Special K Cereal.. Is it ok to eat

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  • dolliesdaughter
    dolliesdaughter Posts: 544 Member
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    Is it poison???? What did I miss? Count calories.
  • janejellyroll
    janejellyroll Posts: 25,763 Member
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    jim180155 wrote: »
    Tex, it's a loose term and I'm sure some (maybe you) will be along to argue, but I'd define "healthy" as unprocessed, whole foods. Fruits, vegetables, meats, nuts, legumes, dairy, etc. Foods with naturally occurring nutrients, not foods that have the nutrients processed out of them and then, in the case of Special K, nutrients supplemented back into them. I have nothing against vitamin fortified foods or vitamin supplements for that matter, but I think you're better off eating mostly whole foods with micronutrients interacting in ways that we don't yet fully understand.

    Of course, the person eating Special K could also be choosing fruits, vegetables, meats, nuts, legumes, and dairy in their other meals of the day or even to round out their breakfast.

  • mccindy72
    mccindy72 Posts: 7,001 Member
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    jim180155 wrote: »
    Tex, it's a loose term and I'm sure some (maybe you) will be along to argue, but I'd define "healthy" as unprocessed, whole foods. Fruits, vegetables, meats, nuts, legumes, dairy, etc. Foods with naturally occurring nutrients, not foods that have the nutrients processed out of them and then, in the case of Special K, nutrients supplemented back into them. I have nothing against vitamin fortified foods or vitamin supplements for that matter, but I think you're better off eating mostly whole foods with micronutrients interacting in ways that we don't yet fully understand.

    Problem being that defining those foods as healthy, but not defining how much of them is healthy.... People can eat a diet entirely of whole foods and be obese and have high cholesterol. Processed foods are not, by definition, unhealthy.
    Dairy is processed, frozen foods are processed, home canned foods are processed. 'Processed' is a dangerous word to throw around.
    A well-rounded diet with a good balance of carbs, protein and fats is healthy. I and several other people I know eat a diet of both whole and processed foods with a good macro balance, and add in other foods to meet calorie goals, just because we enjoy them. My numbers are all very good, I'm very healthy when I go to the doctor.
  • jim180155
    jim180155 Posts: 769 Member
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    jim180155 wrote: »
    Tex, it's a loose term and I'm sure some (maybe you) will be along to argue, but I'd define "healthy" as unprocessed, whole foods. Fruits, vegetables, meats, nuts, legumes, dairy, etc. Foods with naturally occurring nutrients, not foods that have the nutrients processed out of them and then, in the case of Special K, nutrients supplemented back into them. I have nothing against vitamin fortified foods or vitamin supplements for that matter, but I think you're better off eating mostly whole foods with micronutrients interacting in ways that we don't yet fully understand.

    Of course, the person eating Special K could also be choosing fruits, vegetables, meats, nuts, legumes, and dairy in their other meals of the day or even to round out their breakfast.

    Sure. That's why I said if you want to eat it, eat it. There's nothing bad about it. I just don't think there's anything particularly good about it.
  • lucstone
    lucstone Posts: 41 Member
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    Why would you want food from a box when there's a plethora of fresh foods available...
  • darrensurrey
    darrensurrey Posts: 3,942 Member
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    I've lost weight while eating Crunchy Nut Cornflakes for breakfast... and after dinner as dessert. :smiley:

    My problem was that I was doing far too much sport for my calorie intake as I was supposed to be maintaining, not losing.
  • kshama2001
    kshama2001 Posts: 27,996 Member
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    mccindy72 wrote: »
    jim180155 wrote: »
    Tex, it's a loose term and I'm sure some (maybe you) will be along to argue, but I'd define "healthy" as unprocessed, whole foods. Fruits, vegetables, meats, nuts, legumes, dairy, etc. Foods with naturally occurring nutrients, not foods that have the nutrients processed out of them and then, in the case of Special K, nutrients supplemented back into them. I have nothing against vitamin fortified foods or vitamin supplements for that matter, but I think you're better off eating mostly whole foods with micronutrients interacting in ways that we don't yet fully understand.

