We took a deep dive into the nutritional content of 500 breakfast cereal products, and the findings were flat-out concerning!

At GoCoCo we conducted a nutritional study randomly analyzing 500 products classified as Breakfast Cereals. Within this, we isolated 60 products classified by supermarkets as "Healthy Cereals." 🧐

For this analysis we used the systems established in the algorithm of our nutritional GoCoCo Score:

- WHO Nutrient Profile Model: Nutrient profiling provides a means of differentiating  between foods that are more likely to be part of a healthy diet from those that
are less likely (notably those foods that may contribute to excess consumption of energy, saturated fats, trans fats, sugar or salt). This document consists of a table of 17 food categories and their nutritional parameter limits that are objectionable in children's marketing.

- The Warning Label, a system used by the Chilean government in Latin America: It obliges companies to indicate with octagonal stamps whether products contain high levels of calories, sugar, trans fat or sodium. It has been shown in population studies that these seals reduce the choice to buy unhealthy products and promote higher nutritional quality options.

- The NOVA: It is a cataloging system that indicates the degree of processing of a product. Thanks to this parameter, a population-based study was conducted and it was determined that ultra-processed foods contribute 58% of the energy intake and 89% of the added sugars in the U.S. diet.

The total Breakfast Cereals (500 products)

• Average score of 2.5 and the 90% is not healthy by our GoCoCo Score
• The 87% are not validated by OMS
• The 90% are ultra-processed (The 60% has flavors, the 35% has colored additives and the 41% has a any type of syrup)
• The 92% have a Warning Label(The 83% has too much sugar, the 18% has too much saturated fat and the 28% too much salt)

The sample of "Healthy Cereals" (60 products)

• Average score of 2.3 and the 93% is not healthy by our GoCoCo Score
• Only 2 products have a GoCoCo Score of a 10
• The 87% are not validated by OMS
• The 93% are ultra-processed
• The 97% have a Warning Label (The 90% has too much sugar, the 5% has too much saturated fat and the 37% too much salt)

How can these be classified as healthy options where they’re clearly getting worse results than their sugary counterparts?

What do companies do to make it seem like the cereals they sell are healthy?

Good marketing. Plane and simple. They intentionally show on the packaging that the cereal is healthy with claims like it being a good source of fiber or protein (Many natural foods also contain these elements, they just don't come in a package that promotes them!). The industry add elements characteristic of a healthy diet that give value to these claims: nuts, dried fruit, whole grains. So far so good,right? 

Then comes the problem that counteracts these positive effects they’re trying to focus on: They add sugar 🍭(even to the same dried fruit) to make them more appealing: syrups, honey, brown sugar, coconut sugar, agave syrup... They also add high amounts of salt to enhance the sweet taste and use low-nutricional quality fats that give more texture to the product without compromising the final price of the product. 🤑

These products also tend to contain coloring and flavoring in order to look more appealing.

Fortunately, there are cereals that are healthy, ones that have the characteristic of containing few ingredients and that don’t contain added sugars, or, if they do, it’s in very low doses (less than 10 grams). Like...

• Nature's Path Organic Fruit Juice Corn Flakes Cereal, Gluten Free, 26.4 oz Bag
• Alpen No Added Sugar Muesli Cereal, 14 Oz

4 Curiosities About Breakfast

1. It's not the most important meal of the day: There is a popular belief that as it is the first meal we eat, it must be especially important. But it’s not. What determines the nutritional quality of a diet is the set of meals, not an isolated one. For example, you can decide not to have breakfast, and it’s completely healthy if the other meals balance it out, and if we avoid ultra-processed snacks between.

2. You don't have to eat sweet things: You don't have to eat sweets like cereal, pancakes, cookies, muffins or juice. You can also consume savory foods! Here are some examples:

• Whole wheat sandwich with tuna, tomato, and lettuce.
• Spinach and Feta cheese omelette
• Even leftovers from the previous night.

3. Boost healthy fats: A 2020 study published in the Journal of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics analyzed the association between intake of saturated fats, such as butter, bacon and hamburgers, and risk of cardiovascular disease. To have a well-rounded diet, it's best to choose different kinds of fats such as the ones found in olive oil, avocados, seeds, nuts, or fish like salmon or tuna.

4. Include minimally processed foods to feel full: If you are someone who has trouble concentrating due to hunger in the morning, include in your breakfast natural food, such as fruit or nuts.

We hope you enjoyed this post! See you soon! 🤗

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Article written by Laura Guinovart Martín, certified Dietitian and Nutritionist; Specialized in TCA, Obesity and Food Development and Design; Nº Col:CAT002123