The British Dental Association is calling for parents to encourage their children to eat a healthy breakfast during National Smile Month. They encouraging parents to move away from breakfast cereal loaded with sugars and introduce their children to healthier alternatives such as porridge or boiled eggs with wholemeal bread. Here are healthier breakfast cereals that your children could try:
| Cereal | Sugar | Fat | Calories |
| Kellogg's Rice crispies(gluten free) | 1g | 5g | 110 |
| Kellogg's Corn Flakes | 3g | 0g | 100 |
| Kellogg's Rice crispies | 4g | og | 130 |
| Kellogg's Crispex Cereal | 3g | 0g | 110 |
| Weetabix | 4.4g | 0.7g | 134 |
| Quaker Oats So Simple | 1.0g | 7.7g | 370 |
| Nestle Shredded Wheat | 0.3g | 1.0g | 163 |
The Environmental Working Group, Washington, D.C.-based health information non-profit recently released the results of its most recent analysis of over 1500 adult and kid cereals revealing that kids cereal now has more sugar in than it did a few years ago. Of the 1,556 cereals analysed, 181 were marketed for children and prone to extreme sweetening. On average, children's cereals contained 40% more sugar than adults cereals. And the EWG points out; kids are not likely to eat just one serving for breakfast. Because the serving size given on the label does not reflect what is actually consumed, people who eat sweetened cereal every day can wind up with much higher sugar intakes. Results revealed that almost all of the children's cereals contained added sugar, and many contained a third of the amount of sugar a child should be consuming in an entire day. The EWG recommends buying cereals with no more than four grams of sugar per serving, or offering kids hot cereals such as Weetabix or Porridge and fresh fruit.
Limit your sugar intake: Just because some cereals are low in fat and calories doesn't mean they are low in sugar.
Less than 10 grams of sugar per serving is ideal said to be satisfying your sweet tooth, however, American research suggests that kids shouldn't have cereals with no more than four grams of sugar per serving. Making sure your children have the right amount is important if you want them to have a healthy body and a healthy mouth. Fibre To feel fuller longer, look for at least 3 grams of fibre per serving. A diet high in fibre will help digestion, making sure your body relieves itself, on a regular basis as well as reduce cholesterol levels, and even improving physical performance.
Always read the ingredients
The first ingredient should be a type of whole grain, whether its whole wheat, whole oats, or whole barley, whole grains can help promote heart health. If you want to bulk up on protein during breakfast, which can help prevent overeating, look for brands with more than 5 grams of protein per serving. By preventing day time snacking you are also minimising your child's risk of tooth decay. Its easy to forget that cereals have a suggested serving size and it can be a lot smaller than what we currently consume. So keep that in mind and try measuring your cereal before pouring it straight into the bowl.