Despite the bags of chips, soda in the pantry, and random candy bars in the freezer, eating a good breakfast is something I make sure both my boys do before heading off to school. Occasionally I’ll let them indulge in a sugary cereal that they’ve asked for, but they tend to be bored with it after a few days of eating it for breakfast. They usually revert to finishing this box of cereal in the evenings as an after school snack and then I don’t hear them ask for the same cereal again for another year or so. Here are 7 yummy but healthy cereals that are great for helping you start the day off right.
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The manufacturers of Cheerios have boasted about this cereal’s ability to lower cholesterol levels and they now come in tastier varieties. I was never a big fan of plain Cheerios, unless my mom made marshmallow treats out of them. I was thrilled when Honey Nut Cheerios came to be. The addition of honey to each little O made them much tastier than the original, but just as healthy. All varieties of Cheerios are made from oats, which is the ingredient that makes them so packed full of goodness.
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The cinnamon streusel variety is not only tasty, but a bowl full has just 180 calories. There’s no cholesterol or saturated fat in these little wheat biscuits and the standard serving has 5 grams of fiber too. There also isn’t any sodium in the cinnamon streusel flavored mini-wheats, which is perfect for my husband too. Cinnamon is one of those beneficial spices too. It’s great for lowering blood sugar levels, prevents bacterial growth, and the smell alone is supposed to improve memory and cognitive function.
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Even though the raisins in this cereal have a tendency to be rather dry, it is a healthy cereal and I enjoy the taste. I like to add an extra cup of raisins to my bowl of cereal. Each half-cup serving of Raisin Bran has 190 calories, 250 mg of sodium, 320 mg of potassium, 7 grams of fiber, and 5 grams of protein. There are tons of vitamins and minerals in each bowl full too.
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The combination of oats and honey seems to be a big hit with the breakfast cereal companies. Honey Bunches of Oats is a fantastic blend of flakes, crunch, sweetness, and goodness. I think there are seven different varieties of this breakfast cereal and each one is just as good as the next. I prefer the type with almonds in it. None of the varieties contain cholesterol or trans fats, making Honey Bunches of Oats a good choice for people who are trying to maintain a healthy weight.
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This is considered to be a hot cereal, even though most people think of the cold variety when someone suggests cereal for breakfast. Oatmeal helps to lower the cholesterol levels within the body and it also makes a person feel fuller longer. Iron, complex carbohydrates, and protein are all plentiful in oatmeal, as well as many additional vitamins and minerals. People who eat oatmeal for breakfast tend to have an easier time maintaining a healthy weight, since they aren’t as prone to snacking as people who eat cereal with a high sugar content and little nutrition.
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A three-fourth cup serving has 190 calories, 9 grams of protein, 8 grams of fiber, and 130 mg of sodium. This cereal doesn’t contain any cholesterol and has an excellent texture. I never liked the cereals that went soggy in a short amount of time. I never could eat my cereal fast enough to still have a crunchy bite at the very end. Kashi seems to have found a way to keep the crunch and make cereal that is both healthy and tasty. It also makes a great topping for vanilla flavored yogurt, if you aren’t big on eating a whole bowl of cereal for breakfast.
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The original Fiber One cereal had an excellent amount of fiber, vitamins, and minerals, but I had a hard time getting past the texture experience. However, Fiber One Honey Clusters contains 13 grams of fiber per serving, which is more than half the daily value of fiber and this cereal tastes a lot better than the original Fiber One. It consists mostly of flakes, but there are little honey-coated clusters that add the perfect bit of crunch to each bite.
It seems that most of these cereals contain either oats, honey, or both, which makes me think that these two ingredients are preferred by most cereal manufacturers who wish to create healthy and tasty cereals. Do you have another breakfast favorite to add to my list of 7 yummy but healthy cereals? Do you eat cereal for the health benefits that come with it or simply because you prefer it over a heavier type of breakfast?
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