We live in the era of fast food and even faster technology. We prefer things that don’t consume much of our time, including what we eat.
Breakfast is usually considered to be the most important meal of the day. Here as well, we prefer easy recipes rather than laying our focus on eating healthy. We have moved from eating fruits and vegetables to packaged foods like cereals, et al.
Though the packaged foods are marketed as being healthy, the reality is quite different. Most packaged breakfast foods are cereals. So, does that make them bad for people with diabetes? What cereal can diabetics eat?
Is Honey Nut Cheerios A Good Choice Got Diabetics?
For people with diabetes, cereals and especially honey nut cheerios are not an ideal breakfast option. Honey nut cheerios contain plenty of sugar; in the form of their core ingredients- honey and sugar.
Imagine someone with diabetes eating food items with such high sugar content, the first thing in the morning. The impact of honey nut cheerios on their blood sugar levels can prove catastrophic to their overall health.
One may argue that honey nut cheerios are prepared from whole grain oats and are gluten-free. But the sugar levels present in honey nut cheerios are almost nine times compared to the regular cheerios.
Honey nut cheerios are- whole grain oats, oat bran, corn starch, honey, sugar, almond flavor, brown sugar syrup, along with some vitamins and minerals. Some of these ingredients are not suitable for a person with diabetes. They can have a drastic impact on blood sugar levels.
As we mentioned earlier, the honey nut cheerios are almost nine times sweeter than the regular cheerios. This sweetness is because of the presence of sugar, brown sugar syrup, and honey.
On the brighter side, honey nut cheerios have high fiber content due to the whole grain oats. It also has low quantities of saturated fats that help in keeping a check on cholesterol levels. However, the sugar content in honey nut cheerios is high- almost 9g of sugar in a 3/4th cup of cereal.
Such high levels of sugar intake cannot be allowed to a person who has been diagnosed with diabetes. It may only lead to spikes in blood sugar levels eventually.
Honey nut cheerios are a strict no-no for people with diabetes because of their high content of sugar. Knowing this fact, you may ask, what are the other worst cereals for diabetics?
The correct answer is most of them. Cereals, in general, are high in carbohydrates which later on break down into sugars. Apart from that, most of them contain sweeteners to enhance their taste.
What Cereal Can Diabetics Eat
While selecting the perfect cereal for breakfast, people with diabetes have to keep a few pointers in mind.
First, always go for cereals with whole grains. Whole grain cereals contain a high amount of fibers which help control blood sugar levels. Also, whole grain cereals contain vitamins and minerals.
Maintaining blood sugar levels is the main task while choosing food items for people with diabetes. While choosing their cereal, they must make sure that it is either sugar-free or has a smaller amount of sugar present.
Lastly, a person with diabetes should opt for cereals with low sodium and high protein content.
A person with diabetes can have honey nut cheerios once in a while. However, they should supplement it with food items such as fruits, yogurt, nuts, chia seeds, hemp seeds, and flax seeds.
If you are diabetic and okay with not having honey nut cheerios, you can choose healthier breakfast options such as eggs, oatmeal, or muesli.
Conclusion:
To conclude, people having diabetes must stress on having a balanced breakfast rather than switching to easy options like cereals or honey nut cheerios.
If you feel like having honey nut cheerios or any other cereal, make it a point to check the nutritional content of what you are eating. It is advisable to eat whole grain cereals with high protein content and low sugar and sodium content.
Honey nut cheerios can be eaten occasionally. However, it should be supplemented with fruits, hemp seeds, flax seeds, chia seeds, yogurt, or nuts.
One can always opt for healthy breakfast alternatives like eggs, oatmeal, muesli, chia pudding, or yogurt and fruits.