Breakfast of Champions

Growing up everyday for breakfast I typically had a bowl of cereal. These cereals typically consisted of Wheaties, Life or Special K Strawberry. Unlike most kids who had Fruit Loops everyday I stuck with my three staple cereals. On special days and Saturday mornings, my dad would make his one-of-a-kind chocolate chip pancakes! These were my favorite mornings and I could not wait to get out of bed. Yes you are probably thinking that these are not the most nutritious component, however they are my absolute favorite!  Going back to my cereal, I still enjoy a big bowl of cereal with some almond milk for breakfast or a snack. However, I would say that it does not always fill me up enough to last to lunch.  Cereal is not a breakfast I would like to recommend to receive daily nutrients, but there are a few cereals that hold a little nutritional value. When looking through the cereal aisle at the store there are a few things that I always look for:
- At least 5g of Fiber
- No saturated fat
- Less than 8g of sugar
- Serving size and calories per serving
- Calcium fortified is a bonus

Limiting sugar in cereals will lead you to a more bland cereal, however add some raisins or fruit and it will automatically add natural sugar and many nutrients.

Wheaties (3/4 cup)
- 99 kcal
- 0g saturated fat
- 3g fiber
- 4g sugar
- 2% calcium

Life (3/4 cup)
- 199 kcal
- 0g saturated fat
- 2g fiber
- 6g sugar
- 11% calcium

Special K Red Berries (1 cup)
- 110 kcal
- 0g saturated fat
- 3g fiber
- 9g sugar
- 35% Vitamin C and 45% Iron

Fruit Loops (1 cup)
- 110 kcal
- 0.5g saturated fat
- 3g fiber
- 12g sugar

Raisin Bran (1 cup)
- 190 kcal
- 0.2g saturated fat
- 6.5g fiber
- 17.6g sugar
- 3% calcium

These are just a few cereals that I have enjoyed growing up, but I challenge you to read the nutrition labels and see the sugar, fiber and calorie intake you are receiving from your morning breakfast. Try adding fruit to a low-sugar cereal or choose some whole foods (i.e. eggs, fruit, toast, peanut butter) and just maybe you will find yourself not starving and waiting until noon to pull out that lunch. Instead I hope you find energy to fuel you all the way to your lunch break!