Know your serving

Parents who like to serve cereal to their children for breakfast may have to look again: a number of well-known breakfast cereal brands are more than half sugar per usual 3/4 cup serving and many have little nutritional value, according to a Consumer Reports study released Wednesday.

Consumer Reports evaluated the nutritional content of 27 cereal products marketed to children, particularly the level of sugar, salt and fiber. The study team said they had expected to find some sugar, but they were very surprised to find that there was so much more sugar in so many of the products.

Of 27 products, only 4 (less than 15 percent) received a “Very Good” rating, mainly because sugar and sodium content were relatively low, and the cereals also had adequate levels of fiber and calcium and were high in iron. These were:

* Cheerios: 1 gram sugar; 3 grams fiber; and 190 milligrams sodium
* Kix: 3 grams sugar; 3 grams fiber; and 210 milligrams sodium
* Life: 6 grams sugar; 2 grams fiber; and 160 milligrams sodium
* Honey Nut Cheerios: 9 grams sugar; 2 grams fiber; and 190 milligrams sodium

Except for Life, which is manufactured by Quaker Oats, the three other top products are produced by General Mills. The medical advisor to Consumer Reports said that any of these four cereals can provide an adequate and healthy morning meal when served with milk and some fruit, and therefore are ‘very good’ choices for breakfast.

There were eight cereals that received “’Fair” ratings, the lowest rating. The ‘fair’ cereals contained an average of 14-15 grams of sugar. All of them had low fiber content; most but not all had high levels of sugar. One product had only 4 grams of sugar per serving but got a low rating because it had high sodium and no fiber. In contrast, a glazed doughnut — which no parent would serve to a child for breakfast — contains 12 grams of sugar.

Consumer Reports also noted that some brands contained more sugar and salt in their formulations for the U.S. market than in the versions marketed in other countries.

The study team also found that children aged 6 to 16 usually poured at least 50 percent more cereal than the suggested serving size into their bowls. This implies that children are getting even more sugar into their system.

Children are not the only ones at risk from these high-sugar cereals. Consumer Reports says nearly 58 percent of cereals formulated for children are consumed by adults.

Americans now consume 15 percent more sugar than 25 years ago. Rising sugar consumption has been associated with the marked increase in the number of overweight children and adults in the U.S.

Safety Tip:

* Make sure children get the proper amount of serving at breakfast. Use a smaller bowl, or measure the servings yourself.