Weight loss: This is the best cereal to eat at breakfast if you want to lose weight
WEIGHT loss can be a difficult process for many people who struggle to shed the pounds. Sometimes little tweaks can make all the difference - starting with breakfast. Cereal is a popular first meal - but which is the best one for your diet?
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Weight loss efforts can begin first thing in the morning with a healthy breakfast. Cereal is many Britons’ go-to meal when they wake up - but there are so many options available these days. With such a staggering plethora of choice it can be hard to know what to look for. If you’re looking to lose weight, make sure you’re eating wholegrain cereals.
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Weight loss: Why wholegrain cereal is the best choice your diet if you want to lose weight
Wholegrain cereals are the best breakfast choice for weight control and improving health, explained the Dairy Council of California.
Wholegrain cereals include wheat, rice, corn, oats, rye, barley and millet.
They are high in dietary fibre which can help to ensure a healthier digestive system and lower the risk of bowel cancer.
A high fibre diet can also help you maintain a healthy body weight and reduce the risk of developing type 2 diabetes and heart disease.
A 2007 Iowa Women’s Health Study found women who ate wholegrains at least twice per day had a 30 per cent lower risk of dying from an inflammation-related condition over a 17-year period than those who rarely or never ate wholegrains, reported the Dairy Council of California.
The British Heart Foundation (BHF) names porridge as their top healthiest breakfast.
“All porridge oats are wholegrains and they all contain a soluble fibre called beta-glucan, which can help lower your cholesterol level if you have 3g or more of it daily, as part of a healthy diet,” said the BHF.
Try having a serving of porridge made with 40g of oats and semi-skimmed milk for a healthy option - but don’t add any extra sugar or salt.
The NHS also recommends wholewheat cereal biscuits and shredded wholegrain pillows.
It also advises consuming 400 calories at breakfast (including any drinks and accompaniments) if you’re looking to maintain a healthy weight.
"You might get about 150kcal from a 40g serving of cereal," dietitian Azmina Govindji told the NHS. "You could add a medium sliced banana and 200ml of semi-skimmed milk, which altogether would provide about 350kcals.
"You need fuel in the morning, and starting the day with a filling breakfast can help you avoid reaching for a less healthy mid-morning snack to keep you going until lunch.”
It’s also important to eat your breakfast at the optimum time if you want to slim down.
A 2015 study published in the scientific journal Obesity found the best time to eat breakfast was between 6am and 9.45am.
Eating a high-protein meal in this time frame was linked to a reduced risk of body fat gain.
Researchers also found that breakfast at this time led to less hunger throughout the day. The above was not the case for those people who waited to eat breakfast until after 10am.
