Sugar Cereals Aren’t That Bad
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I don’t know if anybody else has noticed, but the only cereals that taste any good have a fair amount of sugar in them. But, that’s not really so bad (it’s not good, but it’s not the biggest problem either). It’s not really the sugar I have a problem with; it’s all the artificial food colorings that really bothers me. Almost all cereals in the non organic food isles have artificial colorings. Most people think artificial colors are pretty harmless. They’d be wrong. Yellow 5 and 6, Red 3 and 40, Blue 1 and 2, Green 3, and Orange B have all been linked to behavior problems in children, specifically hyperactivity and the reduced ability to concentrate. The EU has already started to phase out the use of those colors in favor of natural substitutes. Yet, in the United States there is no such attention paid to the research. It’s interesting to notice, and I did not know this before, that in the UK the syrup for McDonald’s strawberry sundaes are colored by using real strawberries. In the US the same thing is accomplished using Red 40. I’ve always known the FDA is useless when a big company is waving money around in front of them. It’s just sad that it is neglecting products that are primarily sold to the youth.
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Sugar is the least of our problems in our family. We get plenty of physical activity so nobody has to worry about not burning it off. But, once we consume these dyes and preservatives there is no amount of exercise that’s going to dissipate them. What’s the solution? The cereals from the organic section of the super market don’t typically have artificial dyes in them. The only problem is that they’re overpriced. Cheerios is always cheap and nutritious as is Total cereal. Total has the added benefit of having a bunch of vitamins. It should be noted that laboratory created vitamins may not absorb as well into our bodies as those found in nature, but the jury is still out on that one. We do sometimes buy Kashi cereal because we like the Autumn Harvest and Cinnamon Harvest cereals they offer. There are options. Look at the back of the boxes, disregard the sugar content, and instead look for the presence of artificial colorings. It’s the colorings that’ll make Johnny bounce off the walls all day, not necessarily the sugar (although keeping that to a minimum also might not be such a bad idea).
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I was never allowed “sugary” kid cereal when I was a kid so I LOVE the stuff now. I’m pretty much the only one in my house who will even eat it. Terrible dyes and all.
My kiddos aren’t huge cereal fans though. But, I agree, it’s not the sugar that’s the problem with all the preservatives and chemicals in our food.
If you think dyes are bad…..NEVER buy TRIX yogurt. I did once for my kiddos when they were little. Lets just say you can see they dye going in and coming out. Same with cake icing…..super yucky stuff for the body!
If you eat Corn Flakes and Rice Krispies quickly before they go limp on you they are as tasty as Cheerios but good ol’ oatmeal owns my belly. I guess the Rice Krispies are more fun than tasty.
We do Cheerios, Honey Nut Cheerios, Frosted Shredded Wheat and our favorite is Kashi Honey Sunshine (Monkey’s friends even moved Teddy Grahams out of way to eat them and their mom buys it now too)
Native_Momma´s last blog ..Stolen
Angie, I didn’t eat very many sugar cereals as a kid either. I was always a little chapped about that growing up, but now I’m glad. I really wanted to be addicted to them also, but then I couldn’t bring myself because of the sugar. Only recently have I learned that sugar is the least of my problems when it comes to these things. Jeez, just when you think you can have some fun, right!
Keith Wilcox´s last blog ..Sugar Cereals Aren’t That Bad
Mom, Rice crispies Are pretty awesome if they aren’t soggy. But, they get soggy sooo quickly. I agree, can’t ever go wrong with oatmeal !
Keith Wilcox´s last blog ..Sugar Cereals Aren’t That Bad
native momma, Those Kashi cereals are pretty good aren’t they? I thought they’d be some weird tree hugger type crud. They aren’t. Most Kashi cereals are really good. Im mostly a cheerios guy — just because they’re so darn cheap most of the time. Thanks again for the visit!
Keith Wilcox´s last blog ..Sugar Cereals Aren’t That Bad
Well, I was pretty much kept off all sugar growing up, so I have a huge sweet tooth now. Funny though since I’m still thin.
I also was forced to eat 7 grain bread (yuck!!) so only eat white now (how awful I know!!). I also won’t touch all natural peanut butter. I guess it goes to show that moderation and not “forbidding” any kind of food might be best.
As a kid I “enjoyed” such things as Shredded Wheat (not frosted!) and Grape Nuts (which are actually super yummy with honey on them).
My favorite Kashi cereal is the Go Lean Crunch….
Really informative. We stick to Cheerios, oatmeal, or fresh wheat bread when it’s on special at the supermarket. (Makes great toast for breakfast.) Guess we’ll keep those nasty sugar-food-coloring cereals out of the pantry.)
We’re also big on omelettes. After all, as long as you don’t have cholesterol issues – great stuff! And let your boys start learning to cook once you know they’re safe about the stove and fire. It’s very helpful.
BigLittleWolf´s last blog ..Two for 20 in 20