One way to get a heart-healthy breakfas is good, old-fashioned oatmeal. However, this once nutritious staple has been loaded with gimmicks, preservatives, chemicals and loads of sugar. Here's some tips and suggestions stay clear of what's horrible and choose what's healthy.
Instructions
1. High fiber. Look for a hot cereal that has at least 4 grams of fiber per serving. Fiber keeps you feeling full. There are two types of fiber. Insoluble fiber helps with regularity, has been linked to a decrease in colon cancer and can help prevent diabetes. Soluble fiber may reduce the risk of heart disease. Hot cereals usually have both kinds.
2. Avoid gimmicks. If it's too good to be true, it usually is. If the cereal makes a claim on its box and then follows up by stating that "This claim has not been approved by the Food And Drug Administration" then it has no reason to be true. Also, avoid cereals that are target towards "Weight Loss" or "Women." They are simply charging more by reaching out to a niche market.
3. Avoid too much sugar. Sweetened cereals can taste great, but even if they claim to contain "real" fruit, you most likely are consuming sugar, not fruit. You're better off buying plain oatmeal and adding your own toppings. Try cooking some quick oats on the stove top and add in banana, walnuts and a drizzle of honey, or berries with a splash of milk, or some dried apples rings (cut in quarters) with cinnamon and nutmeg. This also allows you to stretch a container of plain oats into many different flavors, and lets you control the amount of sugar you put in. If you must eat a sweetened hot cereal, try to find one that is no more than 8 grams of sugar per serving.
4. Hot cereal is not just oatmeal. There are many hot cereals that are fantastic for flavor and heart-health (see Resources). Arrowhead's 4 Grain Plus Flax Hot Cereal contains cracked wheat, steel cuts oats, rye and barley grits and flax seed. For hearty texture, try their Seven Grain Hot Cereal, which has wheat, oats, barley, soybeans, buckwheat, corn and millet. Hodgson Mill's Oat Bran Hot Cereal is also a great filling, heart-healthy breakfast with 6 grams of fiber per serving.
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