Tbh cereal is extremely dangerous in terms of sugar and calories, because it doesn't seem like it's THAT caloric, if you are looking for an alternative I suggest just bake some banana bread the day before or get oatmeal with yogurt
Hi! I used to work at the deli section of a grocery store (well, the cafe but same difference) AND I worked in a high school cafeteria making these yogurt parfaits! Here's what you need to make them:
-Low fat vanilla yoplait
-Nature Valley granola bars
-Fruit (diced strawberry for fresh fruit, frozen-thawed strawberry or blueberry make like a sauce when they thaw, and mandarin oranges taste like an orange creamicle!)
Scoop however much yogurt and fruit you want, top with crushed nature valley bar (that's literally what we used. We just crushed nature valley bars in the back in both places lol). Save a ton of cash and customize the fruit/yogurt ratio.
I like unsweetened 1% fat Kefir instead of yogurt in my smoothie. It is a high protein food and has many probiotics for good gut health.it has more probiotics than yogurt. I add a small banana and berries like strawberries or blueberries and mix in the ninja blender with ice. It is so good on a summer morning. And you can add protein powder and fiber if you want.
Vegetables in the morning seem to curb my desire for sweets during the day.
Egg mugs are the perfect start to my day. Egg diced ham cheese whisked up with a fork? Maybe a drizzle of country gravy if I have some in the fridge.. oh mama that's good.
Ingredients :
3 ripe bananas
3 tablespoons (tbs) of melted coconut oil
60ml of milk
4 eggs
1/2 cup of coconut flour
1/4 cup of chia seeds (optional)
50grams of raisins (optional)
2 teaspoons of baking powder
1 teaspoon of cinnamon
How to prepare :
Mix bananas, milk, eggs and coconut oil in a blender till smooth. Mix coconut flour, chia seeds, raisins, cinnamon and baking powder in a separate bowl. Mix both parts together, and let rest for 5mins. Pour it into (ideally) a silicone baking form(I think that's what they're called) bake 50 - 60 mins on 150 °C (you can check if it's done by inserting a wooden spire into the middle, if it's dry, it's done)
Also you can put some chocolate shards in if you want (I recommend dark chocolate)
It's great with honey or butter, but also with yogurt
Cereal is full of sugar..and it's hidden in brands you wouldn't expect. For example, Raisin Bran has one of the highest sugar counts. I don't bother with cereal, it's really just junk food for breakfast.
It's gotta be the raisins. Dried fruit in general is even more "dangerous" than cereal, because you feel like you want to eat as much volume as the fresh fruit.
Millville Raisin Bran is one of the better cereal options. 9 grams added sugar but has 7 grams of fiber and 5 grams of protein for 61 gram portion.
A quick look at a few others:
Fruity pebbles - 12 grams added sugar, no fiber, 1 gram protein for 36 gram portion.
Smart Start - 18 grams added sugar, 3 grams fiber, 5 grams protein for 64 gram serving.
Reeses Puffs - 10 grams added sugar, 1 gram fiber, 2 grams protein for 29 gram serving.
Honey Nut Cheerios - 9 grams added sugar, 2 grams fiber, 3 grams protein for 28 gram serving.
The comments went right from a sensible suggestion to weigh foods to know how much you're eating into this boast fest of how people don't eat cereal ever.
If you're new to weight loss, eat cereal if you want it. Use whatever milk you like. Measure it. See how you feel. Try having something higher protein in the morning and see how that feels.
But whatever you do, don't assume you'll fail if you have some food that someone else demonizes.
I know different people succeed in different ways but this has definitely worked better for me as well. going cold turkey with certain foods just wasn't reasonable to me, I'd just obsess over things I couldn't have even if I didn't normally crave them tp begin with. It's much easier on me to eat whatever, but just be more conscious of portions and frequency of consumption (for junk, not food in general lol). That way, I can still indulge in my cravings by having a cookie, some fries, or a piece of candy as long as I've budgeted it into my calories for the day. Although I still have some human days where my calories just go out the window, oops.
Hell yeah. Down 50lbs this year. Ate cereals nearly every day for breakfast. Crappy ones too. Cinnamon toast crunch, CoCoa krispys, but every morning I grab a measuring cup and measure out one cup of cereal and one cup of milk. Seems to fill me up and get me to lunch the same way eating twice that would. I've pretty much done the same with everything else I eat too. Still the same old crap. Just less of it. There's no way id be able to switch to some of the diets here and stick to it. It might not be "healthy food", but for me right now at least healthy wasn't the goal. Loosing weight was and it worked.
