Benefits of Cereal Table of ConTenTs Cereal and breakfast 1 About breakfast 1 Kids and breakfast 1 Breakfast and weight loss 1 Whole grain 2 Cereal and nutrition 4 Cereal promotes milk and nutrient consumption 4 Cheerios and heart health 5 Simplifying nutrition information 5 Cereal, weight and health 6 Cereal eaters have healthier body weights 6 Cereal and calories 7 Calories per serving 7 Cereal and sugar 8 Sources of total sugar 9 Sweetened cereals and weight 9 Lowering sugar 10 References 12 Cereal & breakfast Cereal is one of the healthiest breakfast choices you can make. Ready-to-eat cereal has fewer calories than almost any other common breakfast option. Cereal is also nutrient-dense. Ready-to-eat cereals Today’s cereals are more nutritious than pack in vitamins, minerals and key essential ever. Many leading cereals are made with nutrients – without packing on calories. whole grain, calcium and vitamin D, while reducing sugar and limiting calories. Cereal eaters consume less fat, less cholesterol and more fiber than noncereal eaters.1 And cereal is affordable, convenient and tastes good. Eating breakfast is associated with higher nutrient intakes and weight loss maintenance.1-5 About breakfast � Breakfast eaters tend to have � People who eat breakfast vitamins and minerals, are rarely better nutrient intakes.1-4 tend to consume less fat, less made up for during the day.7-9 cholesterol and more fiber over � On average, breakfast contributes less � Kids who eat breakfast tend to 3, 7, 8 than 20 percent of daily calories, while the course of their day. perform better in school and have delivering more than 30 percent of � Nutrients missed at breakfast, fewer disciplinary problems. Breakfast needed calcium, iron and B vitamins.6 namely calcium, fiber, and certain also tends to help kids stay alert.10-12 Kids and breakfast Compared to children who skip breakfast, a study showed 1 2 3 that children who Performed Recorded higher Reduced absenteeism ate breakfast:10 better at school test scores and tardiness Breakfast and weight loss Dieters who successfully maintained weight loss of 30 pounds or more confirm that eating breakfast maximizes the likelihood of maintaining weight loss, according to National Weight Control Registry data.5 90% of these participants eat breakfast at least 5 days a week 80% eat cereal and fruit for breakfast 1 Whole grain Ninety-five percent of Americans This was the single biggest health-driven of our efforts to help consumers still aren’t eating enough whole product improvement in our history. get whole grain in their diets. grain.13 But General Mills is Today all Big G cereals have at least General Mills delivers 38 million working to change that. 9 grams of whole grain per serving, and whole grain servings per day – In 2005, we converted our entire line more than 20 have at least 16 grams. a 50 percent increase in whole of Big G cereals to include at least grain servings since 2004. Beginning in 2012, all Big G cereals 8 grams of whole grain per serving will contain more whole grain than any Big G cereals are America’s No. 1 (at least 48 grams recommended daily). other single ingredient – a continuation source of whole grain at breakfast. All Big G cereals now have more whole grain than any Big G cereals show ® how many grams of other single ingredient – whole grain are in each which means whole grain is serving of cereal on the g side panel of every box. 23 the first ingredient listed. Ingredients: Whole Grain OaO G Wheat Whole *As compared to any single ingredient. big G cereals are delivering millions Every General Mills of servings of whole grain every day. Big G cereal contains at least 9 grams of whole 40 grain per serving, and more than 20 General Mills 35 cereals deliver 16 grams or more (at least 48 grams recommended daily). 30 In millions 25 +50% 20 2004 2011 Whole grain servings delivered by Big G cereals per day 16 grams of whole grain = 1 serving of whole grain 2 Extensive research has been done on the health benefits of whole grain. The science shows that eating whole grains as part of a healthy diet may help with: More than half of whole grains Heart health Weight Certain cancers Diabetes are eaten at 31 Studies show whole management Studies suggest that management breakfast. grains may reduce People who choose whole grains may be Whole grains may the risk of coronary more whole grains especially effective help manage healthy heart disease.14 have healthier body in reducing the risk blood glucose and weights and gain less of cancers of the insulin levels.22-30 weight over time.15-17 stomach and colon.18-21 Why are whole grains so For these reasons and more, One recent study