Are RTE Breakfast Cereals worth the hype?

Breakfast is often referred to as an important meal of the day as it provides the necessary energy to kickstart the day. Including a healthy balance of protein, fruits, vegetables, grains, and dairy benefits in keeping nutritional deficiencies at bay. With our busy schedules and to ease our lifestyles, many of us turn to ready-to-eat (RTE) breakfast cereals as a quick and convenient option. But with so many cereal brands on the market, is it worth the hype? Let's take a closer look at RTE breakfast cereals and whether they truly are a breakfast essential.

What are ready-to-eat (RTE) cereals?

RTE breakfast cereals are pre-packaged, ready-to-eat cereals that require no cooking or preparation. They are quick, convenient, come in a variety of flavors and types and may contain natural and added nutrients. These are made from cereals like rice, wheat, oats which are processed, puffed, flaked, or shredded and coated with sugar, cocoa, and other frostings. A long list of RTE breakfast cereals is available in the market advertised as a healthy and convenient option to add extra nutrients to the breakfast.

Convenience V/S Nutrition

Convenience and misleading marketing claims are the key attributes that pull customers to RTE cereals. Many of these RTE cereals are filled with refined grains, sugar, artificial flavors, colors, and other additives. Several RTE cereals provide about half of the daily recommended limit of sugar in one serving. They are rich source of carbohydrates which can cause sugar level spike. Additionally, they are often ultra processed. Ultra processing has been linked with many health conditions like diabetes, hypertension, and heart disease. The sodium content is quite notifiable in some products. Even the content of vitamins and minerals like vitamin C, copper, manganese is ‘high’ in some due to fortification. Reading the nutrition labels and ingredient list may help in making healthy choices. Due to its appealing taste and texture, it is easy to eat more than the specified serving size which may contribute to weight gain.

While cereals packed with additives aren’t ideal for health, they may still be a good source of vitamins and minerals like iron, folate, and other B vitamins. A study conducted by NHANES 2015-2016 on infants, toddlers and children showed that while calorie consumption was same in both RTE cereal eaters and non-eaters the diet quality was better in RTE cereal eaters. The total intake of carbohydrates, total sugar, fiber, calcium, iron, vitamins A, D, B group and other minerals was higher in RTE cereal eaters.

Making heathier choices

When it comes to choosing RTE breakfast cereals, it's important to make informed choices. Here are few points to consider:

Serving size: The nutrient content of the RTE cereals cannot be judged without considering the serving size. Many of them have a small serving size but provide adequate vitamins and minerals. Simple rule - the more calories dense the cereal is, smaller the serving size. Often, portions consumed are far greater than the specified serving size.

Reading nutrition labels: Instead of falling for the nutrition claims, read the ingredients list. Advertisements like organic, natural, or containing fruits don’t mean that they’re healthy. Always look for the first 3-4 ingredients on the label to determine the major contents. Look for high fiber and low sugar. According to American Heart association, the maximum limit of sugar for men and women are 9 teaspoons i.e., 36 gm and 6 teaspoons i.e., 24gm respectively. The optimum fiber content should be at least 3gm and sugar not more than 5 gm per serving. Beware of these sneaky sugars like dextrose, corn syrup, cane sugar, malt syrup, invert syrup, palm sugar. Note that many cereals give their nutrition labels values after adding milk in them.

Adding healthy toppings: Add-ons like seeds (chia, flax, pumpkin, sunflower, sesame), nuts (almond, peanuts, walnuts) and fruits (berries, banana, apple) can increase the nutrient content. Adding yogurt, cow milk, almond milk or soy milk will make it more enriching and fulfilling.

Selecting fortified cereals: While selecting RTE cereals make sure to buy the ones fortified with vitamins and minerals for more nutritional benefits.

Choosing unprocessed natural breakfast

It is best to choose wholesome natural foods for breakfast as they are satiety promoting and keep you full for long. Here are few great options:

· Eggs with vegetables

· Wholegrain porridge

· Oatmeal with nuts

· Fruits with yoghurt, seeds, and nuts

· Pancakes with fruits and nuts

· Fruit smoothies

While RTE breakfast cereals may be preferred by many costumers as a healthy option, they are not a good choice for breakfast or snacks. Choosing other wholesome foods as alternatives can have a positive effect on nutrient consumption. It's important to be aware of the marketing tactics used by cereal brands and to make informed choices when it comes to our breakfast options. With a little bit of preparation, we can enjoy a quick and healthy breakfast that provides us with the necessary fuel to start our day.