The cold cereals we eat undergo a process called extrusion. An extruder is an industrial machine that produces little flakes, O's and other shapes and puffed grains using high temperatures and pressures. As you will read in these studies, rats that ate the cardboard boxes and another group that ate nothing lived longer than the rats that ate the extruded cereals. Even worse, the whole grain cereals may be even worse for us than the typical supermarket brands.
http://editor.nourishedmagazine.com.au/articles/puffed-grains-should-we-eat-them
Here is too much information, but a really great overview of cereals, described by the EPA. What bothered me also was the toxic emissions (volatile organic compound, air, particulate matter) involed in the production of cereal.
http://www.epa.gov/ttn/chief/ap42/ch09/final/c9s09-2.pdf
I would love to hear your comments on this because I'm finding the information I'm finding disturbing.
Friday, November 27, 2009
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7 comments:
I didn't realize any of this. We haven't fed our kids cold cereal since...last spring? Mostly because of the high amounts of sugar (with little nutritional advantage), no matter the brand. Disease Proof Your Child is the book that made me understand the uselessness of cold cereal. So, they eat eggs, hummus sandwiches, or oatmeal. Sometimes buckwheat hot cereal. Their sugar is frozen waffles...ideally, we'll find some other "fast" breakfast food to eat on the run. Maybe it's time to make some hearty smoothies!
I would say that the meat industry is the worst perpetrator of harming the environment, though. So, if it were a choice to eat factory-farmed meat or the occasional dried cereal, I would think that it would be much, much worse to have the meat.
I would vote for a bowl of oatmeal any day over the boxed cereal! The sodium content can average 200/270mg per serving in cold cereal. I would venture to say that there is a lot of salt added to make the stuff palatable.
I think one of the best ways to prepare your grains would be the low-heating method.
Here's how.
In the evening, take a thermos bottle and fill it one-third full of wheat, or oat groats or a combination of grains; then finish filling the bottle with boiling water. Cap and turn back and forth a few times, so that the water circulates completely to the bottom. When you uncover it in the morning, it will be ready to eat, soft and tasty! Add a little honey and salt and if you desire you can include cinnamon, even some raisins.
I think the closer we can stay to a grains original form, the better it will serve us.
Thank you for posting that about the preparation of grains. What a great suggestion!
I love the oatmeal idea posted above!! I buy processed cereal once and a while and everytime I do I swear I will never do it again when the kids come to me an hour later and tell me they are still hungry. We have been eating Lauri's pulp breads for breakfasts and snacks. They taste delicious and satiate you instantly. I am thrilled that my 15 year old son will now choose this bread over a bagel. PROGRESS!!!
Agreed, but it is so hard when you bring kids to the grocery store with you! I always induldge them in any kind of expensive fruit they want. But yesterday I caved in the cereal aisle and let my daughter buy crunch berries! We were in a rush and I took the easy way out. I didn't have the time or patience for a fight.
Becky
I believe that as long as our children are following the 51% rule(that is, 51% of the time they're eating a healthy diet), then they're ahead of the game. For us adults, perhaps it can be higher - like 75%.
So many of us are so busy attempting to be perfect, which is way too hard to maintain. After all, what does perfect mean and where does it get us?
Thanks for the interesting post Lauri.
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