Reader Q&A: Are Breakfast Cereals Healthy?

I was reading some fitness magazines this week (needed something to keep me busy during my flights) and I noticed that quite a few of them were recommending some kind of breakfast cereal as a way to start out your day. That’s interesting, because most breakfast cereals are actually not too healthy, especially the way we eat them here in the states.

And apparently, I wasn’t the only one reading those magazines since I got this email from a reader in Europe:

I recently visited the US and one of the most common commercials I saw was for cereals.  There were many different advertisements but all of them claimed that cereals were healthy and good for you.  How true is this?

What’s The Problem With Cereals?

Two things, they’re usually too much processed grains and they usually contain too much sugar.  Is that always true?  No, not all cereals are like this but the overwhelming majority is.  That includes most kids’ cereals by the way.  All those commercials about how many vitamins Trix has, or how Fruit Loops is the cereal moms recommend?  Yah, if you believe that, I have some real estate I want to sell you.

So What Should I Look For In A Healthy Cereal?

A healthy cereal usually meants whole grains.  It means no extra sweetners, so once you start seeing boxes talking about frosting and maple clusters, you’re probably in the unhealthy category.  Ideally, it’s going to have less than 200 calories per serving, since most people will end up eating two servings for breakfast with some added milk for good measure.  If possible, look for cereals high in fiber.

So Is A Cereal A Healthy Breakfast?

It can be.  A good cereal, eaten in moderation can be a good source of many vitamins, protein and fiber.  However, I would recommend keeping cereals to a minimum.  Two or three times a week may be fine, but try to vary your breakfasts a bit.  Try eggs one or two days a week, or maybe some cheese and vegetables.

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As with many foods, cereals can be a good healthy option if you pick wisely and eat them in moderation.

A Beginning Is A Very Delicate Thing

It’s 8am here in California and I’m feeling great. I got a good night’s sleep, a healthy breakfast and I then rode a mile on my bike to the train station. In about 20 minutes I’m going to get off the train and ride to the office. What about you? Have you started your day out right?

The start of your day will set the tone for the rest of it. If you wake up tired and cranky you’re more than likely going to be tired and cranky for the rest of the day. If you make unhealthy food choices you’re setting yourself up for a day of bad eating. Whatever decisions you make in the morning are going to echo throughout the rest of your day.

So What Do We Do?

Now if you want to start the day off a bit better, you’re going to focus on three things:

Sleep

Everyone needs sleep. On average, we need 7 to 9 hours of good sleep per night. There are a rare few who can get by with less just as there are some who need more, but 7 to 9 is the overwhelming average. All you folks out there who boast about how little sleep you get and how much work you get done are slowly killing yourselves. Also, you’re not as productive as you think. Lack of sleep makes us into poor decision makers. Several recent studies have shown that just a few nights of poor or little sleep reduce your driving skills to those of a drunk driver. Now think about what this means for your work skills.

• Do yourself a favor and get a regular schedule.
• Focus on getting 8 hours of good sleep per night.
• Make your bedroom into a place for sleep and little else. Yes, that means you may want to move your sex life into the living room if you can If you associate the bedroom with work or play then you’ll have a harder time associating it with sleep and that means more problems falling asleep.
• Make it a dark place so the sunrise won’t wake you up.
• Remove noises and other sleep interruptions.
• Take care of problems like snoring or sleep apnea which might interfere with good sleep. See a sleep specialist if necessary.

Food

A breakfast can be a wonderfully healthy thing, starting up your metabolism with a good shot of energy and nutrients. It can also be a horrible thing smothering your stomach with bacon, eggs, pancakes and potatoes. Never skip breakfast if you can, but be aware of what you’re eating and don’t turn breakfast into a reason to binge. Remember, you’re trying to start your day out right, not wrong.

