Fat
is not as effective as making you fat as too much carbohydrate. Carbs is really
another name for calories. To the body, carbohydrate and sugar are the same:
energy. Once broken down, the energy in food is turned to glucose. Excess
glucose in your blood will be stored around the organs as fat. This is why a
person on a fat-free diet can become fat. Small wonder there is a fat epidemic
in this country when the supermarkets stock high carbohydrate breakfast cereals
masquerading as healthy food.
Don’t
be fooled by the claim that a breakfast cereal has no or low sugar. It can
still make you fat if it is high in carbohydrate and low in fibre. A diet high
in carbs can cause a host of problems: candida albicans, sugar diabetes,
obesity, tooth decay and degenerative diseases associated with being
overweight.
Healthy
Forms of Sugar?
 |
| Net Carbohydrate of Breakfast Cereals |
Carbs
comes in different forms from simple to complex. Simple carbs include dextrose,
sucrose, lactose, maltose, fructose, galactose and monosaccharides. These are
rapidly absorbed in the blood stream, causing a blood sugar spike. Starches,
another form of carbohydrate, are found in certain fruits and vegetables. Some
starches cause a rapid blood sugar spike, just like simple carbs. Other are
absorbed more slowly, but still provide energy.
 |
| Wheatabix is Lower Carb than Alpen |
In
order to determine how much energy a breakfast cereal actually contains, I
worked out the net carbohydrate of each. The net carb is what I consider to be
how good a cereal is at making you fat. The higher the figure, the more glucose
the cereal is providing you.
What
is Net Carbohydrate?
 |
| Wheatgerm is very Low in Carbs |
The
net carbohydrate is calculated by subtracting the amount of fibre, (which is
not digested by the body anyway) from the overall carbohydrate figure. To provide
consistency, I used percentages, so that the net carb can easily be appreciated
regardless of serving size. So 50% net carbohydrate can be visualized in a bowl
of cereal as a half. Imagine, half of your cereal being broken down into
glucose (or blood sugar). I have used sugar cubes to the images to add visual
appreciation.
I
went out with pen and pad and looked at the back of cereal packets in my local
Asda.
I
noted down the key figures which are C which stands for overall carbohydrate (of
which S stands for sugars). I then subtracted the fibre (or F) from the overall
carb. I was then left with the net carbs of a breakfast cereal. In other words,
the energy it provides. (Note, I have had to round up or down some decimals figures
to the nearest whole).
I
have listed the breakfast cereals from the lowest to the highest net
carbohydrate.
Breakfast Cereals Having Net
Carbohydrate of Between 20 and 50 Percent
 |
| Porridge is Low in Carb |
Neal’s
Yard Wholefoods Milled Flax & Oatbran C=41 (of which S=1.4) subtract F18 = Net
Carbohydrate 23
Oatbran
C=47(of which S=1) subtract F18 = Net Carbohydrate: 29
Wheatgerm
C=50 (of which S=8) subtract F15 = Net Carbohydrate 35
Super
3 Seed Granola C=54 (of which S=19) subtract F8 =Net Carbohydrate 46
Mornflake
Jumbo Oats C=56 (of which S=1) subtract F9 = Net Carbohydrate 47
Kellogs
Ancient Legends Muesli with Pumpkin, Sultana & Flaxseeds C57 (of which S=16)
subtract F9 = Net Carbohydrate 48
Super