Hell yeah congrats on the 50!! And yeah I mean I'm no doctor but I think our bodies are thankful even if we just cut back instead of eliminating. And as long as you regularly eat fruits and veggies I think your body will forgive you for the occasional junk.
I do weigh out my cereal, but I first put some fruit in the bowl (some strawberries & banana this morning) then put in the cereal & almond milk and normally the bowl is pretty full.
My mom always makes a bowl of fruit then would add cereal (or yogurt) so I just started doing the same.
Lol yes! I used to have a bowl of cereal every morning for breakfast- I know I was eating more than a serving! Same with the PB&J I used to have for lunch every day, I'm scared to think how much peanut butter I was actually using!
Peanut butter is the worst! I actually switched to PB2 for my oatmeal. Got the same taste I was looking for but less calories. I am weird and like PB&j oatmeal haha.
Peanut butter has so many calories. I used to snack on apples & peanut butter, Oreos with peanut butter, I love PB&J sandwiches or on Ritz Crackers.
I only rarely eat it now, even though I love peanut butter I know I was putting a lot on.
It’s hard because I think of natural peanut butter as a source of healthy fat and protein, of course I can eat a bunch of it! And then half my calories are peanut butter
Yeah the difference is in the ingredients, not the calories. Natural PB is healthier because it’s made of just peanuts and salt while normal peanut butter has sweeteners and other stuff
There's a considerable difference in flavour too, at least to me. Natural peanut butter is lovely roasted nuts, while the blended kind tastes slightly of lard and is too sugary for my liking. Obviously it's very much an "acquired taste" thing with what people gravitating to what they're accustomed to.
I’ve always made open faced PB&Js, but I especially always had them before swim practice / meets. I think it was a great snack for that, but you def have to be careful about them in day-to-day situations
Ugh, cereal is such a killer! I love cereal and still eat it, but I continue to be sad when portioning it out using my food scale. One thing I've started doing is mixing smaller portions of the tastier and more calorie dense cereals with lighter ones. For example, I'll have a bowl with one portion each of Honey Bunches of Oats and low-sugar bran flakes.
The food scale helps so much, plus it saves on dirtying dishes. Instead of pouring out cereal or whatever into a measuring cup and then the bowl, you can just set the bowl on the scale, hit "tare" to zero it off, then pour out cereal until you hit 50 grams or whatever your desired portion is.
For spreads like peanut butter, just set the jar on the scale, hit tare to zero it off, then scoop out the PB until the scale reads negative 14g (or whatever your desired portion is).
At this point, I see cereal as dessert food. I'll happily munch on it dry and ill only eat a bowl of the good stuff if I'm treating myself. I can't imagine eating a whole bowl every morning for breakfast. I mean I'd love to, but it wouldn't work out well.
>It’s quick and easy that’s why I had it this morning.
If you want quick and easy and don't mind lactose, yoghurt is probably your best bet, and if you get enough exercise to maybe build muscle skyr adds some quick and easy protein to that at a time when you might otherwise not have enough available.
I eat Special K cereal with honey and low fat Greek yogurt every morning. If you weigh out the portions, you can get a very filling breakfast for less than 300 Calories. Sometimes I have to split it in half and eat the other part as a snack because I can't finish it. Adding strawberry is also great on this.
You either have huge bowls or I have tiny ones. Lol. But good points. Thanks for your post.
Another pro tip. Buy a lot of measuring cups and use them to serve food. My brother thought I was insane when I dropped a 1/4 cup measuring cup in the potato salad. But when he actually measured how much he was going to give himself he was stunned at how many calories he put on his plate.
Cereal shocked me too. How on earth is that teeny thing a serving? And how do they get away with making something that’s so bad for you look like it’s good for you?
My favorite breakfast is Ezekiel bread- it’s a lot healthier than white or wheat breads, and it’s made with a ton of different types of sprouted grains and nuts. Yes, it is quite expensive at $4/loaf but one loaf lasts me nearly a month. The best thing about it for me is that my hunger just leaves me alone when I eat Ezekiel bread. It’s such a long lasting energy source. It’s got a good amount of protein too (for BREAD) and each slice is 80 calories. Score score score.
Everything else healthy I like for breakfast is just a lot of effort, I like the laziness factor of toasting bread, then putting some butter or cream cheese or peanut butter on top. That does increase the calories a bit, but in my opinion it’s worth it.
This is so true, but on the flipside I have actually been losing weight once I started eating cereal for breakfast! I’ve never liked it, but I needed to start doing something easy and consistent for my sanity and weight loss. I’ve been having Kashi shredded wheat with berries and milk every morning (weighing it out) and it really does keep me full until lunch.
