Introduction
I know, I know—donuts are delicious. They’re decadent, they’re sweet, and they’re filled with chocolatey goodness. But did you know that the average American consumes more sugar than an entire week’s worth of fruit? That’s right: We eat nearly 20 pounds of sugar per year—and that’s just for breakfast! So why are we still eating cereal for breakfast? The answer is simple: because it tastes great and has a long list of health benefits. Cereal is packed with whole grains and fiber to keep us full all day long (and if you don’t believe me, check out this list of foods that help keep your stomach happy). That being said, there are some cereals out there that have more calories than a donut but not necessarily more nutrition in terms of vitamins or minerals…which means these “healthy” cereals may actually do more harm than good! So let’s take a look at seven awful-sounding options available today (or tomorrow) on supermarket shelves:
Kashi 7 Whole Grain Puffs – 12 g sugar
The sugar content is high, but it’s not the only reason to avoid this cereal. The whole grain puffs are low in nutrition and have a lot of added ingredients that don’t do anything for your body—especially if you’re trying to lose weight or maintain yours. They’re just not worth it!
Kellogg’s Frosted Flakes – 10 g sugar
Kellogg’s Frosted Flakes are a cereal that has been around since 1888, and they’re still making them today. In fact, the company claims to have sold over 120 million boxes of the stuff worldwide. But does that mean you should eat them?
Well…yes and no. Because depending on how many servings you eat in one sitting (or even over multiple meals), there can be more than 10 g of sugar per serving! If you’re going to use your brain while eating breakfast this morning, take two bites out of each piece before dunking in milk or water—which will cut down on your intake significantly.
Kashi GoLean Original – 9 g sugar
The Kashi GoLean Original is a cereal that claims to be good for you, but it’s actually worse than a donut. It contains 9 grams of sugar and only 1 gram of fiber, which means it doesn’t offer any nutrition at all. In fact, this breakfast cereal is better suited for making your digestive system hurt more than anything else!
The main ingredient in Kashi GoLean Original is corn syrup—an ingredient that has been linked with weight gain and increased risk for heart disease (1). Plus, even though it has 13 grams of protein per serving (which is fairly high), there isn’t much here when it comes down to actual nutrients: only 2 grams of iron per serving (2). This might not seem like too much until you consider how much energy companies need from their customers every day: $3 billion per year! So instead of paying money out on these products just so they can sell us more stuff we don’t need or want anymore… why not try eating something healthier?
Froot Loops – 8 g sugar
Froot Loops, the classic breakfast cereal, has 8 grams of sugar and 1 gram of fiber. It also has 10 grams of fat and 170 calories per serving.
Froot Loops is a popular choice for kids who don’t like plain oats or who want something with more flavor than plain oatmeal. But this sugary treat does not have any nutritional value—it doesn’t provide any vitamins or minerals either!
Special K Fruit & Yogurt Cereal – 8 g sugar
This cereal is high in sugar, so it’s not a good choice for breakfast. It’s also not a good choice for snacks or desserts either. If you’re looking to break out of your donut rut and try something new, this may not be the best option for you.
Kashi Cinnamon Harvest – 5 g sugar (and 8 g of fat)
You may have heard that Frosted Flakes are the “healthiest” cereal. They’re not, though: they contain more sugar than any other breakfast cereal and are actually worse for you than a donut. Kashi Cinnamon Harvest has 5 g of sugar per serving (about 1/2 cup) and 8 g of fat! That’s more than what you would get from eating an entire bowl of Special K Fruit & Yogurt Cereal.
These cereals may not look like they’re loaded with sugar, but they are
When you’re reading the nutrition label of a cereal, you may think that it’s not as bad for your health as a donut. After all, it doesn’t seem like there’s much sugar in there! But that’s where your eyes are deceiving you.
The best way to understand how many grams of sugar are in a serving and how much is too much is by looking at the grams per serving (GPS). This tells us how much sugar is in each bite or spoonful that we eat—and when things get out of hand (like eating an entire bowl), they can quickly add up over time.
So if we want our brains working properly without any negative consequences down the road (like obesity), then we need to make sure our diets contain only healthy foods with low amounts of calories and nutrients such as iron or calcium; otherwise we’ll just end up feeling bloated instead!
Conclusion
Cereal isn’t something to be afraid of, but it’s also not something we should eat for breakfast every day. Cereals like these can be a great addition to your diet if you are looking for something that tastes delicious and satisfies your hunger without weighing you down. However, if you want to lose weight or prevent disease from forming on your body then it’s better not to rely on these types of foods for too long!