Healthy non-Nestle breakfast cereal (Bitesize Shredded Wheat equivalents?)

JimmyTheWig

Hi,

I've recently been told to cut down on the amount of bread that I eat. Which means I have switched from having toast for breakfast each morning to cereal.
I started this switch by having nice things like Frosties, but the nurse said that was no better for me!

So I need healthy breakfast cereal alternatives.
I can't stand soggy cereal, so I eat them dry.
We had some Bitesize Shredded Wheats in the cupboard (bought by MIL in error), which I was fine with (mixed in with a small portion of sugary cereal, which I figure is acceptable). But we don't buy Nestle products and can't find any alternatives.
I've tried Weetabix Crunchy Bran, which are quite nice and filling. But they are 14% sugar, which I think is on the high side to be healthy.
Dry weetabix aren't overly nice, though I can cope if I squeeze a little honey on them.
Had Quaker Oat Granola at the Beefeater the other day, which was nice. Just looked it up and even they are 13% sugar.

Any suggestions as to what else I could try?
Is it the sugar content that I should be looking at in terms of being healthy?


Thanks,

Jim

Buffy_the_Vampire_Bat

I am pretty sure that Morrisons do their own version of full sized Shredded Wheat (think they call them Neat Wheat?) but not sure if they do their own version of mini bite sized ones. They do sell some own brand fruit mini shredded wheats (a bit like raisin wheats) Think they have two or two different flavours (one might be blueberry, one might be apricot) but again you might want to check out the sugar content.

Alternatively have you considered going down a completely different route and having something like poached eggs, mushrooms and tomatoes? Obviously not everyone has time to do something like this before rushing off to work (I don't normally!) but thought I would throw it in as a suggestion anyway

Buffy_the_Vampire_Bat

Also, have you considered making your own muesli or granola - that way you can control the amount of sugar in them.

thunderbird

What aspect of bread is it that means you have to avoid it? You may be no better off eating cereals.

Kelloggs Raisin wheats are like shredded wheat but with raisin filling. Ingredients are -


Shredded Wholewheat, Raisins (23%), Glycerine. Niacin, Iron, Vitamin B6, Riboflavin (B2), Thiamin (B1), Folic Acid, Vitamin B12.

CharlieRabbit01

my mum splits wheatabix in half and the puts any of the following on top jam, butter, marmite etc

if you don't like soggy cereal but want milk always use icey cold milk and you could try the obol bowl or eatmecrunchy bowl.

Edwardia

It's a difficult question to answer since there could be various reasons why your GP has told you to cut down on bread, and we're not doctors.

Processed breakfast cereals generally aren't anywhere near as healthy as the manufacturers claim since most are full of sugar. One of the lowest sugar ones would be Weetabix but I can quite see your objection to eating that dry. Since you don't like soggy cereal, I guess that also rules out porridge, muesli and granola yogurt.

Cereal bars are really high in sugar. Even if the cereal/bar claims no added sugar, look for the use of apple juice and dried fruit because these will add sugar too.

Some crispbreads can be lower carb than bread but if it's wholegrains or gluten you're supposed to avoid then they may not be a solution.

Eggs..boiled, poached, scrambled, coddled, fried or as omelettes.. cottage cheese with fruit.. yogurt - but again many are really sugary and the fat free stuff can be full of additives and fructose, not good either.

Personally I'd be asking my doc WHY I have to cut down on bread, as a first step.

Chris25

if you mix muesli with yoghurt or fruit juice & only use a little to moisten it, it won't make it soggy. Same with porridge oats & things like Ready Brek - my husband puts such a small amount of milk in, you could use a knife to slice them up

JimmyTheWig

Thanks for all the comments.
I'm not too sure what aspect of bread the nurse wasn't impressed with. It's not a gluten thing as she suggested Shredded Wheat. I think it's the "stodgyness" of it that is the problem.
The reason I saw the nurse was constipation, so I'm guessing that something high in fibre would be good.


