Mixing high and low fibre breakfast cereals together
The Basics
“Fibre is an essential part of your daily diet - helping to keep the digestive system healthy and to control cholesterol and blood sugar levels. It’s also essential for regular bowel movements”.
“One research study has shown that people who change from a low fibre breakfast to eating a high fibre cereal experience an improvement in mood and energy levels after just 2 weeks”.
“There are a wide range of high fibre cereals – look for ones which contain more than 3g fibre per serving and choosing a high fibre cereal will help to keep you feeling full and satisfied for longer”.
“To ensure that you benefit fully from the many benefits of fibre, you should make sure you drink plenty of (non alcoholic) fluids”, explains Tony our head dietitan.
Common Myths and Misconceptions
- “Breakfast cereals are high in sugar and salt and are bad for me”. This is not true – cereals vary in the amount of sugar and salt they contain and some have nothing ‘extra’ added at all. Your best bet is to look at the ingredients lists and choose those that are not coated in sugar or honey.
- “There is more goodness in the cardboard of the cereal box than the cereal inside”. With some cereals it may taste better however there is more goodness in the cereal. Most breakfast cereals not only contain the natural goodness of the grains from which they are made, but also have added vitamins and minerals (often labelled as ‘fortified’), such as B group vitamins, iron and calcium. For most people breakfast cereals make a valuable contribution to their overall nutrient intake each day.
- “Wholegrain foods are only healthy because they are a good source of fibre” . Fibre alone does not count for all the health promoting properties found in the whole grain. Research confirms that it is the ‘whole grain package’ (including its other components: antioxidants, vitamins, minerals, complex carbohydrates, and phytonutrients i.e. plant nutrients) that helps to protect the body against many diseases.
Tips and Tricks
- If you are not used to eating high fibre breakfast cereals, then a good first step is to mix your usual cereal half and half with a high fibre cereal. Continue to add a bit more high fibre and less of your usual cereal, and gradually increase until you are eating 100% of the high fibre cereal.
- Try different high fibre cereals – eating more fibre is not just about eating more bran. The cereals made with added bran are a very rich source of fibre e.g. All Bran or Branflakes, but wholegrain cereals are also a good source of fibre making them a good choice too e.g. Raisin Wheats, Weetabix, Shredded Wheat, Fruit n Fibre, etc.
- High fibre cereals make a great snack anytime – so don’t just keep these for breakfast. They’re a great snack before going to the gym, before bedtime or dry in a small bowl instead of crisps or biscuits.
High Fibre cereals can also be used in cooking – crush Branflakes for a crunchy coating on chicken breasts or fish, or try adding All Bran to recipes.
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