Questioning cereals with a Raspberry Crumble

The response that I’m getting to my “Cheat and still stay healthy” campaign this summer is great. I am becoming more and more aware of the importance of reading the packets of the foods that we eat. It is only through reading the ingredient list and the nutritional information that we can get a real picture of what is in the foods we are eating. As last week’s article really opened people’s eyes up to the hidden sugar content in food, so this week I thought I’d look at cereals.

Again, there are a number of things to consider when choosing cereals. Salt levels, sugar levels are key, but also the type of cereal grains used. Many cereals, such as Wheetabix, Shredded Wheat and Oatibix sell themselves on being wholegrain cereals made with more nutritious whole grains. When you check the labels of these products, then there is generally less than half a teaspoon of ‘sugars’ in a serving or per 100g which is a positive sign.

Remember that the ‘Of which sugars’ part of the nutritional information that is key. 4 grams of ‘sugars’ is equivalent to 1 teaspoon of sugar. How many grams of ‘sugars’ we should have a day is a controversial issue but the general guideline is about 40g.

The surprisingly high cereals (i.e. those marketed as ‘healthy’) were Dorset High Fibre Muesli, Bran flakes, Just Right and Kellogs Special K with Berries averaged 5 ½ - 7 teaspoons per 100 grams The products I found with the highest amount of sugars were Kellogs Crunchie Nut Cornflakes, Coco pops and Frosties that averaged 9 teaspoons of sugar per 100 grams. With these products a child is getting half their daily sugar allowance by 9am in the morning!!

Oats are a great cheat for healthy eating – use them instead of flour for a more fibre and nutrient rich alternative.