As a child I was a very fussy eater. I've improved greatly since then and will now eat just about any dinner.
But I still have limited options for breakfast and lunch.
I don't eat tomatoes or yoghurt or eggs. Or red fruit (though dried within cereal should be ok) or bananas.

Chris25

Jimmy, prunes are on offer in Sainsburys at the moment - 85p for a 500gm box (instead of £3ish). You could add these into muesli, top your cereal or mix into yoghurt. They're full of fibre but nice & sweet so could help as you mightn't miss the sugary cereals as much.

JimmyTheWig

Not sure I'd like prunes (tried prune juice the other day and wasn't impressed) but at 85p it's worth trying.

Fire_Fox

JimmyTheWig wrote: »

Hi,

I've recently been told to cut down on the amount of bread that I eat. Which means I have switched from having toast for breakfast each morning to cereal.
I started this switch by having nice things like Frosties, but the nurse said that was no better for me!

So I need healthy breakfast cereal alternatives.
I can't stand soggy cereal, so I eat them dry.
We had some Bitesize Shredded Wheats in the cupboard (bought by MIL in error), which I was fine with (mixed in with a small portion of sugary cereal, which I figure is acceptable). But we don't buy Nestle products and can't find any alternatives.
I've tried Weetabix Crunchy Bran, which are quite nice and filling. But they are 14% sugar, which I think is on the high side to be healthy.
Dry weetabix aren't overly nice, though I can cope if I squeeze a little honey on them.
Had Quaker Oat Granola at the Beefeater the other day, which was nice. Just looked it up and even they are 13% sugar.

Any suggestions as to what else I could try?
Is it the sugar content that I should be looking at in terms of being healthy?


Thanks,

Jim

Less bread for what reason? Less wheat, less processed food, less refined carbs, more variety? Without knowing that it's difficult to come up with an alternative. You say constipation, have you been eating white/ refined carbs or wholegrain rice/ pasta/ bread?

Are you eating at least five, preferably seven to nine servings of fruit and veg a day in the full rainbow of colours? These supply water and soluble fibre which are critical in gut health and improved transit times. Ditto healthy fats like those in oily fish, nuts and seeds. Also are you getting the recommended three servings of dairy each day if you don't eat milk with cereal and don't eat yoghurt at all? It's possible your gut health issue is being contributed to by nutrient deficiencies or imbalances in the diet.

The vast majority of boxed cereals are more processed and contain more junky ingredients that a decent fresh granary/ stoneground wholemeal loaf (not the prepacked longlife additive laden sliced stuff). I would describe very few boxed cereals as healthy.

Anything that has added sugar or added fat should really fit into the 'maximum 10% daily calories' category in the official healthy eating guidelines, so most commercial breakfast cereals. The problem you will have is grains are inherently tasteless/ cardboardy, you need sugar fat or salt to give them flavour - none of which are healthy ingredients. To get a dry cereal down to 10% of calories (250 for an average male) you will need to eat a really small serving (~50g) and you would not be able to have any other 'treats' that day which is not really a sustainable way to live.

Honey is sugar in liquid form, it is no better for you than table sugar. You could make your own sugar free granola/ crunchy oat cereal with a natural sweetener like xylitol. The only widely available cereal that doesn't go soggy even in milk and has no added sugar is Post Grape Nuts. "Whole Grain Wheat Flour, Malted Barley Flour, Isolated Soy Protein, Salt, Whole Grain Barley Flour, Malt Extract, Dried Yeast."

A totally different solution is baked beans but you'd normally eat those with eggs and/ or toast! Or kedgeree (traditional breakfast of fish and rice). Or high fibre Ryvita topped with grilled cottage cheese and fresh fruit. Or head to a large health food store and look for sugar free granolas, or sugar free flax/ linseed cereals (flax is super high in bulking fibre, great for gut health), or buy some chia seeds (also packed with bulking fibre) and add to a mixed berry smoothie.