London, England -- (SBWIRE) -- 01/10/2012 -- Everyone looks forward to breakfast and for both adults and children it is an important meal for the day. The best breakfast cereals should be provide slow energy release rather than a sugar rush.

The old saying goes “breakfast like a king, lunch like a prince and supper like a pauper.” Breakfast is an important meal of the day for both adults and children alike.

Good breakfast cereals should contain low nutritional and wholesome ingredients. Many big brands are now aware of this. Although many children and adult breakfast cereals are loaded with sugar and often the healthy impression the box gives does not quite reflect within the contents. Salt and sugar are present in most cereals that crowd the supermarket shelves, and it’s important to read the nutritional information carefully.

Whole goodness is found in wholesome ingredients like whole grain. Coloured and artificial flavours should be avoided. A good healthy cereal must be low in sugar and low in salt. Whole grains are rich in vitamins and nutrients like iron. Try and find a cereal that is fortified with vitamins that growing children need but also contains ingredients that already naturally provide this. Bran, wheat and oats are all good for young growing children; many opt for gluten free cereals as well.

The healthy cereals are good beauty foods that contain whole grains, which is great if you are trying to lose weight and need a lot of energy. Cereals that contain bran which is the fibre that covers wholegrain are more fibrous. Sometimes though they can be difficult to digest and so not always suitable for children. Raisins are almost found in every cereal, these do add to the sugar content of the cereal.

For children though you can add in chopped fruits to make it tastier or experiment with home flavours like crushed strawberries and apples.

Once children develop the habit of eating healthy cereals it will be for lifetime. Cooked cereals like oatmeal as well as barley also offer slow release energy and can be great for the winter when you need a more warming breakfast. You can flavour these with nuts like walnuts or hazelnuts to add texture and crunch.

Always read the entire list of ingredients and anything that contains hydrogenated fats, avoid completely. Although most cereals now do not use these ingredients you do get the odd one that does.

Remarks
Over the past decade (breakfast cereal manufacturers have reduced salt levels in their products, and have embraced the need for clearer nutritional labelling by including guideline daily amounts (GDAs) on their packaging. New cereals are formulated be healthier, and the trend is towards sugar and gluten free cereals.