Nutty Granola C=56 (of which S=16) subtract F7 = Net Carbohydrate 49
You
get the figures? Now I have abbreviated them further in the following:
Medium Carbohydrate Breakfast
Cereals Between 51 and 60 Percent Net Carbs
 |
| Alpen has Lots of Fruit Sugars |
Wholegrain
Quaker Oats C60 (S1) - F9 = 51
Jordan’s
Fruit and Nut Muesli C61 (S24) - F9.4 = 51
Harvest
Morn Wheat Shreds C65 (S0.6) - F13 = 52
Nestle
Low Sugar Oat Cheerios C67 (S4.7) - F8.5 = 58
Harvest
Morn Wheat Shreds C65 (S0.6) - F13 = 56
Quinoa
C62 (S0) - F5 = 57
Simply
Granola C65 (S18) - F7.2 = 58
Morrison
Puffed Wheat C67 (S1.6) - F9.3 = 58
Wheatabix
C69 (S4.4) - F10 = 59
Crunchy
Oat Granola Tropical Fruits Harvest morn C66 (S20) - F7.4 = 59
Alpen
Original C67 (S22) - F7 = 60
Breakfast Cereals Comprising Net
Carbs of Between 61 and 70 Percent
 |
| Shreddies: High in Sugar & Fibre |
Shreddies
C72 (S15) - F11 = 61
Super
Berry Granola C68 (S17) – F7.7 = 61
Kellogs
Ancient Legends Sultana, Apple & Chia Seeds C70 (S23) - F8.6 = 62
Harvest
Morn Malted Wheaties C72 (S13) - F7 = 65
Asda
Malted Shreddies C73 (S14) - F8.5 = 65
Nestle
(ordinary) Cheerios 4 Grain C73 (S20) - F7 = 66
Nestle
Nesquick Chocolate C74 (S25) - F8.7 = 66
Frosted
Shreddies C76 (S28) - F8.9 = 67
Nestle
Honey Cheerios C75 (S24) - F7 = 68
Wheatabix
Weetos Choc Hoops C75 (S24) -F6.2 = 69
Asda
Multigrain Wheaties C76 (S19) - F6.5 = 70
Breakfast Cereals Having High Net
Carbs of 71 Percent and Above These Could Make you Fat
 |
| Cornflakes are High in Sugars |
Harvest
Morn Benefit Original (Their version of Special K) C76 (S12) - F4 = 72
Special
K Oats & Honey C77 (S18) - F5 = 72
Asda
Jungle Bites C78 (S29) - F5.4 = 73
Special
K Fruit & Nut C78 (S27) - F4.4 = 74
Special
K Red Berries C79 (S17) - F5.3 = 74
Plain
Special K C79 (S15) - F4.5 = 75
Nestle
Golden Nuggets C81 (S25) - F4.6 = 77
Kellogs
Cornflakes C84 (S8) - F3 = 81
Asda
Coco Snaps C84 (S33) -F2.3 = 82
Kellogs
Cocopops C85 (S35) - F2 = 83
Asda
Golden Balls C88 (S25) - F3.4 = 85
Rice
Snaps (like Rice Crispies) C87 (S10) - F1 = 86
Asda
Frosted Flakes C88 (S30) - F2.3 = 86
Special K is Not Healthy
 |
| Special K is Not Healthy |
Some
interesting results here. Firstly, it would seem that Special K, having
pictures of slim women on the box, is not a slimming breakfast cereal, but one
with 75% net carbs (and low in fibre). When broken down in the body, it’s like
eating cereal of which three-quarters are sugar.
Alpen
is also not as healthy as it purports to be, loaded with dry fruits, making it
high in carbs and sugar. Wheatabix would be better for helping you lose weight.
Asda
Chosen by You
 |
| Frosted Flakes Could Make you Fat |
Shame
on Asda Frosted Flakes, Rice Snaps, Cocopops and Golden Nougats that are
marketed for children, emblazoned with Disney characters and action heroes!
Kids eating these cereals are likely to get tooth decay, sugar cravings and
weight gain in later years. Asda’s token tagline is: Chosen by You.
It
is little surprise that on the whole, good old porridge is best. But the
average cereal can be made healthier and lower in carbs by replacing some of it
with wheatgerm or introducing a little oatbran. Reducing the dried fruits would
be better.
I
haven’t begun on cereal bars, but they are loaded with simple carbohydrates.
Here’s one example: Special K Chock & Raspberry Cereal Bar C75 (S36) - F4 =
71
