The breakfast cereal aisle is a masterclass in looking healthy. Wheat fields on the box, words like wholegrain and natural, a small green logo. Then you turn it over and find a third of the contents is sugar.
How the trick works
Many cereals marketed as healthy lean on a single true claim, such as containing wholegrain or added vitamins, to distract from the sugar content. Granola is a frequent culprit. It sounds wholesome and often contains as much sugar per bowl as a slice of cake, plus a lot more than you would ever pour yourself.
The deeper problem is what a sugary breakfast does to your morning. It spikes your blood sugar, which then drops, leaving you hungry and reaching for a biscuit by eleven.
Reading past the box
The front of the packet is advertising. The back is information.
- Check sugar per hundred grams, over twenty-two and a half is high
- Be wary of granola and clusters, which hide sugar in the texture
- Plain porridge oats, with no added sugar, are about as good as it gets
- Add sweetness yourself with fruit, so you control the amount
The simple swap
I switched to plain oats with a chopped banana and some berries. It costs less, keeps me full until lunch, and lets me decide how sweet it is. The cereal was never the only option. It just had the better marketing budget.