Breakfast cereals are notorious for tasting good but not being particularly healthy. Even mixtures of essentially wholesome ingredients can be full of sugars, fats, and calories. Simply grabbing a commercial low fat granola off the grocery shelf may not help if your goal is to lose weight. You need to read labels and evaluate different foods if you are to get a really good-for-you granola.
Whole grains are good for you if they are non-GMO, organically grown, and fresh. Most granolas start with rolled oats. You can find ones with other grains, like quinoa, barley, wheat, or corn. Any whole grain will be rich in carbs but also a good source of fiber. Fiber is an important nutrient, providing bulk in your diet and helping to fill you up without adding a lot of calories.
Most grains are not too high in fat. However, they are not all that tasty on their own. Toasting helps bring out the flavor and makes them crunchy, too. Fruit, nuts, seeds, and spices like cinnamon and vanilla are often added for flavor and sweetness. It's important to choose these additions wisely, in order to get the most nutrition without piling on calories.
The thing is, good fats are important to health. If you want shiny hair, clear skin, a healthy heart, and a sharp brain, you need what are called essential fatty acids. These are not manufactured by the body but must be obtained in the diet. The right breakfast cereal can make every calorie count by including foods rich in these vital nutrients. Modern diet gurus say that fats are not the problem, anyway; they point to carbohydrates as the real culprit.
Walnuts are one of the healthiest nuts, even though they contain a lot of fat. Macadamia nuts, which are notoriously fattening, contain the sort of fatty acids that are converted quickly to energy rather than being stored in the body. You might want to avoid them in the name of counting calories, as well as pistachios, cashews, and Brazil nuts. Remember, though, that Brazil nuts are a great source a trace mineral called selenium, necessary for proper thyroid function. A fully functional thyroid gland helps control weight.
Seeds also contribute good nutrition. Both flax and sunflower seeds taste great in a mix and add protein and fiber. Chia, walnut, and flax are rich in Omerga-3 oils, which most of us need.
For this reason, it's good to include the most valuable foods in the breakfast mix. Dried fruit, for example, may not have much fat at all, but it's calorie dense since it's extremely high in sugar. This makes it taste great, but a little goes a long way when you're counting calories. Just a sprinkle of raisins or chopped dates will add flavor, balance the pH value of the food, and add important minerals.
It may be best to make your own cereal, which is actually easy to do. Consider what you like, research the health benefits, and include sensible amounts of dried fruit (high calorie!) and nuts. Seeds are not much of a concern. If you want to lower the fat and calorie count of each serving, add bran to the mix. Wheat, oat, and rice bran are all good sources of fiber and won't add many calories. Create a mix, add spices to taste, sweeten with stevia or the equivalent, toss with a heat-stable, organic oil like coconut, and bake on shallow pans for about forty minutes at 300 degrees or until lightly browned and crunchy.
Whole grains are good for you if they are non-GMO, organically grown, and fresh. Most granolas start with rolled oats. You can find ones with other grains, like quinoa, barley, wheat, or corn. Any whole grain will be rich in carbs but also a good source of fiber. Fiber is an important nutrient, providing bulk in your diet and helping to fill you up without adding a lot of calories.
Most grains are not too high in fat. However, they are not all that tasty on their own. Toasting helps bring out the flavor and makes them crunchy, too. Fruit, nuts, seeds, and spices like cinnamon and vanilla are often added for flavor and sweetness. It's important to choose these additions wisely, in order to get the most nutrition without piling on calories.
The thing is, good fats are important to health. If you want shiny hair, clear skin, a healthy heart, and a sharp brain, you need what are called essential fatty acids. These are not manufactured by the body but must be obtained in the diet. The right breakfast cereal can make every calorie count by including foods rich in these vital nutrients. Modern diet gurus say that fats are not the problem, anyway; they point to carbohydrates as the real culprit.
Walnuts are one of the healthiest nuts, even though they contain a lot of fat. Macadamia nuts, which are notoriously fattening, contain the sort of fatty acids that are converted quickly to energy rather than being stored in the body. You might want to avoid them in the name of counting calories, as well as pistachios, cashews, and Brazil nuts. Remember, though, that Brazil nuts are a great source a trace mineral called selenium, necessary for proper thyroid function. A fully functional thyroid gland helps control weight.
Seeds also contribute good nutrition. Both flax and sunflower seeds taste great in a mix and add protein and fiber. Chia, walnut, and flax are rich in Omerga-3 oils, which most of us need.
For this reason, it's good to include the most valuable foods in the breakfast mix. Dried fruit, for example, may not have much fat at all, but it's calorie dense since it's extremely high in sugar. This makes it taste great, but a little goes a long way when you're counting calories. Just a sprinkle of raisins or chopped dates will add flavor, balance the pH value of the food, and add important minerals.
It may be best to make your own cereal, which is actually easy to do. Consider what you like, research the health benefits, and include sensible amounts of dried fruit (high calorie!) and nuts. Seeds are not much of a concern. If you want to lower the fat and calorie count of each serving, add bran to the mix. Wheat, oat, and rice bran are all good sources of fiber and won't add many calories. Create a mix, add spices to taste, sweeten with stevia or the equivalent, toss with a heat-stable, organic oil like coconut, and bake on shallow pans for about forty minutes at 300 degrees or until lightly browned and crunchy.
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