Choosing a Healthy Breakfast Cereal

Whole Grains

What is a whole grain?

• Whole grain cereals are made with all three parts of the grain kernel: the bran, germ, and endosperm.
• Look for the words "whole" or "whole grain" on the list of ingredients
• Oatmeal and barley are whole grains
• Wheat bran, corn bran, and oat bran are not whole grains but are still healthy choices

Myths about whole grains

• Colour is not an indication of whole grain. Cereal like Cheerios® is whole grain but not dark brown.
• Products labelled with the words, "multi-grain", "100% wheat", "organic" may actually contain little or no whole grain.

Low in Sugar

• Make sure the first ingredient on the list is whole grain or bran, not sugar
• For added sweetness, offer your children fruit to put on top, such as berries, sliced banana or peaches

Fibre - Two or more grams

The Nutrition label on the side of the box indicates the amount of fibre per serving of the product.

• 2 grams of fibre per serving is "a source of fibre"
• 4 grams of fibre per serving is a "high source"
• 6 grams of fibre per serving is a "very high source"
  

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