How To Choose Cereal Wisely

With “frosted” breakfast cereals grabbing more space on store shelves, the Tufts University Diet & Nutrition Letter has outlined its criteria for a reasonably healthful choice:

A maximum of 5 grams of sugar (about a teaspoon) per serving unless the product contains dried fruit like raisins. (The new Frosted Cheerios packs 13 grams of sugar, or more than three teaspoons’ worth, into each serving.)

Whole wheat, whole grain, whole oat flour or rolled oats among the first words on the ingredients list.

At least 2 grams of fiber per serving.

No more than 2 grams of fat per serving.

Cereals that meet the Tufts criteria include Post Grape-Nuts, regular Cheerios, Nabisco Shredded Wheat and Kellogg’s Raisin Bran.