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Cereal killers lurking in your home?

Breakfast cereals may not be as healthy as you think.

Lets examine a child’s typical breakfast: Processed breakfast cereal (sugar) with milk (more sugar), toast and jam (even more sugar), served with a glass of fruit juice (still more sugar).

All carbohydrates break down into sugars in the body. With this typical children’s breakfast we have mistakenly begun our children’s day off on a sugar high!!!

But hold on—aren’t fortified breakfast cereals full of essential vitamins and minerals?

Joanna Blythman, food writer says it best when she describes breakfast cereals as,
“a good example of how the food industry loves to take a basically healthy food and put it back together again in a more profitable, but nutritionally compromised form.” (1)

Breakfast cereals are “fortified” with synthetic vitamins because the natural goodness is milled out during the processing—we are then lead to believe they are good for us.

Artificial “Natural”

ABC news (May 4, 2004) disclosed some errors our food manufacturers make on their nutritional labels. Michael F. Jacobson, executive director of the Center for Science in the Public Interest in Washington, says he has a list of brand name products that claim to be “Natural”—a term that is not regulated—when they actually contain artificial ingredients. (2)

False health claims

Kelloggs ran a misleading advertising campaign which claimed the company was “Serving the Nation’s Health,” when Kelloggs Cornflakes contained one of the highest salt levels in the cereal market. Together with Kelloggs Rice Krispies, these two products were deemed to be 10 percent saltier than sea water by the National Food Alliance. (3)

Allergy alert

Does your child have allergies or sensitivities to certain foods? If your child is allergic to corn, not only do you need to avoid the foods that show ‘corn’ as an ingredient, but you need to know and avoid ‘corn derivatives’ such as baking powder, malt, sorbitol, fructose—to name only a few. To learn more about the signs that a child presents when he/she does have a food allergy, look under ‘Nutrition Tools” for your Children’s Food Allergy Checklist.

Breakfast cereal pesticides

Along with all that sugar, your child may also be eating toxic pesticide residues that are regularly detected in corn-based cereals, even after processing. Pesticides have been found in 10 to 30 percent of conventional breakfast cereals. (4)

Healthy alternatives

Here are some Simple Solutions. First, think ‘whole foods’ instead of processed or packaged foods. Second, apply the principle of balance with each meal. This means including a portion of protein, complex carbohydrates, and good fats—the three primary building blocks to good nutrition.

Try any of these Breakfast ideas:

Breakfast idea #1:
Smoothie and Whole Grain Toast

How to make a Smoothie:
In a blender, add 1 whole fruit (cut up) or 1 cup of berries, 2-3 dark leafy greens (stems removed), ¼ of an avocado or ground chia or flax seeds, and ¼ of a cup of filtered water. Blend until smooth. Pour into a bowl to which you have topped with your favourite protein powder.

Smoothie Examples:
Apple Smoothie
1 whole apple (sliced up with core removed)
3 leaves of kale
¼ of an avocado (pit removed)
¼ cup of filtered water

BLEND AND POUR INTO BOWL

Top with 1 scoop of Vanilla or Chocolate flavoured Whey or Brown Rice Protein Powder
Mix and enjoy! Serve with a side of Spelt Toast and butter.

Berry Smoothie
1 cup of a mixture of strawberries and blueberries
3 leaves of spinach
1 tbsp of chia or flax seeds (ground first)
¼ cup of filtered water

BLEND AND POUR INTO BOWL

Top with 1 scoop of Vanilla or Chocolate flavoured Whey or Brown Rice Protein Powder
Mix and enjoy! Serve with a side of Oatmeal and butter.

Banana and Almond Butter Smoothie
1 whole banana (cut up)
2 beet top leaves
1 tbsp of almond butter
¼ cup of filtered water

BLEND AND POUR INTO BOWL

Top with 1 scoop of Vanilla or Chocolate flavoured Whey or Brown Rice Protein Powder
Mix and enjoy! Serve with a side of Kamut Toast and butter.

Breakfast idea #2
Veggie Omelette and Whole Grain Toast

How to make a Veggie Omelette:
Melt 1 tbsp of coconut oil into a fry pan (avoid Teflon coated)
Add 2 organic or free range eggs (previously scrambled in a bowl)
Sprinkle with a pinch of unrefined salt
Top with 5 leaves of spinach or string beans (cut up) and a sprinkle of Parmesan or mozzarella cheese (optional).

Cover and cook until done (usually 5 minutes), then flip and serve with a side of Spelt Toast and butter.

Using whole foods to create a balanced meal can reward your children with natural energy, sharper thinking, stabilized mood, and normalized weight.

Want to learn more about how you can get fit and healthy? Check out Michale Hartte’s, BASc (Nutr), NNCP new book, “The Fit n Healthy Plan The healthy diet & lifestyle plan made easy!”. Click under “Products and Services” for more information.

References:
(1) The Grocer – Breakfast cereals, 6/3/99
(2) ABC News, May 4, 2004 “Food Fraud?”
(3) The Scotsman, 16/10/98
(4) Shoppers Guide to Organic Food, Lynda Brown, 1998