Popular "Healthy" Cereals May Not Be So Healthy

When you pour a bowl of cereal, you could be piling on the sugar and weight and not even know it. Cereal can offer a healthy start to your day, but some of the so-called nutritious cereals may not be very healthy at all.

While there are dozens of choices for your morning meal, nutritionist and author Laura Lewis says you shouldn't believe all the "heart-healthy" hype. Lewis says you have to look deeper by actually turning the box over and looking at the label. While a box of Quaker Natural Granola looks healthy, its label shows otherwise. A single serving contains 18 grams of sugar...five times more sugar than fiber.

Many shoppers who swear by Kellog's Raisin Bran cereal were shocked to hear it has 19 grams of sugar per serving.

"You don't really taste that much sugar in Raisin Bran," said shopper Deneice Cobb.

Another healthy-sounding cereal is Honey Nut Cheerios. Lewis looked at the nutritional facts and found it has 9 grams of sugar versus just 1 gram in regular Cheerios. Side-by-side, there's no comparison, but Lewis says there is a healthier solution.

"Put half of [Honey Nut Cheerios] in a bowl, and half of [Cheerios] in a bowl," she said.

Lewis says a major mistake parents make when buying cereal for their kids is not looking at the labels to make sure their kids are getting the ingredients they need for a balanced meal. She says parents often let their kids decide what they want to eat, rather than picking a healthier option for them. Lewis says parents need to take control.

Another mistake some shoppers make, according to Lewis, is not knowing what to look for on the nutritional labels. She says while some do look at the labels, they're reading the wrong things.

"[Look for] the amount of sugar grams, versus the amount of fiber grams," Lewis said.

For every gram of sugar, there should be one equal part of fiber. Fiber One, Quaker Oats, Kashi Cinnamon Harvest, and Cheerios all come close to meeting that criteria. The same theory applies to oatmeal. Regular instant oatmeal has zero grams of sugar, but the apples and cinnamon version is packed with 13 grams. Nutritionists suggest getting the regular oatmeal and mix in fresh fruit for a healthier option with more flavor.

The average American eats 160 bowls of cereal a year. While we could steer wrong with it comes to which ones we eat, we could also drive up our fiber intake. More fiber means you'll fill up faster, and stay full longer.