Hello,

This is an interesting question as breakfast cereals can vary in a number of ways.  The best type of cereal to have, in my view, is one that is high in filling fibre and nutrients and low in sugar. Sugary breakfast cereals (of which there are a few!) disrupt blood sugar levels, which can lead to hunger and cravings between meals.  They are best avoided – especially first thing in the morning when our blood sugar is already low after not eating for around 12 hours.   

So, my recommendation would be a wholegrain, high fibre and low GI (glycaemic index) cereal, which tends to be cereals like no-added sugar muesli, porridge or bran flakes – just the type of cereal you say you don’t like, I’m afraid!  However, you can make your cornflakes or rice crispies healthier by reducing the portion size and mixing it with some wholegrain cereal, or adding some seeds and a few broken nuts maybe.

Although the quantity and portion size will be smaller for these ‘denser’, healthier cereals, believe me when I say that they will fill you just as much, if not more.  I suggest that people just try eating them and see.  It is also worth checking the label of cereal packets, as the calorie content can often be very similar even if they are not marketed at slimmers, and the ‘slimming cereals’ can often cost more.

Your question is very timely as we have just launched a new Breakfast Wizard feature.  When you enter your cereal into your food diary, the Wizard allows you to add milk, toppings etc to see how the calorie and fat content changes.  It’s another very useful feature and full info is on our Latest Features board.