    Problem being that defining those foods as healthy, but not defining how much of them is healthy.... People can eat a diet entirely of whole foods and be obese and have high cholesterol. Processed foods are not, by definition, unhealthy.
    Dairy is processed, frozen foods are processed, home canned foods are processed. 'Processed' is a dangerous word to throw around.
    A well-rounded diet with a good balance of carbs, protein and fats is healthy. I and several other people I know eat a diet of both whole and processed foods with a good macro balance, and add in other foods to meet calorie goals, just because we enjoy them. My numbers are all very good, I'm very healthy when I go to the doctor.

    Yes, when I pick a strawberry from my garden and throw it in my freezer, I have technically processed it, but everyone knows that's not what people mean by "processed foods." They mean "convenience foods."

    https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Convenience_food

    Convenience food, or tertiary processed food, is food that is commercially prepared (often through processing) to optimize ease of consumption. Such food is usually ready to eat without further preparation. It may also be easily portable, have a long shelf life, or offer a combination of such convenient traits. Although restaurant meals meet this definition, the term is seldom applied to them. Convenience foods include ready-to-eat dry goods, frozen foods such as TV dinners, shelf-stable foods, prepared mixes such as cake mix, and snack foods.
  • janejellyroll
    janejellyroll Posts: 25,763 Member
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    jim180155 wrote: »
    jim180155 wrote: »
    Tex, it's a loose term and I'm sure some (maybe you) will be along to argue, but I'd define "healthy" as unprocessed, whole foods. Fruits, vegetables, meats, nuts, legumes, dairy, etc. Foods with naturally occurring nutrients, not foods that have the nutrients processed out of them and then, in the case of Special K, nutrients supplemented back into them. I have nothing against vitamin fortified foods or vitamin supplements for that matter, but I think you're better off eating mostly whole foods with micronutrients interacting in ways that we don't yet fully understand.

    Of course, the person eating Special K could also be choosing fruits, vegetables, meats, nuts, legumes, and dairy in their other meals of the day or even to round out their breakfast.

    Sure. That's why I said if you want to eat it, eat it. There's nothing bad about it. I just don't think there's anything particularly good about it.

    Assuming that one's nutritional needs are met, what is the benefit of avoiding a bowl of cereal in favor of the foods you mentioned? We don't get gold stars for exceeding our nutritional needs.
  • jim180155
    jim180155 Posts: 769 Member
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    BTW, I've noticed that if I go on one of my Special K binges on an empty stomach, I crash pretty hard a couple hours later. That's unusual for me. The last time was a few weeks ago. I was on my way to the dentist, which is only about 15 minutes away when I started getting shaky and kind of faint. I pulled into a gas station and bought a bag of trail mix, then wolfed it down as I continued on to the dentist. I'm not sure what would have happened if I hadn't stopped for food, but I felt like I was about to pass out. I'm guessing Special K has a pretty high glycemic index.
  • janejellyroll
    janejellyroll Posts: 25,763 Member
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    lucstone wrote: »
    Why would you want food from a box when there's a plethora of fresh foods available...

    If it helps you meet your nutritional goals and you enjoy the taste, why avoid a food just because it's in a box?

  • DeguelloTex
    DeguelloTex Posts: 6,652 Member
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    lucstone wrote: »
    Why would you want food from a box when there's a plethora of fresh foods available...
    Because sometimes Lucky Charms just fit the bill better than anything fresh.

  • LunaInverse
    LunaInverse Posts: 109 Member
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    I'd say pass on this too. I mean, it's not a bad cereal per-say, but it's not filling *at all*. There are much better choices out there
  • jim180155
    jim180155 Posts: 769 Member
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    jim180155 wrote: »
    jim180155 wrote: »
    Tex, it's a loose term and I'm sure some (maybe you) will be along to argue, but I'd define "healthy" as unprocessed, whole foods. Fruits, vegetables, meats, nuts, legumes, dairy, etc. Foods with naturally occurring nutrients, not foods that have the nutrients processed out of them and then, in the case of Special K, nutrients supplemented back into them. I have nothing against vitamin fortified foods or vitamin supplements for that matter, but I think you're better off eating mostly whole foods with micronutrients interacting in ways that we don't yet fully understand.

    Of course, the person eating Special K could also be choosing fruits, vegetables, meats, nuts, legumes, and dairy in their other meals of the day or even to round out their breakfast.

