Cereal is one of those unique foods that people have grown up with; it’s been there to help jumpstart the day, for the midnight cravings, for those who don’t know how to cook, and every other scenario in between. I think it’s safe to say that most people have a pretty strong connection when it comes to this nostalgic favorite. I genuinely do not know a single person who has expressed disgust or disinterest in cereal. There’s just something about the combination of textures and flavors that bring people in for another bowl each time.
The Sugar Epidemic
The only issue with cereal is that it can definitely be on the less healthy side. Also, paired with the fact that’s extremely difficult to have solely one bowl, this can make for quite a sugary meal. The World Health Organization (WTO) recommends an intake of no more than 25g of sugar and most Americans consume 82g. This statistic is a bit frightening considering a cup of Lucky Charms, for example, has 12.6 g of sugar hidden in those addictive marshmallows.
The worst part of this, for me at least, is that the so-called "healthy" brands of cereal on the shelves which society is led to consume can sometimes be just as sugary as the classics. For example, Cheerios Oats and Honey has a whopping 17g per cup, Raisin Bran has 10g per cup, and Honey Bunches of Oats has 12g per cup. These numbers may seem low and insignificant, but when they pose to be half or a little more than half of a person's daily sugar intake, it can be quite intimidating browsing the cereal aisle. This article isn't meant to sway cereal addicts away from their favorites, yet shed a bit of light onto the hidden sugar issue that can even be found in the most innocent of foods such as cereal.
This issue particularly frustrated me, as healthy eating should not be restrictive and needs to allow people to enjoy foods they love most in a different way. This is a lesson not only pertinent to cereal but all foods: if you love it that much, don't cut it out of your life, simply find something that better suits your dietary needs. For me, this meant doing a bit of research and taking notes in the cereal aisle of Whole Foods, Wegmans, and Stop and Shop to compare cereals. A couple of things were specifically important to me: A couple of things were specifically important to me: a rocking taste, an count of fewer than 10 ingredients (Most of which I can recognize and pronounce!), a low sugar content, and a reasonable price. After doing some investigating, I finally found it; the perfect brand of cereal which fit all of my needs!
One Degree Organics Cereal
One Degree Organics is officially my FAVORITE cereal brand! With boxes ranging from Oat O's, Maize Flakes, Cacao O's, Corn Flakes, Rice Crisps, and my personal favorite, Raisin Bran, this cereal has it all! I understand these may not sound appealing, but they do a really nice job of mimicking cereals such as Cheerios, Rice Krispies, Corn Flakes, Raisin Bran, etc. My personal favorite is the Raisin Bran, as I'm an original Raisin Bran girl at heart, but I would honestly recommend any of these awesome breakfast treats.
Hey, guess what? All of these cereals contain fewer than 10 ingredients, most of which I can pronounce and recognize! These ingredients include things such as oats, honey, sunflower oil, garbanzos, maize, amaranth, and organic cane sugar. Some other awesome news, the average sugar count ranges from 2 - 7 grams; this is HUGE. Knowing and understanding what this cereal is comprised of is such a priority to me, and should be to you too! A bit of food for thought: if breakfast is really said to be the most important meal of the day, then shouldn't society as a whole take a bit more time to acknowledge what goes into this meal?
#Spoontip Pair One Degree Organics Cereal with your favorite dairy-free milk, fruit, and nut butter to top it off. My favorite go-to combination is One Degree Organics Raisin Bran Cereal paired with Almond Milk, sliced bananas, and almond butter. This meal will not only satisfy taste buds but also help with future cravings throughout the day. There is no comparison in the amount of sustenance and satiety one will receive between a single cup of One Degree Organics Cereal with dairy-free milk and fruit, versus three cups of Frosted Flakes accompanied by whole milk.
It is time to stop sugar coating cereals (both figuratively and literarily) and encourage society to make smarter choices in regards to this breakfast favorite. Cereal does not always have to be associated with sugar and long lists of unpronounceable ingredients; let cereal be the thing which encourages you to get up each morning! One Degree Organics can help to smooth the discrepancy between cereal myths and help society to realize that this fan favorite can be tasty and beneficial to the body too.