Cereales

CEREALS

GENERAL INFORMATION

The word “cereal” comes from the name of the Roman Goddess of grain and the harvest: Ceres.

Cereals or grains like wheat, rice and maize are the staple food in mostcultures.

Grains are the most important food group. We should be eating most of our foods from them every day.
Grains should supply us with the majority of our energy intake. Grains are loaded withcomplex carbohydrates that take a lot of time to metabolize and turn into energy.


A SAYING

There is a saying "breakfast like a king, lunch like a prince and dine like a pauper", meaning that thebiggest meal of the day should be breakfast, followed by a moderate lunch and a frugal evening meal.

But don´t forget: Just because you eat something at breakfast time in the morning, it doesn't alwaysmean that you are having a healthy breakfast and that you are starting the day in the best possible way.



WHICH CEREAL?
Certain types of cereals, particularly those aimed at children, are loaded withsugars and these types of cereals should be avoided. They will raise blood sugar levels, sending them soaring and then crashing back down again fairly rapidly, leaving you hungry and with littleenergy. Not to mention that they have very little nutritional value, the sugar will rot your teeth and cause mood swings, as your energy levels are not stable.

The best cereals to have for breakfast arethose that are low in sugars, fat and calories and which have an abundance of fibre. You will find that they are often unrefined, complex carbohydrates, which have not had all of the goodness processedand taken out. They are principally whole grain cereals that consist of one ingredient such as "Shredded Wheat". This will mean that the grains are whole and have not been refined. Care must be takenwith breakfast cereals, however, as many claims on the packets are often misleading.

When choosing a breakfast cereal, if you are unsure, it is best to check the label. Choose cereals whose first...