Why cereal is still the best breakfast

I heard on the news this morning that it has been recognised that some breakfast cereals contain a lot of salt. By ‘a lot’ I think they are meaning ‘more than you would imagine’ rather than a ‘salt-pot-full’. The majority of breakfast cereals offer less than 1 gram of salt per serving and we are recommended to restrict our daily salt intake to around 6 grams a day. So what’s the fuss?

We are consistently told that we should eat breakfast. Cereal is a low fat, quick and mostly healthy way to start the day, AND it gives us the opportunity to consume almost 190ml ( 1/3 pint) of milk which is full of calcium, protein and lots more. Cereal is often high in fibre, and all cereals are fortified with vitamins so offer a really great meal at the beginning of the day when the body is crying out for nourishment.

We know that skipping breakfast will result in our not only lacking concentration at school or work, research has shown that breakfast-skippers are likely to be fatter than those who do eat it.

So, we hear on the news that cereal may not be as good for us as we thought. What are the alternatives? Toast with butter and marmalade? There’s salt in bread and the butter/margarine/spread. Sausages, eggs etc.? There’s salt in sausages. Bacon contains salt.

Recently I was with a group or children talking to them about healthy eating. I asked each of them what they had for breakfast and the answers were alarming, varying from ‘nothing’, ‘crisps on the way to school’, ‘chocolate bar’ to ‘my mum and I eat biscuits for our breakfast’! Some did eat cereal, thankfully!

Eating cereal is one of the most nutritious ways to start off our day. It is my breakfast of choice and I use my own branded Portion Pots* to ensure I don’t eat too much as I want to stay slim.

Whoever is behind this latest report, I hope they realise that the media are only looking for a story. They are quick to spread the news which just leaves the consumer confused when we are all - including the government - trying so hard to educate the general population to eat healthily.

*Rosemary Conley Portion Pots are available from our website or given to members free when they join Rosemary Conley Diet and Fitness Clubs, see www.rosemaryconley.com for details.