Missed your morning alarm? For the mornings when you only have time for cereal, Karlien Smit, registered dietitian with Shelly Meltzer and Associates based in Jo’burg, shows you what to look out for.
1 Variety: One cereal alone cannot provide it all. Include a variety in the
course of a week.
2 Fibre: Fibre lowers the risk of heart disease, controls blood sugar levels, helps to maintain a healthy weight, prevents constipation and may decrease the risk of certain cancers, such as colon cancer. Fibre also keeps you fuller for longer. To achieve the recommended daily intake, start your day with higherfibre cereals.
3 Glycaemic Carbohydrate: This is all the carbohydrate available for metabolism and that will affect your blood sugar levels. Processed foods, fibre content, portion size and added fat, protein or dairy are factors that will further influence blood sugar levels, so adding milk to oats will lower the GI.
4 Sugar: Higher sugar content means higher in energy – an advantage if you’re active, but not if you’re working on losing weight.
5 Sodium: A diet high in sodium is linked to high blood pressure, osteoporosis and kidney stones. A low-sodium product contains less than 120mg per 100g.
6 Fat: Certain brands of instant oats may contain added non-dairy creamers which are linked to increased risk of heart disease. Look out for the words “partially hydrogenated vegetable fat” and “palm kernel oil” on the label.
7 Vitamins, Minerals, Amino Acids, Essential Fatty Acids, Prebiotics, Plant Sterols And Sterolins: Cereals are often enriched with nutrients as an added marketing angle rather than for their real health benefits. The scientific evidence supporting the effectiveness of these nutrients and claims made on the products should be considered.
Saturday
Sloppy Joe French Toast With Melted Cheddar –
- Soak 2 slices bread in: 1 egg, beaten and ½ cup milk
- Fry in: 2 tsp canola oil
- Top with: ⅔ cup mixed veg (mushrooms, onions, tomatoes, peppers)
- 30g lean mince, lightly fried with the vegetables until cooked
- 30g cheese, grated
Top Tip: We give you permission to sleep in: some studies found a link between less sleep and higher risk of being overweight, according to the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition. In a French study, men who ate an additional 2 500kJ when they were sleep deprived reported feeling hungrier for breakfast and dinner. “This meal contains 25g of protein,” says van Huyssteen, which means it falls in the 20-30g protein range recommended by Leidy in her study.
Sunday
Egg breakfast pizza with chorizo and fresh rocket –
- 1 slice high-fibre wholewheat bread
- 1-2 eggs (25g protein if 2 eggs used)
- 1 cup roast vegetables
- ⅓ cup tomato and onion mix or salsa
- 20g feta cheese
- 3 slices of chorizo
- 20g fresh rocket leaves
- Add another slice of bread, ⅓ cup orange juice mixed with ⅔ cup water OR 1 cup of fresh fruit salad
Top Tip: “Potassium is an electrolyte used in the process of muscle repair,” explains Pentz-Kluyts. Boost your breakfast by roasting potassium-rich veg (like butternut, spinach, beetroot and mushrooms), instead of boiling and leaching the nutrients into the water. “Potassium-rich breakfast ingredients include: apricots, paw paw, banana, peaches, prunes, avocados and baked beans,” she says.
