A family weighs in on which of these healthy cereal choices rules on taste
Originally published October, 2008
By Robin Stevenson
Photos by Carlo Mendoza
Many a parent has experienced a showdown in the cereal aisle. You want your child to eat breakfast, so do you buy the sugary one he’s begging for or a whole-grain option? “Making sure your children get enough fibre for healthy digestion can sometimes be a challenge. But it’s worth the effort,” says Alyssa Rolnick, a registered dietitian and nutrition consultant for the Heart and Stroke Foundation of Ontario. “Research shows that fibre can help reduce the risk of heart disease, diabetes and obesity.” We asked the Colborne family (mom Lorelei, dad Wayne, Sarah, 12, and Jessie, 9) of Harmony, N.S., to tell us which cereal was breakfast-worthy.
Family says: Dad Wayne liked this brand for its appealing texture and taste. The family liked the sweet, oat flavour and thought it had a nice crunch. Lorelei said she’d buy it because it’s low in fat and high in fibre.
Dietitian says: All of these cereals can be considered healthy choices as they all contain more than 2 grams of fibre and have less than 6 grams of sugar per comparative serving. Of the cereals tested, Kellogg’s All-Bran offers the most fibre and the least amount of sugar, while Life Multigrains was the lowest in sodium. These types of cereals may not always be children’s first choices, so encourage them to mix higher-fibre cereals such as these with a sweeter one (9 grams of sugar or less). Or alternate varieties—the whole grain on Monday, the sweet variety on Tuesday and so on.
Family says: These were Sarah’s favourite. “It’s delicious and didn’t get as soggy as the others.” Mom Lorelei thought they were very filling and natural tasting. “It’s a hearty cereal that easily carried me through the morning.”
Family says: While this brand was filling, the family thought it was bland. Jessie proclaimed it “yucky.” While Lorelei said the healthiness of the cereal was appealing, she would not buy it because her family didn’t like the taste.
Family says: Both Lorelei and Jessie enjoyed this brand. “I like the shape and the yummy taste,” said Jessie. Lorelei thought they had a great flavour but said she was “hungry less than an hour later.” Sarah said she liked them the least.
What to look for in a serving of cereal:
The amount of fibre children need daily depends on their age. Suggested amounts are:
1 to 3 years: 19 grams
4 to 8 years: 25 grams
older children and adults: 25 to 35 grams
Here are three ways to increase the amount of fibre you eat:
1 Eat more whole fruits (with their skins, when possible) and vegetables daily.
2 Make sure at least half of the grain products you eat are made with whole grains.
3 Mix whole-grain cereals such as bran and oatmeal into hamburger patties, meatballs and baked goods.
Tip: As you increase the amount of fibre your children eat, make sure they drink plenty of fluids at the same time for easy digestion. Lower-fat milk or fortified soy beverages go well with cereals. A glass of water is also a good choice.