Advertisement

Photos: Breakfast cereals and what’s really in them

Want to feed your kids a healthy breakfast without drowning them in sugar? At current levels, a bowl of cereal could go a long way toward the U.S. Department of Agriculture's recommended limit of 48 grams of added sugar for children consuming 2,200 calories a day. In fact, children with big morning appetites could easily get half their quota before their day really starts. It's a challenge -- but it's getting a little easier. Major cereal makers are rolling out less-sugary versions of some of their sweetest brands. Here are some breakfast favorites, alongside the numbers* that tell you exactly what's in your bowl. -- Los Angeles Times Health *Information was compiled by Kelsey Ramos, Los Angeles Times, on Feb. 4, 2011. Nutrition information is from the USDA National Nutrient Database for Standard Reference and may not reflect recent updates. A serving refers to 3/4 cup (as defined by the Nutrition Labeling and Education Act). Values are rounded to the nearest tenth.


Want to feed your kids a healthy breakfast without drowning them in sugar? At current levels, a bowl of cereal could go a long way toward the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s recommended limit of 48 grams of added sugar for children consuming 2,200 calories a day.

In fact, children with big morning appetites could easily get half their quota before their day really starts. It’s a challenge -- but it’s getting a little easier. Major cereal makers are rolling out less-sugary versions of some of their sweetest brands.

Here are some breakfast favorites, alongside the numbers* that tell you exactly what’s in your bowl.

-- Los Angeles Times Health

*Information was compiled by Kelsey Ramos, Los Angeles Times, on Feb. 4, 2011. Nutrition information is from the USDA National Nutrient Database for Standard Reference and may not reflect recent updates. A serving refers to 3/4 cup (as defined by the Nutrition Labeling and Education Act). Values are rounded to the nearest tenth.  (Wilfredo Lee / Associated Press)

Lucky Charms


In December, General Mills -- maker of Lucky Charms, Trix and many other breakfast staples -- announced that it would cut the sugar levels in all of its children’s cereals to 9 grams or less per 3/4-cup serving.

Nutrition information, per 3/4-cup serving:
Calories: 110 kcal
Sugars: 10.8 g
Protein: 1.9 g
Total dietary fiber: 1.3 g
Carbohydrates: 22.4 g  (Gene J. Puskar / Associated Press)

General Mills Honey Nut Cheerios


“Most children don’t have a single serving -- they fill up the whole bowl,” said Jaimie Davis, assistant professor of preventive medicine at USC’s Keck School of Medicine.

Nutrition information, per 3/4-cup serving:
Calories: 110 kcal
Fat: 1.5 g
Sugars: 9 g
Protein: 3 g
Total dietary fiber: 2 g
Carbohydrates: 22 g

Related:
What Michelle Obama says about Honey Nut Cheerios  (Paul Sakuma / Associated Press)

Cheerios


The children eating Cheerios and the like also consumed far less added sugar: just under 3 grams, compared with 24 grams in the high-sugar group. When given a chance to add their own sugar, the children actually showed far more restraint than the cereal companies.

Most important, Schwartz said, “none of the children in the low-sugar cereal group complained.”

Nutrition information, per 3/4 cup serving:
Calories: 103 kcal
Sugars: 1.1 g
Protein: 3.2 g
Total dietary fiber: 2.8 g
Carbohydrates: 20.9 g  (Mark Lennihan / Associated Press)

Most Read in This Section

Advertisement