Cereals for weight loss: which diet is better to choose, how to eat correctly, real reviews on effectiveness

Weight loss products are very popular among weight watchers. Cereal flakes are used very often for weight loss and are a main component of many diets. This product is not only very economical and easy to prepare, but very useful. Thanks to a special production technology, they retain all the beneficial properties of the main component - the cereal from which they are made.

Depending on the main ingredient and the method of their preparation, flakes have different properties and have different effects. They are used for preparing breakfasts and for baby food, but they have gained the greatest popularity in the fight against extra pounds. Which cereals are more effective for weight loss? How to choose them correctly in the store and prepare them?

What are breakfast cereals?

Breakfast cereals are made from processed grains and are often fortified with vitamins and minerals. They are usually eaten with milk, yogurt, fruit or nuts (1).

Here's how breakfast cereals are typically made:

• Treatment . The grains are usually processed into flour and cooked.
• Mixing . The flour is then mixed with ingredients such as sugar, cocoa and water.
• Extrusion . Many breakfast cereals are made by extrusion, a high-temperature process that uses a machine to shape the cereal.
• Drying . Next they are dried.
• Giving shape . Finally, the breakfast cereals are formed into shapes such as balls, stars, swirls or rectangles.

Breakfast cereals can also be puffed, flattened (flaked) or crushed - or can be coated with chocolate or glaze before drying.

Summary:

Breakfast cereals are made from refined grains, often through a process called extrusion. They are highly processed foods with many added ingredients.

Contains a lot of sugar and refined carbohydrates

Added sugar may well be the most unhealthy ingredient in the modern diet.

It contributes to several chronic diseases because most people eat too much of it (2, 3, 4).

Notably, most of this sugar comes from processed foods—and breakfast cereals are among the most popular processed foods high in added sugars.

In fact, most breakfast cereals contain sugar as the second or third most abundant ingredient.

Eating these high sugar breakfast cereals increases your blood sugar and insulin levels.

After a few hours, your blood sugar may drop and your body will crave another high-carb meal or snack, potentially leading to a vicious cycle of overeating (5).

Excessive sugar consumption may also increase your risk of developing type 2 diabetes, heart disease, and cancer (6, 7, 8).

Summary:

Most breakfast cereals are high in sugar and refined carbohydrates. Consuming large amounts of sugar is harmful and can increase the risk of developing a number of diseases.

How to cook?

During a diet, it is important to prepare cereal dishes correctly. Since the semi-finished product has already undergone preliminary heat treatment, they can be prepared in two ways:

• Soaking (steaming). Almost all cereals contain phytic acid, which interferes with the absorption of beneficial microelements. After processing the flakes, the acid is neutralized, but to make the product even more easily digestible, it is advisable to soak them in water (cold or hot) in advance. Just fill the flakes with water and leave them for 6-12 hours to swell, after which they can be eaten.
• Slow cooking. You can prepare porridge in another way. Slowly boiling the flakes helps activate the beneficial substances. They can be boiled either in water or steamed. To ensure that the diet not only helps you get rid of extra pounds, but also saturates the body with useful organic compounds, pour water over the flakes and cook them over low heat for 7 minutes.

Misleading health claims

Breakfast cereals are promoted as healthy, with packages stating that they are “low fat” and “whole grain”. However, their first listed ingredients are often refined grains and sugar.

Small amounts of whole grains do not make these foods healthy.

However, research shows that these health claims are an effective way to mislead people (9, 10).

Summary:

Breakfast cereal manufacturers often make false health claims on the packaging of their products - but they are loaded with sugar and refined grains.

Often aimed at children

Breakfast cereal manufacturers are specifically targeting children.

To attract children's attention, companies use bright colors, cartoon characters and figurines.

Not surprisingly, this causes children to associate breakfast cereals with entertainment and fun.

This also affects taste preferences. Research shows that some children prefer the taste of foods that feature popular cartoon characters (11, 12).

