Healthiest Breakfast Cereals
Dizzied by the colourful array of cereal boxes touting special ingredients and free giveaways? Here’s the scoop on healthy choices that will have your kids saying, “Mo!”
Originally published March, 2006
Slurping a bowl of cereal and milk in the morning fuels your kids with at least two of the four food groups. But many kid-oriented cereals have upwards of 17 grams of sugar per serving and zero fibre. Instead, clinical dietitian Lisa Doucet of Miramichi, N.B., says to look for cereals with less than eight grams of sugar per 30-gram serving, plus some fibre (around two to three grams for toddlers, more for older kids) and a whole grain early in the ingredients list. We found widely available, name-brand cereals that met this criteria and filled the bowls of seven children, ranging from an 18-month-old who just learned the word “cereal” to a 17-year-old bodybuilder who wants to eat right. (Oh, and the adults had a taste, too.) Then we eliminated the not-so-great choices to serve up what’s yummy and good for your family at breakfast.
Looking for other healthy food ideas? Here are a few of our favourites:
You can also weigh in on your family's favourite cereal choices over on our blog, Family Jewels!
By Diane Peters
Photos by Sofia Kinachtchouk Prop styling by Emily Vezér
