Choosing The Perfect Breakfast Cereal

You've heard it more times than you could ever count, if you want to start your day off right, you must make sure to eat a well balanced breakfast.

It's no secret that proper nutrition begins in the morning. Just like you wouldn't start your car up without filling it with gas first, why would you try and take your body out to begin your day without providing the fuel that your muscles, organs, and brain requires?

Doing so would be a mistake as then not only would you not feel as well but you're likely to suffer from a slower metabolism as the body tries to conserve energy.

One of the most commonly eaten foods at the breakfast meal is cereal, but if you don't choose wisely, your so-called 'healthy' breakfast may be anything but. Many cereals are disguised as being healthy by clever packaging claims, but if you really know what to look for, you can cut through some of these claims and separate the breakfast winners from the breakfast losers.

Let's have a closer look at what you need to know.

The Calorie-Serving Comparison

The very first thing that you must asses when checking out your cereal in the breakfast aisle is how many calories are in it. But, don't make the mistake that most people do and just pick up the box and check the number.

Very likely you'll see something around 100-150 calories per serving, which seems right by any dieting standards.

What you want to see though is how large the serving size is as well. If the serving size listed is a measly quarter or third cup, can you really imagine eating such a small amount of cereal?

Most people easily fill their bowl up with a cup and half, so all of a sudden that 120 calories or so becomes 500 in real life.

Make sure you check how many calories are in each serving and equate this to how much you realistically consume.

The Fiber Content

Second, also be sure to look over the fiber content. If you want to promote good health and avoid the box of donuts in the break room, you're going to need to have a high fiber cereal.

Fiber helps keep you regular and satisfied so aim for at least 3 grams per serving, if not four or five. The more fiber you can get in, the better.

The Sugar Content

Moving on, also check out the sugar content. The cereal may claim to be whole grains and low in fat, but if it has 10 grams of sugar or more per serving, you had better put that box back on the shelf.

Many companies are now loading their cereals with crunchy granola clusters or dried fruit pieces and while these may tempt your taste buds, they're nothing more than hidden nuggets of sugar.

Always check the sugar content first before buying or you may end up purchasing a variety that has just as much sugar in as the cocoa puffs you used to eat as a kid.

So there you have the main things to look out for when you are purchasing your breakfast cereal. If you are sure to pay attention to all of these, you should have no problem selecting a good breakfast cereal that will get your day off on the right foot.