Exposure to food marketing is even considered a risk factor for childhood obesity and other diet-related diseases (13).

These same products are often misleading about their health effects.

While colors and images make products more appealing to children, health claims make parents feel better about purchasing such products for their children.

Summary:

Breakfast cereal manufacturers are experts at marketing, especially to children. They use bright colors and popular cartoons to attract children's attention, which research shows influences taste preferences.

Selecting Healthy Types

If you decide to eat cereal for breakfast, here are some tips to help you choose a healthier option.

Limiting the amount of sugar

Try choosing breakfast cereals that contain less than 5 grams of sugar per serving. Read the label to find out how much sugar the product contains.

Aim for More Fiber

Breakfast cereals that contain at least 3 grams of fiber per serving are optimal. Consuming enough fiber can provide many health benefits (14).

Pay attention to portions

Breakfast cereals tend to be crunchy and savory, making it easy to eat too much of them. This leads to excess consumption of sugar and calories. Try measuring how much you eat, using the serving size information on the package as a guide.

Read the ingredient list

Ignore the health claims on the front of the package and be sure to check the ingredient list. The first two or three ingredients are the most important because they make up the majority of the breakfast cereal.

However, food manufacturers may use tricks to hide the amount of sugar in their products.

If sugar is listed several times under different names, even if it is not listed in the first few items, the product probably contains a lot of sugar.

Sugar-free corn flakes have been known for a long time

Corn flakes are a product that is over 100 years old. They can bring great benefits to the body, but only if they have a high-quality composition.

1) Product origin story

Corn can be considered the national American plant. After all, many dishes are prepared from it and even bread is baked.

It is not surprising that corn flakes were invented in the USA (Michigan) at the end of the 19th century.

And it happened like this. The two Kellogg brothers owned the sanitarium. And so they decided to prepare a dish of corn flour for their guests. They were distracted by some urgent matters. And when they returned to the kitchen after a while, they saw that the cornmeal had become flakes.

There was nothing to do - I had to come up with a dish from lumpy corn dough. The resourceful brothers fried it in oil and turned out crispy flakes.

How surprised the brothers were when, instead of curses, they heard words of gratitude and requests from their guests to cook corn flakes more often.

Externally, the first corn flakes were not too different from modern ones

The enterprising brothers quickly patented the recipe, founded a company and began mass-producing the cereal.

Kellogg's is still one of the most famous manufacturers of breakfast cereals, although it is more than 100 years old.

Today, corn flakes are made in factories and factories. But the technology remains the same: peeled grains are crushed into pulp, steamed, dried, crushed and fried.

And if the first cereals were without sugar, today manufacturers are experimenting with flavors, adding honey, sweet syrups, etc.

2) The benefits and harms of corn flakes with and without sugar

Just 20 years ago, corn flakes were considered one of the healthiest breakfasts. Today, nutritionists point out that the product can be both beneficial and harmful. It all depends on the presence of sugar and other dangerous components in it.

Corn flakes contain many vitamins:

They also contain microelements such as phosphorus, potassium, calcium, sodium, boron, magnesium and others. And also amino acids, in particular, those responsible for a good mood.

But it would be dishonest to say that eating corn flakes is without its downsides.

Important: Some nutritionists literally demonize corn flakes. In fact, if you choose a product without sugar, emulsifiers, dyes and stabilizers, then you can and should eat such cereals. Because they really are a source of vitamins, microelements and amino acids. But even those who have no health problems or excess weight should avoid cereals with sugar. They are really harmful.

3) How to eat corn flakes without sugar?

In fact, corn flakes are a complete product that does not require cooking at all. They can be eaten straight from the box with tea, juice or milk.

The classic breakfast option is cereal with milk or yogurt.

Sugar-free corn flakes can be actively used in preparing various dishes:

• puddings;
• jelly;
• omelettes;
• baking;

TOP 4 rules for baking with alkalized cocoa

• sauces;
• soups;
• salads, etc.

