The food industry has made us believe that cereals are the best breakfast for children, due to the fiber content found in corn, wheat, rice or barley. However, the vast majority are full of sugar, as the Organization of Consumers and Users (OCU) has seen in its latest study.
This organization has analyzed 94 breakfast cereals, of three different types: sugary, for example, with added honey or chocolate; the traditional corn flakes, better known as corn flakes, and those filled with chocolate, milk or vanilla creams. To determine which are a good option, the OCU has applied its healthy scale that assesses the content of fats, sugars, salt, additives and the level of processing, among other values.
After the analysis, it has been observed that the different brands of breakfast cereals present great differences in the content of salt and sugar, although 81% agree that they contain high levels of sugar, greater than 20%, with an average of 24 %. This excess is considerably worrying in filled cereals, with a minimum level of 14% and a maximum of 39%. Additionally, although some of the cereals sweetened with honey or chocolate have 8% sugar, others reach 41%.
On the other hand, certain brands of corn flakes barely contain sugar, with 1.3%, but some reach 37%. In fact, the 3 cereals in the study that have low levels of sugar (less than 5%) are all of this type, whose problem is usually excess salt.
Of the 94 cereals analyzed by the OCU, only 5 have obtained a good rating, while 66 are an “acceptable” option and the rest, 23 cereals, are not recommended at all not only because of the sugar, but also because of their excessive contribution of saturated fat and salt. Of these, most are filled, designed especially for a children’s audience, while the healthier ones are usually not as attractive.
These 5 breakfast cereals that have been positively rated have been Corn Flakes from Consum, Oatmeal Cheerios from Nestlé, Bio blé soufflé caramelisé from Carrefour, Chocolate Petals from Elijas (IFA) and Rice Krispies from Kellog’s.
For all this, it is important to inform yourself before purchasing breakfast cereals, so that they are a good option that takes care of everyone’s health. The OCU, even so, recommends that their consumption be occasional, since they are highly processed products with aromas and additives, although they claim that they are “enriched” with vitamins or minerals. Therefore, it will always be more advisable to combine cereals prepared at home such as whole grain oats, wheat or bulk corn with nuts and pieces of fruit, or eat dairy products, whole grains or homemade sweets.