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Although cereal is a popular and easy breakfast option, it could be hurting your weight loss goals. Even supposedly healthy cereals can have surprising ingredients that hinder your ability to lose weight quickly. To make it easier to distinguish between healthy and unhealthy cereals, we spoke to Lisa Richards, nutritionist and author of The Candida Diet.
Richards explains the main problem with breakfast cereals: “Cereal is a go-to breakfast food for many people, even those who follow a relatively healthy eating pattern. However, there are some ingredients in breakfast cereals, including those that claim to be good for you, that are unhealthy.”
Refined Carbohydrates
The biggest health concern with cereals are their refined carbohydrates. Richards explains, "Because of the way many cereals are made, the use of refined grains is very common."
Just because it is common, however, does not make it healthy. "This form of carbohydrate is highly inflammatory and turns to sugar quickly in the body. Always check the ingredients list and avoid cereals that state enriched flour, even if it says it is wheat. This ingredient could be slowing down your health and weight loss goals," Richards tells SheFinds.
Sugar
Another ingredient to stay away from is sugar. Richards says, "This is a fairly obvious ingredient to limit in breakfast cereal. However, it can often be listed under different names to hide the amount the cereal contains."
With that in mind, although you may think your cereal is low in sugar, it could be disguised under a different name. Richards warns, "Some common alternative sugar names include: HFCS, fructose, sucrose, caramel, castor sugar, sorghum syrup, invert sugar, evaporated cane juice, and agave nectar."
Health Concerns
According to Healthline, starting your morning with one of these cereals could hurt your long-term weight loss goals: "Starting the day with a high-sugar breakfast cereal will spike your blood sugar and insulin levels."
This could affect your cravings later in the day. "A few hours later, your blood sugar may crash, and your body will crave another high-carb meal or snack — potentially creating a vicious cycle of overeating," Healthline explains.
What To Do
According to Eat This, Not That!, there are a wide range of high-sugar cereals from the more obvious ones to the more surprising ones. As always, your best bet is to pay close attention to the nutrition label and stick to cereals that are low in sugar and refined carbs. Keeping an eye out for alternative sugars when choosing a cereal can also help you stay on track for your weight loss goals.
