Get Serious About Cereal [Choosing Joy]

For most of my adult life, I thought of breakfast cereals as evil, deceptive bits of artificial color and flavor doused in sugar just tempting us to ruin any attempts at a healthy lifestyle!  Don’t even try it Rabbit.  Your Trix aren’t for kids!  They aren’t suitable for anyone!  The only alternative to these desserts masquerading as breakfast was the high fiber cereal, basically wood chips in a bowl.  Depressing.  No thank you!  It wasn’t until recently that I have discovered how essential to our health good cereals are.

Praise God that now there are many great options for getting lots of insoluble fiber (the kind that moves the waste on down and out) without suffering the taste buds.

#1 – All-Bran Buds:  This little box of cereal will be your new best friend.  In only 1/3 of a cup and 80 calories, you get 13 grams of fiber, 9 of them insoluble!  You can sprinkle them on yogurt, toss them in fruit salad, splash them with milk, or just dry out of the box.  For my pickiest eater I put a tablespoon or 2 on her Cheerios and she eats it right up.  Be warned though; if you are just starting this fiber journey remember to go slowly with upping your fiber intake. See Dr. Wes Jones’ book for more information.

#2 – All-Bran Original:  This cereal is the classic box of sticks and twigs.  The cereal pieces even have a wood-like texture.  But again, for the trouble you get 10 grams of fiber in only ½ cup of cereal.  This one is not my first choice for pouring milk on in the morning, however, All-Bran has a great website with recipes for using All-Bran Buds and All-Bran Original in your cooking.  I have tried several of their cookie recipes as well as their bran muffins.  All delicious and guilt-free!

#3 – Bran Flakes:  If you prefer a more traditional cereal, give bran flakes another try.  For ¾ of a cup and 90 calories you get 5 grams of fiber.  If you’d like a little more sweetness, I like to sprinkle a tablespoon of sweetened coconut on mine for another gram of fiber.  Bran flakes are also great for baking and breading chicken or fish.

#4 – Frosted Shredded Wheat: If you still don’t want to give up your dessert cereal, give Frosted Shredded Wheat a try.  It even comes in blueberry and strawberry flavors.  My kids and I will eat a handful of these for an afternoon snack.  Because of the extra sugar you are getting more carlories, but the fiber content is very acceptable: 1 cup cereal, 190 calories, 6 grams of fiber.  Even shredded wheat can be crushed up and used in cookies for a special treat.

Don’t forget to pair that cereal with fresh or frozen fruit!  We love bananas and berries at our house!  Now that we’ve had a good breakfast, it’s time to get out there and enjoy this beautiful summer that God has made for us!

“Let the heavens rejoice, let the earth be glad; let the sea resound, and all that is in it.  Let the fields be jubilant, and everything in them; let all the trees of the forest sing for joy.”  Psalm 96:11-12 (NIV)

 

When you feel good take time to thank God for it!