    Sure. That's why I said if you want to eat it, eat it. There's nothing bad about it. I just don't think there's anything particularly good about it.

    Assuming that one's nutritional needs are met, what is the benefit of avoiding a bowl of cereal in favor of the foods you mentioned? We don't get gold stars for exceeding our nutritional needs.

    No, no gold stars for that. But I'd give you a gold star for reading what I actually wrote.
  • DeguelloTex
    DeguelloTex Posts: 6,652 Member
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    jim180155 wrote: »
    Tex, it's a loose term and I'm sure some (maybe you) will be along to argue, but I'd define "healthy" as unprocessed, whole foods
    Then it might make more sense to use "unprocessed, whole" rather than "healthy," because the two aren't really synonyms.

  • GreenValli
    GreenValli Posts: 1,054 Member
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    I like Special K but I don't eat it very often. Maybe about once a week. I find that eating oatmeal with fruit and nuts helps me not to get as hungry before lunch. I also have eggs once or twice a week because they have more protein.

    But there are no hard and fast rules, here. I agree with many of the other posters. And, of course, you should learn to incorporate what you like into your life, but also learn to eat reasonable amounts and healthy food. When you get to your goal you should not have the attitude "I did it and am now done" but learn to eat the right things in right proportions now, so you don't gain weight back later.

    Does that make sense?

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  • diannethegeek
    diannethegeek Posts: 14,776 Member
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    The OP asked if she could have Special K for breakfast. It was an easy question. I'm not sure why the answer needs to turn into yet another lecture on healthy vs. processed foods.
  • janejellyroll
    janejellyroll Posts: 25,763 Member
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    jim180155 wrote: »
    jim180155 wrote: »
    jim180155 wrote: »
    Tex, it's a loose term and I'm sure some (maybe you) will be along to argue, but I'd define "healthy" as unprocessed, whole foods. Fruits, vegetables, meats, nuts, legumes, dairy, etc. Foods with naturally occurring nutrients, not foods that have the nutrients processed out of them and then, in the case of Special K, nutrients supplemented back into them. I have nothing against vitamin fortified foods or vitamin supplements for that matter, but I think you're better off eating mostly whole foods with micronutrients interacting in ways that we don't yet fully understand.

    Of course, the person eating Special K could also be choosing fruits, vegetables, meats, nuts, legumes, and dairy in their other meals of the day or even to round out their breakfast.

    Sure. That's why I said if you want to eat it, eat it. There's nothing bad about it. I just don't think there's anything particularly good about it.

    Assuming that one's nutritional needs are met, what is the benefit of avoiding a bowl of cereal in favor of the foods you mentioned? We don't get gold stars for exceeding our nutritional needs.

    No, no gold stars for that. But I'd give you a gold star for reading what I actually wrote.

    I read what you wrote and it doesn't really make sense to me -- that's why I'm asking follow-up questions.

    Why call out this food and say one should eat "healthy" foods instead? You say we should eat "mostly whole foods." But one can do that and eat Special K as well. I'm not understanding what you're attempting to communicate here.
  • Serah87
    Serah87 Posts: 5,481 Member
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    The OP asked if she could have Special K for breakfast. It was an easy question. I'm not sure why the answer needs to turn into yet another lecture on healthy vs. processed foods.

    I agree!!! It's nauseating, really!!
  • BekahC1980
    BekahC1980 Posts: 474 Member
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    mccindy72 wrote: »
    alfiedn wrote: »
    This depends on your carb goals and what the rest of your day looks like. As long as you're fitting inside your carbohydrate goals, you probably don't need to worry at all.

    Carb goals don't really matter - calorie goals are key for weight loss. Low carb is a matter of choice. If OP wants to eat Special K and isn't a low carber, OP can eat Special K with no problems.

    Actually in a general sense that may be true but for someone with diabetes that is trying to lose weight carbs matter just as much as calories.
  • Angela26point2finisher
    Angela26point2finisher Posts: 105 Member
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    I'd say no, since I can rarely eat just one bowl of cereal, usually it turns into 1/2 the box... And if I have one serving, around 3/4 cup, i'm starving a hour later.