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Consumer Reports is taking a second look at some of your favorite cereals to see which ones are actually good for you and which ones have clever marketing. This is some good info!
From ABC:
Many children's breakfast cereals have undergone makeovers in recent years, as manufacturers have removed the word "sugar" from the name and replaced it with claims of "added fiber" on the box. But a new analysis from Consumer Reports finds many cereals still contain staggering amounts of sugar and that kids regularly help themselves to bigger serving sizes than the box suggests.
Sugared breakfast cereals are heavily marketed to children but also beloved by many adults. In fact, an estimated 58% of "children's cereals" are actually consumed by those over age 18, according to a new analysis from Consumer Reports. The magazine has introduced a new ratings guide of popular cereals - and some of them turn out to be no better than a glazed donut.
Among the worst offenders - Post's Golden Crisp and Kellogg's Honey Smacks, both of which are more than 50% sugar. People may be surprised to see Rice Krispies near the bottom of the list as well. Though low in sugar, the cereal has zero fiber, making it a poor nutritional choice.
Cheerios was the winner, with just 1 gram of sugar and 3 grams of fiber per serving. Kix, Life and Honey Nut Cheerios were also rated "very good." But kids also must pay attention to how much they eat - in a test of 91 youngsters, researchers found children poured themselves an average of 50 to 65 per cent more cereal than the recommended amount. 
I am not a big fan of cereal, but the kids like it. I did buy them whole wheat enriched Lucky Charms the day. They taste alright, but are high sugar for sure! The only cereal I remember eating growing up is Honey Nut Cheerios. I think I will pick those up next time after reading this story. And there is some sort of Puff's cereal in the organic section that the kids like. I put that stuff in a bag and use it for snacks.
What kind of cereal does your family eat?
-NewsAnchorMom Jen
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3 comments:
My kids are still young enough that they don't really know what's all out there! My toddlers will usually eat either a helping of Cheerios or a fruit-flavored oatmeal. Once in a while we do cherry turnovers or cinnamon rolls too. Also it depends on my family's daily diet and excersize in general. I know extra attention from "mom" when it comes to my family's healthy eating habits brings no regrets! I can always do better in that area!
I eat kashi go lean crunch on occasion, which I do share with my son if he asks, but he usually gets organic o's style cereal or something similar-- unsweetened. He also eats plain oatmeal with raisins, but prefers scrambled eggs. on average, every other week, I make french toast, crepes or pancakes as a special treat on Saturday.
The family joke is that my husband is 8. He eats the "quintessential" kids cereal... Lucky Charms, Cookie Crisp, Cinnamon Toast Crunch, etc.
On the flip side, I grew up with sugar being so restricted that I can no longer eat regular cheerios or grape nuts... too negative an association.
Hopefully, with the kids, we'll achieve some sort of balance. Wish us luck! haha.
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