found good? They contain vitamins, the 2010 Dietary Guidelines for that people who ate several In a 12-year study minerals and hundreds of other Americans advise that people: servings of whole grain each of more than phytonutrients.32 They also day, instead of refined grains, � Eat at least half of all contain fiber. Each individual had less “belly fat” – the type 70,000 nurses, grains as whole grains.13 nutrient offers important benefits, of fat linked to higher risk for those who ate but together they perform � Choose products that name certain chronic diseases.34 more whole grain in even more powerful ways a whole grain ingredient weighed less than than they do individually.32-33 first on the label.13 those who ate less whole grain.15 bran The coarse outer layer of the grain that protects the seed. It endosperm contains fiber, B vitamins, phytonutrients and trace minerals. The middle layer that contains Germ carbohydrates and proteins. This is the source of energy for the growing plant. The small, nutrient rich core of the grain kernel. It contains antioxidants, vitamin E, B vitamins and healthy fats. Ready-to-eat cereal is the leading whole grain source for Americans, including children.35-37 3 Cereal & nutrition Many fortified cereals provide more iron, folic acid, zinc, B vitamins and fiber than conventional noncereal breakfast choices. Many fortified cereals also add vitamin A, thiamin, niacin, calcium, phosphorous, magnesium and/or potassium.. When combined with fortified milk, the levels of healthful micronutrients and macronutrients in cereals provide for a nutrient-dense breakfast. Cereal provides key nutrients for children6 Percent of selected nutrients provided by ready-to-eat cereal, children aged 4-12 30% 23% 20% 17% 13% 15% 14% 3% Calories Vitamin A Thiamin Niacin Vitamin B6 Folate Iron Zinc Cereal promotes milk and nutrient consumption Eating cereal also has the strong, healthy bones. eggs. But it can be difficult cereal is an especially added benefit of promoting Research estimates that to get enough of these important source of nutrients milk consumption in children. only one in 10 American foods, especially for kids. for children who do not Forty-one percent of the milk kids gets enough vitamin D, have enough food to eat. That’s where fortified foods can consumed by 6- to 12-year- and about six out of 10 kids For these children, ready- help. General Mills fortifies olds is consumed with don’t get the recommended to-eat cereal helps provide its entire line of kid cereals cereal.7 The figure is even amounts of calcium.6, 38 iron, B vitamins and milk.40 with calcium and vitamin D. higher for African-American New studies also show and Hispanic children.6 For children aged 4 to 12, that vitamin D may reduce ready-to-eat cereal with milk About half of the milk in the risk of a number of delivers 11 percent of their African-American and chronic diseases, including calcium and 24 percent of Hispanic kids’ diets is cardiovascular disease their vitamin D intakes consumed with cereal.6 and diabetes.39 each day6. Milk contains nutrients like Vitamin D occurs naturally In addition, new research calcium and vitamin D that in many foods such as shows that ready-to-eat are critical for developing salmon, beef liver and nutrient gap People whose breakfast includes ready-to-eat cereal take in more nutrients daily than noncereal breakfast eaters or people who skip breakfast.6 This graph shows how many fewer nutrients noncereal breakfast eaters and breakfast skippers get compared to people who eat cereal. 41% Fiber Calcium Iron Folate Vitamin C Zinc of milk consumed Cereal (gm) (mg) (mg) (mcg) (mg) (mg) eaters by 6- to 12-year-olds -11% -7% is consumed with -13% cereal.6 -17% -27% -32% -33% -33% -37% Cereal eaters -40% Ate noncereal breakfast -44% Skipped breakfast -50% 4 Cheerios & heart health High blood cholesterol In 1997, the U.S. Food and Cheerios daily as part of a whole grain oat foods – like is a major risk factor for Drug Administration (FDA) diet low in saturated fat and Cheerios – along with a diet coronary heart disease. approved a health claim cholesterol can help reduce that’s low in saturated fat Cheerios can help. linking the soluble fiber from bad cholesterol levels.42 and cholesterol, may reduce oats – like that found in the risk of heart disease. Cheerios is the only leading Whole grain oats are a Cheerios – to a reduced risk ready-to-eat cereal clinically major ingredient in Cheerios. of coronary heart disease.41 proven to help lower “bad” Cheerios has 1 gram of cholesterol (LDL) when In 1998, a peer-reviewed soluble fiber from oats per eaten as part of a diet low in clinical study showed serving.