Making Your Own Healthy Breakfast Cereals

Ask anyone who has ever taken their child to the grocery store and they’ll agree: avoid the cereal aisle. Most children immediately gravitate toward the colorful boxes that feature their favorite cartoon mascot promising a tasty—yet, sugar-filled—breakfast.

Even a child who may not know how to read can recognize a cereal brand featured on a 30 second television commercial and start singing the accompanying jingle. And with this recognition comes the inevitable pleading: “Please mommy, please can we buy it, please, please, please?”

This grocery experience wouldn’t be so bad if the cereal in question was healthy, but a new study from Yale University's Rudd Center for Food Policy and Obesity found cereals that are most frequently and aggressively marketed directly to American children as young as 2 are also the least healthy. In fact, cereals marketed directly to children have 85 per cent more sugar, 65 per cent less fiber, and 60 per cent more sodium than cereals marketed to adults.

Of course, cereal is a convenient breakfast option – open box, pour milk and eat. And the idea of starting the day without fuss or protests from picky eaters is appealing. We know we shouldn’t give in to the pleas of our children and yet we do. The truth is, unhealthy cereals wouldn’t sell if we hadn’t created a market for them.

Cereal can be a part of a healthy balanced diet. Cereals made from whole grains contain nutrients that are vital for the health and maintenance of our bodies, such as dietary fiber, several B vitamins (thiamin, riboflavin, niacin and folate) and minerals (iron, magnesium and selenium). These nutrients have many important physiological functions such as: releasing energy from food; maintaining our nervous systems; forming red blood cells; carrying oxygen in the blood; building bones, and protecting our immune systems, to name a few.

Unfortunately, many commercial cereals are made from processed or refined grains that have been stripped of these nutrients during the manufacturing process. These nutrients are often added back in through the enrichment process, along with other additives such as refined sugar, salt and food colorings which, realistically, negate any good intentions to make the cereal a healthy food choice.

There is a simple solution to the cereal dilemma: make your own. With a little planning you can offer your children hot or cold cereals that are healthy and devoid of artificial flavors, colors, and additives. Start with natural whole grains and be creative - the possibilities are endless. Here’s a guide to a few varieties of whole grains and some simple breakfast ideas to get you started:

Steel Cut Oats

Steel-cut oats are whole grain groats (the inner portion of the oat kernel) which have been cut into only two or three pieces. Inexpensive and versatile, they are high in B vitamins, calcium, protein and fiber and can be prepared in about 20 minutes on the stovetop – along with cinnamon, vanilla, nuts, pure maple syrup, dried or fresh fruit for extra flavour or additional protein and fiber. A big batch of steel cut oats can be prepared ahead of time and stored in individual containers in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. On those busy mornings, simply reheat individual portions on the stove by adding a little milk (dairy, soy, rice or almond) or water.

Millet

Millet, with its mildly sweet, nut-like flavor, is one of the oldest foods known to humans and possibly the first cereal grain to be used for domestic purposes. It is highly nutritious, non-glutinous and easily digestible. In fact, it is considered to be one of the least allergenic and most digestible of all grains. It contains nearly 15% protein, high amounts of fiber, B-complex vitamins, methionine, lecithin, and some vitamin E. It is also particularly high in the minerals iron, magnesium, phosphorous, and potassium. Like steel cut oats, millet can be prepared ahead of time and stored in individual containers in the refrigerator.

Quinoa

Heralded as the “Mother Grain”, quinoa has been cultivated for more than 5,000 years and contains more protein than any other grain. Quinoa contains an almost perfect balance of all eight essential amino acids, and is an excellent source of dietary fiber, magnesium, potassium, iron, phosphorous, calcium, vitamin E and several B vitamins. Quinoa is also gluten-free and easy to digest. This nutty-flavored grain cooks completely in about 15 minutes and can be eaten hot or cold, and goes great with dried fruit.

Bulgur

This nutritious staple of the Middle East is pulverized from whole-wheat kernels that have been boiled, drained, dried, cracked and shifted – basically a precooked cracked wheat. Bulgur is a natural whole grain food: no chemicals or additives are used in processing the product. Bulgur, also called burghul, has a tender, chewy texture and comes in coarse, medium and fine grinds. Needing very little or no cooking it can be simply soaked and mixed with fruit, nuts, seeds or all natural yogurt for a quick and easy breakfast.

Amaranth

Amaranth, often referred to as a grain, is technically not a grain at all, but in fact a seed originally cultivated by the ancient Aztec people of South America. Gluten-free amaranth is high in protein, vitamin B5 (pantothenic acid), iron, phosphorus, zinc, copper, and magnesium. Like millet, it is also easily digestible. With its malty, slightly sweet and nutty undertones, it cooks up into a delicious breakfast cereal.

Here are some easy & delicious recipes to try:

• Millet with Coconut

• Apple-Spice Oats

• Nutty Quinoa

References:

Medical News Today,”Least Healthy Cereals Are The Ones Most Aggressively Marketed To Children, US Study”,www.medicalnewstoday.com, http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/168783.php (Oct. 27, 2009)