Written by Dr. Sanjana V.B Bhms,dbrm,cdn

Founder & medical director of siahmsr wellness.in

All rights reserved with siahmsr digital healthcare[siahmsr wellness]

Reviewed by SIAHMSR medical team.

Breakfast cereals

 Cereals are consumed as part of breakfast, or a snack food  worldwide ,mostly in western countries. Cereals are rich in calories .However certain types of cereal preparations are healthy and nutritious.

History:

 The modern commercial concept of cereal food originated in the vegetarian beliefs of the American Seventh-day Adventists, who in the 1860s formed the Western Health Reform Institute, later renamed the Battle Creek Sanitarium, in Battle Creek, Michigan. 

Nutrition value

    Cereals are often processed by removing its bran outer covering. Most of the cereals available in the market are fortified with vitamins but still it may lack many of the vitamins needed for a healthy breakfast. Most of the cereals have high sugar content.

Although the processing of grains helps to separate the bran and cereal germ, it may remove nutrients, such as B vitamins and dietary fiber from the cereals and reducing its nutritional value.

Breakfast cereals are often fortified with dietary minerals and vitamins like thiamin, (2.0 mg), niacin (4.8 mg), and vitamin B6 (0.6 mg) etc. to make it more nutritious.

                                   SIAHMSR                          

Various forms  of cereals include:

Gluten-free cereals

   Some of the breakfast cereal companies make gluten-free cereals which are free of any gluten-containing grains. These cereals are targeted for consumers who suffer from gluten-sensitivity disorders, such as celiac disease, non-celiac gluten sensitivity and wheat allergy.

Some companies that produce gluten-free cereals include Kellogg's, General Mills, Nature's Path and Arrowhead Mills.

 Cereals are customarily eaten with milk or cream for breakfast and it is often sweetened with sugar, syrup, or fruit.

 Ready-to-eat breakfast cereals :

·       Flaked cereals: These are made from corn, wheat, or rice that has been broken down into grits. It is cooked with flavours and syrups, and then pressed into flakes between cooled rollers

·       Puffed cereals : these are made by exploding cooked wheat or rice from a pressure chamber, thus expanding the grain to several times its original size.

·       Shredded cereals : these are made from pressure-cooked wheat that is squeezed into strands by heavy rollers, then cut into biscuits and dried.

·       Granular cereals :It is made by a process in which a stiff dough made from wheat and malted barley flour, salt, yeast, and water is fermented, is baked thoroughly, and then, after being crumbled and re-baked, it is ground into rough grains. As a final step in each process, the cereal is treated to restore vitamins lost through cooking and is often coated with sweet flavoring.

Summary:

    Breakfast cereals might be an easy breakfast option for hectic lifestyles but it contains a lot of sugars and added flavors  which makes it an unhealthy  choice as breakfast item or snack even though fortified with  a few nutrients .

But there are some healthy breakfast cereals too

Healthy breakfast cereals :

1. Oats

    Oats are wholegrain breakfast cereals, they are high in fiber and essential nutrients.

A half cup of oats contain:

4 g of fiber.

Sixty-eight percent of daily manganese requirements.

Eighteen percent phosphorus and selenium needs.

Sixteen percent of your zinc requirements.

You can consume oats in different ways.

Consider making “overnight” oats, which are soaked in milk or yogurt for a few hours and are ready to eat for breakfast every morning.it adds calcium and proteins to oats.

You may add fruits like pomegranates, blueberries to oats which make oats more nutritious.

Overnight oats preparation [link]

2.  Muesli

     Muesli is a cereal that is usually made with rolled oats, nuts, seeds, and dried fruits. It is consumed raw and without being baked. Moreover, it does not usually contain any added oils or sweeteners.

Muesli is a great source of protein, fiber and vitamins, minerals and omega fatty acids as it  contains whole grains, nuts, and seeds .

3.  Granola

     It is prepared at home by baking a mixture of rolled oats, nuts, and dried fruit in the microwave until crunchy. It contains a good amount of protein, healthy fat, vitamins and minerals phosphorus, magnesium, manganese. As granola contains a lot of calories take it only in moderation.

History of granola:

The names Granula and Granola were registered trademarks in the late 19th century United States for foods consisting of sweetened whole grain products crumbled and then baked until crisp.

    Granula was invented in Dansville, New York by Dr. James Caleb Jackson at the Jackson Sanitarium in 1863. The Jackson Sanitarium was a prominent health spa that operated into the early 20th century on the hillside overlooking Dansville. It was also known as Our Home on the Hillside; thus the company formed to sell Jackson's cereal was known as the Our Home Granula Company.

Granula was composed of Graham flour and was similar to an oversized form of Grape-Nuts.

 A similar cereal was developed by John Harvey Kellogg. This cereal also was known as Granula in the beginning stage of the new company. Later the name was changed to Granola to avoid legal problems with Jackson.

  The granola was revived in the 1960s, and fruits and nuts were added to it to make it a health food that was popular with the health and nature-oriented hippie movement, a period when several people claim to have revived or re-invented granola.

Granola is also cooked adding brown sugar and honey to oats, nuts, dates, raisins and seeds.

Granola is often eaten in combination with yogurt, honey, fresh fruit (such as bananas, strawberries or blueberries), milk or other forms of cereal.

It also serves as a topping for various pastries, desserts or ice cream.

 Granola bars are made of granola mixed with honey or other sweetened syrup, pressed and baked into a bar shape, a more convenient snack. Granola bars are always individually packaged in a sealed pouch.

Written by Dr.Sanjana v.b BHMS DBRM CDN [copyright]

image courtesy freepik

References

·       https://www.britannica.com/topic/breakfast-cerealhttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Breakfast_cereal

·       https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Granola