The Slimming Pool Weight Loss Blog: Hey, I was Eating That!
Tuesday, March 22, 2005
Lower Sugar Pre-Sweetened Cereals Not Healthier
Big surprise here but experts are weighing in on the new "lowered sugared" versions of pre-sweetened cereals and their findings shouldn't surprise anyone. You can't take sugar and a splash of flour, and switch it around and make much difference. It's still sugar, and a splash of flour.
Although the new cereals do have less sugar, the calories, carbohydrates, fat, fiber and other nutrients are almost identical to the full-sugar cereals. There is no benefit to the consumer at all, but who thought there would be?
Lower fat products usually have more sugar. Lower carb products have artificial sweeteners (debate rages on their safety), and now the "Low Sugar" versions are really just a disguised marketing ploy. They'll probably cost more too, so watch out!
Give your kids some oatmeal once in awhile. I loved it when I was a kid, brown sugar on top and all! Far healthier than Sugar Pops (oh, right they changed their name awhile ago), or Sugar Smacks (oh, wait! They changed the name of that cereal too!). Where is the graveyard for all the old cereals who featured "sugar" in their names? That sounds like another research project ... how many cereals have changed their names to appear more healthy when in fact, they are the same garbage disguised as good food as always?
That's why I argue that eating cake for breakfast is no different than eating a bowl of sugared cereal. So go ahead. If you want something sweet. Hold off in the evening, and have that dessert the next morning. It works for me.