• Fruits and vegetables are your friends!
• Most breakfast cereals are not healthy, no matter what the TV commercials tell you
• Eggs are not bad in moderation
• Anything fried is not healthy
• Pancakes are not healthy, not even the wholewheat ones
• Anything smothered in syrup is not healthy
• Stop drinking fruit juices, eat a fruit instead
• Meat can be healthy but most breakfast meat choices are not. My apologies to all you bacon lovers out there, but you do realize you’re eating fried fat right? There aren’t too many ways in which fried fat can be healthy.
• Just because most people consider it dinner or lunch doesn’t mean you can’t have it for breakfast. I love a bit of curry in the morning!

Activity

Yes, you should be active in the morning, but this doesn’t have to mean a full workout. Personally, I hate working out in the morning. I feel like I’m forcing myself to do something that my body just isn’t ready for. However, the morning is a great time for light physical activities. They wake you up while jump starting your body. Rather than spending the first few hours of your day trying to wake up, a little light activity in the morning will boost your energy levels for the rest of the day.

• Walk the dog
• Ride your bike to work
• Walk to work
• Walk anywhere! My father, who is in his mid 60’s and is in remarkably good shape, starts out every day with a walk. He does this even when he’s on a business trip and says it’s a great way to get over jetlag.
• Morning stretches. No, not a full workout, just 5 minutes of stretching, perhaps some yoga and a few light exercises. Keep it nice and slow with no weights.
• Sex! Just remember to take it out of the bedroom

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My day is starting out well. I’m wide awake and I feel great! How about you? What are you going to do tonight and tomorrow morning to make sure tomorrow is a healthy day?

The 60 Second Breakfast

Breakfast is the most important meal of the day, but it’s also the most hurried time of the day. We just woke up, we’re in a hurry, we’re getting dressed, looking for our keys and trying to make it out the door. Most mornings, I have about 5 minutes to spend on breakfast, if that. So how do you get a good healthy meal into that time?

The Fast and the Bad

Unfortunately, some of us choose to rely on fast food restaurants for our breakfasts. We go for things like the Egg McMuffin or a breakfast burrito. Most of these selections have too much fat and too many calories. Here’s a great example of something you shouldn’t be eating, the Hardee’s Breakfast Burrito.  Seriously, if you’re thinking of starting out your day with 920 calories and 60g of fat, well then, I just have nothing to say to that except that you’re probably reading the wrong blog.

Good Breakfasts Start At Home

For me, the best breakfasts are simple things that I made myself.  Here’s a good example:

1. Take one whole wheat wrap.  I like the smaller, taco shell sized variety rather than the larger, burrito sized variety.  These have about 60 calories and a decent amount of protein and fiber.
2. Crumble one hard boiled egg onto this wrap for another 90 calories or so.  The hardboiled egg can be prepared at any time.  You can make a batch of them and then store them in the fridge for days.
3. If you like warm food, microwave the wrap right now for about 20 to 30 seconds.  Otherwise, keep going.
4. Add a few leaves of spinach and some chopped up tomatoes.  Again, these are both things you can prepare ahead of time or things you can easily make in a few seconds.
5. Season to your liking.  I usually add a bit of Tapatio sauce because I like spicy things, but it’s good as is.

Nutritional Content

Total calories for this breakfast are around 150.  These calories come from a mixture of healthy carbs (the veggies and the whole wheat wrap) plus healthy protein and fat (the wrap and the egg).  You’ve also got a good amount of fiber in this breakfast (from the wrap and the veggies).  The carbs will get you the quick energy you need in the morning and the fat plus the protein will keep you satisfied for a while.

Convenience Factor

If you hardboiled the egg in advance then total preparation time is less than 1 minute if you’re not chopping up veggies and around 2 minutes if you are.  It’s even a portable breafast which you can take with you on the run.

Alternatives

If you’re not the biggest egg fan, feel free to substitute something else in there.  A bit of cottage cheese, a few pieces of lean chicken or fish, they all work.   Whatever you substitute should be a good source of healthy fat and protein to make this a balanced meal.

Summary

There’s no reason to start your day off at a fast food place or coffee house.  You can easily make a quick and healthy breakfast at home that will get you started and keep you going.