Morning Glory :: Food and Nutrition :: Whole Foods

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Morning Glory
by author Matthew G. Kadey, MSc, RD

“Breakfast is the most important meal of the day,” goes the old adage. While no meal should be chosen haphazardly, research continues to show that sinking your teeth into a nutritious repast before you head out the door can make a real difference to your health.

So it’s a shame so many Canadians fail to take the time for their morning crunch. To start your day ahead of the game, here’s the skinny on the importance of making time for breakfast, and why the old standby–cereal–is still a top-notch choice.

Eat Early, Lose Weight

In a large study of more than 20,000 participants, researchers at the Harvard School of Public Health found that subjects who gobbled up a morning meal were less likely to be overweight.

This is not the first study to show an inverse relationship between breakfast consumption and weight gain. Why? Because a hearty breakfast helps to prevent overeating later in the day–ergo, aim to get about 20 percent of your day’s calories from breakfast.

Of those calories, it’s advisable that a good chunk be devoted to whole grain cereals, as scientists have shown that devoted breakfast-cereal eaters have a tendency to carry around a healthier body mass. Much of this can be attributed to the high fibre content of whole grain cereals, which can quell appetite and prevent vending machine raids.

Eat Early, Eat Better

Let’s face it, getting enough of all those vitamins and minerals that nutrition experts tell us we need every day can be a real challenge. Not to mention the lofty 25 and 38 grams of daily fibre the Institute of Medicine advocates for women and men respectively.

Skip breakfast and your chances of reaching these levels are even slimmer, as many archetypal breakfast foods such as fruit, milk, and oats are very nutrient-dense. That’s why studies demonstrate breakfast eaters typically have higher intakes of fibre, iron, magnesium, and calcium. Cereal’s nutritional might is likely why those with generous intakes of whole grain versions have a lower rate of heart failure and diabetes.

Eat Early, Think Clearer

It’s well understood that children who eat breakfast perform better in school. It’s not much of a stretch to say that your own memory and concentration will get a boost as well. During sleep, blood glucose (the primary brain fuel) levels fall, so by the time you reach for the snooze button, it’s in need of a top-up.

A healthy breakfast that includes the carbohydrates in cereal can bring levels back to normal, making you more productive at work and at the gym. Now, can you remember that?

Super Bowls

Bowlfuls of whole grains, nuts, and dried fruit are “grrreat” and can reduce your risk of diabetes, unwanted jiggle, and heart disease. Here’s what to look for the next time you gambol through the cereal aisle.

The Whole Enchilada

If you want to reap the rewards of consuming cereal, it needs to be whole grain. Look for the first ingredient to include whole wheat, spelt, kamut, oats, or brown rice.

You’re So Sweet

To avoid the downfalls of excessive sugar intake (such as weight gain and diabetes), choose a cereal with 8 g or less of added sugar per serving.

The Roughage Treatment

A diet high in fibre can battle cancer, diabetes, cardiovascular disease, and love handles. Opt for brands with 3 g or more of grit per serving.

Fat That’s Not Phat

Scan the nutrition panel to make sure the number beside trans fat is a big, fat zero.

Tutti Frutti

Raisins, berries, and other dried sweetness can pack a lot of body-friendly nutrients, but there’s a caveat: many fruits added to cereals are coated in irksome sugars. Peek at the ingredient list to find out if the dried fruit added is just that or if it comes with baggage. If so, consider purchasing cereals sans the fruit and simply add your own, such as dried blueberries and cranberries.

Artificial Intelligence

Many mass-produced cereals have a long list of ingredients only recognizable by those with a doctorate in biochemistry. Hunt down versions with shorter ingredient lists consisting mostly of whole–and familiar–innards. Organic is ideal.

Consider a Classic

Plump with vitamins, minerals, and a soluble fibre called beta-glucan that can reduce cholesterol and blood sugar levels, a steamy bowl of unsweetened oatmeal remains a first-rate, daybreak choice.

Matthew Kadey, MSc, RD, is an Ontario-based dietician and writer. mattkadey.com

Source: alive #307, May 2008

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Fields of Plenty
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Go Wheat-Free
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Our Daily Bread-Bon appétit?
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Oats For Winter Wellness
Just as oats thrive in cold, damp climates, they will help you thrive through the long Canadian winters. These hardy grains are certainly more versatile than simply breakfast food.

Whole vs. Processed Foods
If you choose processed foods over whole grains, you cheat yourself of nutrients and increase your risk of obesity and degenerative disease. White bread, white rice and white pasta.

Human Nutrition

Rice is Nice
In many cultures, rice means "life. Perhaps that's why it has been a staple of substantial importance for centuries in many countries, including India, Korea, and China. Its arrival in North America is linked to the import of slaves from Africa in the mid-1600s.

Whole Grains
Whole grain bread moves through the intestine in 30 hours but white bread takes 80 hours to diges.

Mmm, Oatmeal
The humble oat is greatly under appreciated and often overlooked as an excellent option in a whole food die.

What's in a Grain Kernel?
A grain kernel consists of three parts: the innermost germ, the endosperm that surrounds the germ, and the bran that envelopes both. Most of the kernel's nutrients are locked into the germ and bran.

Baking Better Breads
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Alternative Grains
"I can't eat wheat, said a client as she showed me her allergy test results. "But what are these things? She pointed to a list of alternative grains she'd been told to eat instead.

Shopping List for a Healthy Heart

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A Grain of Truth

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Health Gains From Whole Grains
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Whole grains can control diabetes

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A Cereal History
Most parents know that sugar, preservatives, and artificial colours and flavours are more prevalent in the cereal aisle than almost any other section of their neighbourhood grocery store. It wasn't always that way.

Rice Bran
Rice, a staple for more than half the world's population, has a rich history dating back to 5,000 BC. While white rice holds little nutritional value, the bran that is removed contains 65 percent of the rice kernel's nutrients and boasts a bounty of healthful benefits.

Easy on the Tummy
So don't. Skip the weigh-in for today and have an easy tummy day. Drink water to flush out all the extra salt you may have consumed, have a light breakfast of fruit and probiotic yogourt, a simple lunch of salad and a lean protein, and a dinner of whole grains.

Breakfast Rules!
Current research suggests breakfast, more than any other meal, is an investment in good health. Unfortunately, it's an investment not enough of us are making on a regular basis.

Wheat Germ
To protect our health we often try to avoid germs-but wheat germ is one germ we can all embrace! Its name originating from the word germinate, the wheat germ is the embryonic centre of the wheat grain, containing enzymes and nutrients required to start a new plant.