If you chop a little flakes, you can bread meat, fish, cheese, and mushrooms in them.

Chicken breaded in corn flakes gives it a crispy, golden crust.

If you want to pamper your family with an original recipe, make them corn flake cookies.

Just follow the step-by-step instructions and everything will work out.

You can add nuts, dried fruits, berries, and basically anything you like to these cookies.

Add some protein

Protein is the most filling macronutrient. Increases the feeling of satiety and reduces appetite.

This is likely because protein alters the levels of certain hormones, such as the hunger hormone ghrelin and the satiety hormone called peptide YY (15, 16, 17, 18).

Greek yogurt and a handful of nuts or seeds are good choices for adding extra protein to your breakfast cereal.

Summary:

If you eat breakfast cereals, make sure they are low in sugar and high in fiber. Pay attention to serving sizes, and always read the ingredient list. You can also enrich your cereal by adding protein foods.

Opt for unprocessed breakfasts

For breakfast, it is better to choose whole foods, consisting of one ingredient.

Here are some great options:

• Oatmeal with raisins and nuts
• Greek yogurt with nuts and chopped fruit
• Scrambled eggs with vegetables

Whole eggs are a great breakfast choice because they are high in protein, healthy fats, and nutrients. Moreover, they will keep you feeling fuller for a longer period of time and may even promote weight loss.

One study of teenage girls found that a protein-rich breakfast of eggs and lean beef increased feelings of fullness. This breakfast also reduced late-night food and snack cravings (19).

Other studies note that replacing your breakfast cereal with eggs may help you feel fuller over the next 36 hours—and may help you lose up to 65% more weight (20, 21).

Summary:

It is best to eat whole foods such as eggs for breakfast as they are very nutritious and filling. High-protein breakfasts can help reduce food cravings and promote weight loss.

How to lose weight?

There are several effective cereal-based diets. Depending on your taste preferences and desired result, you can choose the most suitable option.

Oat diet

This version of the weight loss program is designed for the long term. Within 2-3 weeks you need to follow the recommendations of specialists, and you can easily lose up to 10 extra pounds.

Breakfast, lunch and dinner should be replaced with porridge made from oatmeal. It is best to use Hercules. Pour 3 cups of cereal with hot water in the evening, without adding salt or sugar. Leave the porridge to steep until the morning. Divide the preparation into 4-5 meals, eating porridge as the main dish.

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It is forbidden to add: oil, fat, honey, salt and sugar. You can use fresh vegetables and fruits as additives; for breakfast you can eat 100 grams of any dried fruits: dried apricots, prunes or raisins. Allowed drinks: green tea, herbal infusion, low-fat kefir, still mineral water.

Summarize

• Breakfast cereals are highly processed, and often contain added sugar and refined carbohydrates. Their packaging often contains misleading health claims.
• If you eat cereal for breakfast, read the ingredient list and be skeptical of health claims. The best breakfast cereals are high in fiber and low in sugar.
• However, there are many healthy breakfast options available. Single-ingredient whole foods such as oatmeal or eggs are excellent choices.

Breakfast cereals

The nutritional value

The principle of many weight loss programs is based on counting calories received from food. The nutritional value of a product largely affects its digestibility and the amount of energy received by the body. The calorie content of cereal flakes used for weight loss and fasting days may vary slightly (depending on the type of grain from which they are made).

Since the flakes are very light and have a high glycemic index, a small portion is enough to fill you up. This allows you to reduce the total number of calories consumed and not feel hungry. All diets that include cereal are usually designed for 1-2 weeks, but some nutrition programs are recommended for a longer period.

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Regardless of the diet you choose, losing weight with cereal will be gradual, but effective and quite gentle.

Losing a few kilos with the help of this wonderful product will not be difficult; you just need to follow the recommendations of experts.