Healthy Cereal: A Good Alternative Breakfast or Snack

Admin — Sat, 16 Jan 2010 18:09:33 +0000

Many people eat cereal every day for breakfast or as a snack, but what exactly makes a healthy cereal? The fact is, most commercial brands of cereal, many aimed at children are very high in sugar. This alone excludes them from the healthy category! While these cereals are “fortified” with vitamins and nutrients, you are still consuming many calories along with the other unwanted side effects of sugar such as sudden spikes and drop in energy. Sugar has also been associated with many health conditions. So if you are looking to lose weight or have consistent energy during the day, a high sugar cereal isn’t the best option.

What about organic and other cereals or granolas marketed as healthy? Sadly, many of these are also high in sugar, though usually a more “natural” or organic form Generally, you can tell how much sugar a product has by looking at where it’s listed on the ingredients list. If some form of sugar, whether it’s a form of fructose, corn syrup, maple syrup or other sweetener is one of the first three ingredients, you are getting a high sugar product.

Other things to look for in a healthy cereal are whole grains and fruits. One thing you can do is start with a very basic, unsweetened granola or cereal made from whole grains and add your own healthy items to make your own mixture. This can be blueberries, goji berries or any kind of very, a healthy sweetener like raw honey or pure maple syrup used in moderation, organic yogurt, flax seeds, raisins, organic dried fruit, or wheat germ.

What about what you pour on your cereal? If you want something healthier than plain milk, try organic milk or yogurt, rice milk or almond milk. Soy milk is commonly sold as a milk alternative, but the health benefits of non-fermented soy are quite controversial and its probably best not to get into the habit of consuming lots of soy. You can look this up to find the research on it if you aren’t familiar with the possible dangers of soy.

If you are looking for healthy snacks for kids, a more wholesome breakfast or something to take to work to munch on between meals, healthy cereal is a great alternative.

Healthy Snacks For Kids

Admin — Sun, 03 Jan 2010 23:41:02 +0000

Kids love snacks. If you’re not careful, they can develop a serious junk food habit at a young age. There’ s no reason why snacks have to be unhealthy. What are some healthy snacks for kids? In many cases, it’s just a matter of taking foods that kids already love and making some adjustments.

Lately we have heard about the epidemic of obesity among children, which is something all parents should be aware of. In addition to paying attention to your kids’ diet, it’s also important to make sure that they get regular exercise. It’s too easy today, for children and adults alike, to develop sedentary habits with so much entertainment available online and on TV.

Sweets

All kids, and most adults as well, love sweets. There are some ways to make sweet snacks healthier. If you buy candy or cookies for your children, choose some of the organic or all-natural brands available in natural foods stores or the health food section of your supermarket. Even better, bake some treats and learn to use moderate amounts of all natural sweeteners like honey, organic raw sugar, agave syrup or stevia. Even these natural sweets should be consumed in moderation, as they can cause the blood sugar spikes that can contribute to hyperactivity in kids.

Healthy Pizza, Burgers and Hot Dogs

Why not make some healthy alternatives to traditional favorite junk foods? For pizza, you can get some organic, whole grain English muffins and put fresh mozzarella and tomato sauce on them, creating a fast and delicious pizza. Let your kids try vegetarian alternatives to burgers and hot dogs. Putting toppings like mustard, ketchup, onions or sauerkraut can give them an authentic taste.

Chip Alternatives

You can also find natural and organic potato and corn chips, as well as veggie chips.

Fruit

Fruit is always healthy, whether fresh fruit, dried fruit or juice. In all cases, look for natural or organic products without added sweeteners. If you have a juicer, the possibilities are limitless. You can mix all kinds of healthy fruits and vegetables together, making truly healthy energy drinks!

Even when it comes to healthy snacks for kids (as well as adults), it’s important to watch the salt and sugar levels. These can be high even in otherwise healthy, all-natural and organic foods. When it comes to any kind of chips, you can sometimes find salt free varieties. You can make homemade popcorn and put on your own salt, which can usually be tasty using half the amount used in commercial prepared and microwave popcorn!

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