Okay, here is our Taboo Tuesday - except it's a change Tuesday. Many of us eat some sort of cereal either for breakfast or during the day for a snack. Even "healthy' brands often sneak in extra calories and sugar. Words like "maltodextrin" "BHT" or other mystery nouns mean you're filling up on chemicals. "Crunch" or "Clusters" is code for extra sucrose. Nix any brand that lists sugar as the number one ingredient. "Bran" "multigrain" "100% Wheat" "Cracked Wheat" all indicate refined products which have fewer nutrients. The one word you want listed in front of any grain: "Whole".
Try this DIY blend.
*Lay a foundation - start out with plain unsweetened 100 percent puffed whole grains like wheat, rice, oats, corn or barley. The fiber and complex carbs will keep you full and energized until lunchtime (60 calories for 1 cup)
* Pour it on - ramp up the protein and calcium with skim or soy milk or a dollop of plain nonfat yogurt (40-70 calories for 1/2 cup)
* Go nutty - to torch belly fat and reduce inflammation - while adding crunch - toss in a handful of heart healthy almonds or walnuts (65-80 calories for 2 tablespoons
* Spice it up - For some near-zero-cal zing, sprinkle on a teaspoon of cinnamon (which contains as many antioxidants as half a cup of blueberries) or experiment with ground ginger, nutmeg or cloves (6 calories for 1 teaspoon)
Breakfast anyone.
Source: Shape April 2012 Contributing editor Cynthia Sass, M.P.H., R.D.