Just a Spoonful of Sugar? Maybe Not!

Great question. When we choose foods with our health and wellness in mind, we often think in terms of the advantages that particular foods may contribute to our health. Another consideration, though, involves asking at what cost? Sometimes, foods that offer certain advantages can also undermine our health goals, depending on our individual needs.

Take your traditional box of Raisin Bran – one from nearly any manufacturing company. One serving generally contains 190 calories, one gram of fat, three grams of protein, and 44 grams of carbohydrate.

Also included in that label may be some pretty clever marketing! For example, one grocery store brand that I recently considered advertises, “13 Grams of Whole Grain per Serving.” And the back of the box boasts, “Whole grain cereals may help protect against serious illnesses like diabetes and heart disease, even some forms of cancer.”

True, HOWEVER…in an effort to prevent diseases like diabetes, one strategy involves limiting refined sugar intake. So let’s rewind to that nutrition label mentioned above: remember those 44 grams of carbohydrates? A closer look told me that 20 grams of those carbohydrates come from sugar!

So what’s a growling stomach supposed to do? If you still want your sweet cereal fix, though without the not-so-sweet negative health impact, try the following:

• “Salad Cereal” – mix half of the sweet stuff with a low-sugar brand; you may eventually taper the sweet variety and develop a taste for to the lower-sugar version;
• Choose plain bran flakes, and add your own (fresh or) dried fruit, which won’t be coated in sugar like the raisins included in packaged Raisin Bran; or
• If you must have your sugary favorite, pair it with some healthy protein and fat, for example, scrambled eggs or low-fat veggie sausage. The protein and fat will (1) slow digestion, (2) provide you with steadier energy over the next few hours, and (3) reduce the overall impact on blood sugar, as the glycemic load of the meal is reduced.

In the end, you need to decide exactly what you hope to achieve with your cereal choice. If you struggle to consume enough fiber in the rest of your day and rely on your morning meal to get a jump-start on your fiber intake, then tossing the Raisin Bran into your cart is a judgment call that may provide you with needed benefits in the long run. Just limit your intake of refined sugars during the rest of your day. On the other hand, if fiber intake isn’t a challenge, avoid the sugar by following one of the suggestions above. Your ultimate goal: aim for a brand with less than five grams of refined sugar per serving.
Flip a few boxes over the next time you cruise through the cereal aisle – you’ll be able to tell whether you’re getting a spoonful or a shovel-ful!