It is even higher than the previous cereal at 19 grams. Using the previous calculations, that means that Raisin Bran Crunch is 40% sugar!

Quaker Instant Oatmeal – Maple and Brown Sugar

Ok, let’s get away from the bran and look at something everyone knows is good for you – oatmeal. Oatmeal is always a perfect way to start the day right? It’s hot and warms you up from the inside out. It’s filled with fiber and healthy stuff. Quaker makes sure to tell us on their site that it is “Made with heart healthy 100% whole grain Quaker oats” and anything that has whole grains is good, isn’t it? But remember, the nutritional information will tell you more than the name of the product or the blurb on the box! In a 43 gram serving (which is not that big) you get 160 calories and 2 grams of fat. There is 3 grams of fiber but you’re still getting 12 grams of sugar – 30% of the calories.

Crunch and Munch Buttery Toffee

Now, let’s say that you were really in a rush as you ran out the door but you know you need to eat something so you grab a box of Crunch and Munch Butter Toffees to eat while you’re in traffic. Something is better than nothing – or so you might think. The ConAgra Foods site didn’t provide nutritional info on this item so you have to look for the information on the box yourself or look online to user submitted information like on Sparkpeople.com. Since this isn’t exactly a breakfast cereal you might think that it would be quite a bit higher in sugar content than the ones examined so far but would you be surprised to find it that there is LESS sugar in this than in the cereals? Yes, that is right – in a 140 calorie serving (although, let’s be honest, most people are going to eat more than a typical serving size) there was 13 grams of sugar. The fiber is lower and the fat was a smidge higher but the sugar is actually lower than both the Raisin Bran Crunch and the Fiber One cereals!

It’s Just Sugar – What’s the Big Deal?

Sugar is not just a sweetener. It can contribute towards a wide variety of health consequences. These consequences can affect your entire life. Too much sugar can result in:
• Sugar addiction (yes, this is real)
• Increased cholesterol
• Heart disease
• Obesity
• Insulin resistance
• Type II Diabetes
• Cancer
• Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease
• Tooth decay
• And more!

Sugar is ok in moderation. In fact, if you don’t eat glucose sugar our body will produce it on its own. Refined sugars, like sucrose and high fructose corn syrup, have no benefit to your body. If more than 20% of your diet is made up of sugars, you’re just taking in empty calories. Those empty calories take up space, are burned off quickly, and leave you hungry again very quickly.

So, how do you know what breakfast cereals are good choices? Look at the labels and learn to read them. Compare the calories and the sugar content and try to find cereals that are less than 20% sugar at the very minimum. Also, take time to look at the ingredients. Ingredients are listed by which ones are used most in a food product so if you see sugar (corn syrup, fructose, etc.) near the top, it is a good indication that you should look at a different product. Breakfast IS the most important meal of the day but you’re not helping yourself if you start off with a high sugar meal. If you’re starting the day with a breakfast cereal that is high in sugar it is no wonder you’re starving by mid-morning and ready to attack those doughnuts in the lunch room!