What is in your Cereal?

We woke up late this morning so me and my tot settled for a quick to prepare breakfast.

Cereals. Well, this is not our usual breakfast. It is only today that we have eaten a bowl and to my surprise my kiddo liked it. 

So maybe I will include this to her breakfast list during schooldays. 

Cereal Nutrition:

When you're choosing a breakfast cereal, be sure you check out the serving size. Some serving sizes are as little as half a cup, so accidentally gulping down a double portion can really throw your nutritional calculations for a loop! Some of the best low-calorie cereals include: Wheaties (106 calories), Honey Nut Cheerios (112 calories), Kashi Mighty Bites (120 calories/1 cup serving), Kashi Organic Promise Strawberry Fields (120 calories), Natures Promise Honey Whole Grain Cereal (147 calories), Kelloggs All Bran Yogurt Bites (150 calories), Post Honey Nut Shredded Wheat (160 calories), Honey Bunches of Oats with Strawberries (160 calories), Special K Fruit & Yogurt (160 calories), Yogurt Burst Cheerios (160 calories) and Kashi Go Lean Crunch (190 calories). For the best results, measure out your serving with a measuring cup scoop. Remember to have that with half a cup of low-fat or skim milk, which has half the calories of whole milk!

Think Whole Grain

According to the Mayo Clinic, "Whole grains haven't had their bran and germ removed by milling, making them good sources of fiber... Among many health benefits, high-fiber foods also tend to make you feel full longer." The FDA says fiber plays an important role in preventing diabetes, obesity, cancer, heart disease, hypertension and digestive disorders. After all, it's fiber that pushes food through our digestive systems, absorbs water and makes ridding the body of waste much easier. When looking for a healthy breakfast cereal, "Consumers should aim to select cereals that are high in fiber, ones that are made with whole grains," explains Sandra Affenito, associate nutrition professor at Saint Joseph College. "Americans of all ages do not consume the recommended fiber intake."

By contrast, refined cereals--even with their added vitamins and minerals--don't provide as many nutrients as whole grains, Mayo Clinic experts add. On average, a refined cereal strips away 66% of the cereal's fiber, 62% of the folate, 92% of the selenium and 99% of the phytochemicals essential for healthy living. You'll want to avoid refined grain cereals like Apple Jacks,Cap'n Crunch, Quaker Chex, Cocoa Puffs, Cookie Crisp, Crispix, Corn Flakes, Frosted Flakes, Honey Bunches of Oats, Kix, Lucky, Rice Krispies and Special K.

So which cereals are our fiber winners? Bran Buds leads the pack with 36 grams of fiber, which is almost your daily recommendation. You can also look for: All-Bran Plus Fiber (31 grams), Fiber One (28.5 grams), Grape Nuts (11 grams), Raisin Bran (8 grams), Kashi Go Lean Crunch (8 grams), Original Post Spoon Size Shredded Wheat (6 grams), Trader Joe's Frosted Vanilla Shredded Bite Size Wheats (5 grams) and Trader Joe's Soy and Flax Clusters (5 grams). Generally, any cereal with 5 or more grams of fiber is considered a good bet.

Look for Low Sugar

It's easy to overdose on sugar, experts warn, since we have so many other sources of it in our daily diets. Generally, your cereal should not contain more than 25% of its calories from sugar. To calculate this, multiply the grams of sugar per serving by 4 (because there are 4 calories per gram of sugar). Next, divide this number (calories from sugar) by the total number of calories per serving.Then multiply this number by 100 to find the percentage of calories from sugar. According to Consumer Reports and MSNBC, 11 popular cereals have more than 40% of their calories from sugar, including Post Golden Crisp, Kelloggs Honey Smacks and Raisin Bran. With this much sugar, you may as well eat a doughnut for breakfast!

Good low-sugar cereals include: Mighty Bites Honey Crunch Cereal by Kashi, Frosted Vanilla Shredded Bite Size Wheats by Trader Joe's, Honey Nut Cheerios, Fiber One Honey Clusters, Kashi Go Lean, Frosted Mini-Wheats, Wheaties, Quaker Oatmeal Squares, Honey Nut Shredded Wheat, Wheat Chex, Post Bran Flakes and hot oatmeal. eHow.com

Oh my Orange

I rarely eat fruits.
I remember when I was pregnant, there was no specific time I binged or craved for fruits.
I don't know why,and up to now it remain that way.

I guess that's one thing my tot got from me.
She seldom eat fruits too, especially oranges.

But thanks for bottled oranges like Minute Made Pulp Orange Juice (if I say it right but correct if I'm wrong please) and the one from Sunkist too, at least she has vitamin C intake but not as high and as good as pure orange juice.

If she could just learn to love fruits, what a more healthier kid she would become.

Orange Juice Facts:

100% orange juice provides a variety of vitamins and minerals and is fat free, saturated fat free, sodium free, cholesterol free and free from added sugars.

Because orange juice is healthy and naturally sweet without any added sugars, it is one of the most popular beverages around. Parents may be concerned that including 100 percent fruit juice in their child’s diet may have negative impacts on body weight. However, the majority of evidence in a comprehensive review of studies regarding 100 percent fruit juice intake and increased weight in children does not support such an association.² In fact, this review suggests that consuming 100 percent fruit juice in moderate amounts “may be an important strategy to help children meet the current recommendations for fruit.”

The American Academy of Pediatrics’ guidelines include moderate intakes of 100 percent fruit juice (i.e., 4-6 ounces per day for children age 1-6 years and 8-12 ounces per day for older children³). Fruit juice can help children get the nutrients they need and help meet fruit intake recommendations.

Following are facts about a few of the important nutrients that make orange juice one of the most naturally healthy beverages around:

Vitamin C is one of the most important antioxidants and it helps support a healthy immune system. Vitamin C may help neutralize free radicals that can damage cells and tissues and lead to disease. One 8-ounce glass of 100% Florida orange juice provides at least 100 percent of the Daily Value.

Potassium plays an important role in muscle function and may help reduce the risk of high blood pressure and stroke.  One 8-ounce glass of 100 % orange juice provides 14 percent of the Daily Value for potassium.  

Folate (Folic Acid) is essential for cell division and healthy red blood cells.  Adequate folic acid consumption during a woman’s childbearing years is strongly associated with reducing the risk of having a baby with birth defects of the brain and spinal cord, known as "neural tube defects." Folate may help lower homocysteine levels in the blood that may contribute to inflammation that has been associated with cognitive impairment.  An 8-ounce glass of 100% Florida orange juice provides about 11 percent of the Daily Value for folate. 

Calcium (in fortified orange juice) is a key building block for strong, healthy bones and diets rich in calcium may also help support healthy blood pressure and promote cardio-vascular health. Eight ounces of calcium-fortified orange juice is an excellent non-dairy source of calcium, providing at least 35 percent of the Daily Value.  

Vitamin B6 helps the body process energy from the food we eat and is needed for the production of new cells, including healthy red blood cells. An 8-ounce glass of 100% Florida orange juice provides 7 percent of the Daily Value for vitamin B6. 

Thiamin is associated with the action of many enzyme systems, the conversion of food into energy and the production/repair of DNA. An 8-ounce glass of orange juice provides 18 percent of the Daily Value for thiamin.

 http://orangejuicefacts.com/