Stay away from cereals? crackers??
 

I've heard that I should (for the most part) stay away from pretty much all cereals and crackers... Why is this? aside from some having a high sugar content..
But should I really be staying away from cereals? Even something like cheerios?

Also, same goes for crackers...?


I'm finding that I need to up my calorie intake, and to be honest, I don't eat breakfast, so I figure that that is where I should improve, but on a tight budget and being a picky eater, what are my options?

What do you guys usually eat for breakfast or to add some extra healthy calories??

-Thanks-

Ok, let me turn this around on you a bit. :)

Where have you heard this and why do THOSE sources say you should?

Here's the problem I have with things that people "hear". :) A lot of times people will come to 3FC and say "I was told" or "I heard" or "Someone said" and then they say "why is this true?"

And the truth is that most of us will tell you ... it's NOT true.

If you hear or are told or read something somewhere and that source can't or won't tell you WHY ... then you mostly shouldn't believe it. Anyone who has something factual to tell you about diet should be able to tell you why. If they don't know the whys and wherefores then they're not a reputable source and everything they say should be viewed with suspicion.

Now, are cereals or crackers a valid part of a diet? I say yes, they can be. But as with ANY food, you have to be able to determine the healthy from the unhealthy.

Is a bowl of Lucky Charms a healthy choice? Probably not. They're high in sugar, low in fiber, and pretty much provide empty calories. Is a bowl of Kashi or a serving of oats a healthy choice? Probably so. They're high in fiber, high in protein, low in sugar and sodium, and provide a lot of nutritional bang for the calories.

Crackers? Same questions apply. Saltines? They're pretty much nutritionally empty. Wasa crackers? Or even low sodium Triscuits? High fiber, not bad for you if you are wanting something crunchy.

And, even then ... if you're counting calories and you really want a treat for yourself, then there is nothing wrong with a bowl of junky cereal or a few saltines now and then. I ate chili the other night and I had 6 saltines with it. I had the calories to spare and I chose to eat some crackers. I don't think I'm going to ruin my diet because of it and I am able to stop after 6 and not eat an entire sleeve of them. :)

As for breakfast, it is a super important meal and one you shouldn't skip. If you want cereal, find a healthy cereal and work it into your plan. Have a kashi waffle with some peanut butter. Have oats. Have a whole grain english muffin with peanut butter or light cream cheese and fruit.

You also don't have to have "breakfast" food for breakfast. I have had things like a 1/2 a pb sandwich, or even a turkey sandwich. I've had leftover pizza (yes, you can have healthy pizza while counting calories). I've had leftover spaghetti. I've had a tuna sandwich or a chicken sandwich.

If you don't like breakfast foods or don't have time to do eggs or something ... then have something you like. There's no law that says you have to eat eggs and cereal for breakfast! :D

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Also, some of the junky, sweet cereals - while certainly not good for you - can be an excellent dessert replacement for sweet cravings.

lol, thanks guys. :)

Photochick - thanks for taking the time to write all that out, there is just so much, "do this" "don't do that" its easy to get lost. ;)


I've heard all my life "breakfast is the most important meal of the day" and yet now me being a mom, I don't implement it on myself... Its like I have trained myself not to eat every time I feed my son, I just sit there usually holding the bowl of food and act like I'm not interested...

I'm glad I found this site with so many helpful people out there to help me get back on track, and now learning some of the negative affects too little calories actually has on my body...

Seems like tomorrow I will be eating breakfast... ;) ;p

-thanks again-

I looked at some peppridge farm crackers the other day and they were 120 calories per serving and a serving was 3 crackers. I decided that wasn't worth it to me. Then I looked at the Triscuits and found them to have more fiber, less fat, and 120 calories for six good sized crackers. They also had ingredients in English wheat, pepper, etc. So I felt pretty good about them. I find 6 crackers with 2 oz of sliced turkey to be a great snack.

So personally I've decided to avoid some crackers and incorporate others.

Triscuits are great-they are high fiber, and you can READ all of the ingredients. My box says whole wheat, a little oil, and salt. :)

When you get into products like Ritz and Goldfish...there are 1,000 ingredients, preservatives, etc. THAT is the problem. Look at the calories, fiber, and fat grams...but also look at the ingredients list. Something that has ingredients that you can pronounce, and a shorter list, is usually going to be better for you. :)

I have a big bowl of cereal every day and have been successful. I do eat crackers although I am a bit selective as to fiber and sodium content.

I personally have a diet that is high in carbs (55%-60%) but that is mostly whole grains and fruit - I average 50g of fiber daily.

In order to be successful at weight loss and maintenance you need to develop eating habits that you can keep to for a lifetime. So any do's or don't that someone gives you needs to be able to pass that simple test.

Nothing should be off limits - don't think elimination - think substitution. Read labels and substitute whole grain crackers for those saltines or Kashi cereal for those Lucky Charms.

The only thing I have to say is " MMMMM...Kashi go Lean Crunch" . I love this stuff. Still only eat it about twice a week but to me its as good as dessert. And with 5g of fiber and 10g of protein per serving I dont even have to feel guilty eating it.

I, too, am a big cereal fan, especially Fiber One Caramel Delight and Cascadian Farms granola... so I definitely can't count myself among the anti-cereal brigade. I agree with lorilove that nothing should be off limits. Some cereals, however, are probably better choices for you than others, so you might want to think about fiber and sugar content before deciding on your breakfast bowl.