Cereal Nutrition Facts

Besides carbohydrates cereals also provide proteins, calcium, iron, sodium, magnesium, fiber and B-complex vitamins.



Always prefer whole cereals over refined ones as in the process of refining the bran and the germ layer of the grain in removed. This leads to loss of nutrients and thus a refined cereal is deficient in many vital nutrients and fiber.



Examples of refined carbohydrates are white rice, white flour (refined flour), pasta and noodles made from white flour, white breads and sugary cereals.

Cereals and nutrition

• 55 to 60% calories should be contributed by cereal group and maximum of which should be from unrefined cereals to meet the daily nutritional and fiber requirement.
  
  
  
  
• Whole cereals contain complex carbohydrates which comprises of glycogen, starch and fiber (non-starch polysaccharide) which after breakdown in the body provides energy in the form of glucose and adds bulk to the diet.
• If you have gluten sensitive enteropathy where in gluten – a wheat protein cannot be tolerated; the goodness of cereals can be gained from brown rice, rice bran, millets, sorghum, buckwheat and breads made from these products.
• On the other hand gluten found in wheat, barley, oats and rye is necessary in bread making (for a bread to rise).

Cereal facts

• A refined cereal strips 66% fiber, 62% folate, 92% selenium and 99% phytochemicals that are essential for a healthy living.
• Phytoestrogens (lignans) that prevents heart diseases and certain cancers, phytic acid that helps lowering the blood sugar and phenolic compounds that fights diseases are also decreased significantly in the refining process.
• Cereals lack an essential proteins – lysine. When cereal is combined with a pulse the protein quality improves as pulses are rich in lysine.
• Fat content in cereals is very low, around 2 – 5 % per 100 gm, but this cannot be underestimated as this small quantity contributes to more then 50% of our daily essential fatty acid requirement.
• Sprouting cereals increases the nutritional value by many folds.
• Cereals lack in vitamin C and vitamin A (only yellow maize and few varieties of sorghum contain small amounts of vitamin A).
  
  
  
  

For a healthy living and to gain the maximum nutritional benefits include whole wheat cereals, breads and pastas, brown rice, parboiled rice, oats and oat meal, bulgur or cracked wheat, wheat germ, whole grain cereals, berley, rye, buckwheat, quinoa, maize and millets in your daily diet. Start your day with a bowl of a healthy breakfast cereal and milk for energy that would keep you going for hours.