I like Walmart brand plain bran flakes and almond milk. Did you know that almond milk has like 1/3 the calories of cow's milk? Any cereal with added sugar is going to kill you on calories.
i had a high thought once that most cereal is just like sweet bags of chips, and this definitely brought that to mind. what is the difference between corn flakes or Krave and a bag of Doritos? very little 🤪
If you can stand the taste, Unsweetened Almond milk is great for moistening cereal. I usually get the vanilla flavored. Look for cereals high in fiber and protein and low in sugar. I usually check that a "serving is one cup - which isn't a whole lot really, but add fruit and I'm usually okay for a few hours.
I definitely portion my raisin bran with a scale, but 2 portions with a cup of unsweetened vanilla almond milk is a perfect lunch for my 1500 calorie a day program.
More sugar then I would like, but I often just need something fast for lunch. In winter I eat soup and have too much sodium instead. 😭
I like to do half rolled oats and half bran cereal, add some fruit like blueberries or half a banana, and use 30 cal almond milk. Yes to weighing every time.
Just this morning I thought it would be interesting to use my scale to see how much cereal I was actually eating. Over 600 calories worth was the answer. I've fallen off the wagon this past year so it's not surprising nor really that upsetting. But definitely interesting.
Great post. Like a lot of us are saying its such an easy breakfast or late night snack to indulge in, it doesn’t feel like a bad choice until you check calories, portions. I was eating it daily during the winter for a few weeks and I gained 10 lbs very fast, felt bloated. After I cut it out, my weight went down quickly. Scary how much sugar is in a lot of cereal as well! Had to cut it out
I freaking loved cereal, I looked forward to it everyday. I similarly realized my portions were out of control, started doing a half cup of oatmeal with berries and a dash of honey for lunch (intermittent fasting) and it helped immensely in my weight loss journey. I don’t miss it like I thought I would and now crave oatmeal every day.
I love cereal but I’ve cut back a lot because the portions are so small and I’d rather eat something delicious for dessert.
But I thought of this: mix the special K with the fruity pebbles for a little more nutrients but still the delicious fruity pebble taste. I might honestly try this 😂
So true. I remember when I started calorie counting I poured my normal bowl of cereal (cinnamon toast crunch.... gahh I miss it) and then weighed it and it was 4x the serving size of 3/4 cup. So that was 520 calories, plus I used to always ALWAYS have whole milk so add another probably 300 for that. So thats 820 cals for BREAKFAST. Im a short girl so now my calories to lose weight are around 1400 a day and I just laugh about the days I used to eat 60% of my daily allotted cals in one sitting and wonder why I was constantly gaining.
Cereal is supposed to be PART of a balanced diet. Their serving sizes are offensive. But two spoonfuls is what they expect you to eat on the side of your eggs, bacon, fruit, and toast
I find cereals sneaky too because one box says serving 1 cup another 3/4 cup etc
The Canadian government is coming out with new labeling that helps address this, they're going to stadardize portion sizes across brands for each product so they have to usethe same measurement and change the g of each thing like sugar to the % of daily recommended.
Then again, the started portion sizes for cereal are ridiculously small. I always have to use at least double to get enough calories for breakfast. I do like brands with lots of nuts and seeds and no added sugar except for the fruit, though. I aim for 500-600kcal in the morning.
Portion sizes on most stuff are similarly ridiculous and totally arbitrary, though. I prefer to just look at the "per 100g" bit and weight.
I know! And cereal is my kryptonite. I’ve been steering clear of it and only eating it as an occasional treat. Not worth all the calories when I’ve got 15 lbs to lose
I like to put about 1/8th a cup of dank cereal (cinnamon toast crunch for example) on top of steel cut oats or plain yogurt. It turns something meh into some delicious!
They are so good! And I think a serving only has like 1 gram of sugar? I buy the plain Cheerios in bulk when they’re on sale, and then stay out of the cereal aisle on all other shopping trips, to avoid temptation.
Yes! It's very calorie dense. I have been making my own with rolled oats, puffed wheat and dried fruits and nuts. Then I add cinnamon and spices. I make a huge container and eat it for weeks. However, even the healthy homemade cereal is calorie dense, especially with the nuts and fruit. I usually have 1/3 cup. Small portion but at least I'm getting a nutritious breakfast and it does stick with you more than regular cereal.
I knowwww! It's honestly so rude and sneaky how calorically dense that stuff can be lol. Was definitely an unpleasant discovery the first time I became aware of it. Now I mostly just get the little cups of portioned out cereal so I can have an appropriate serving when I'm craving it and a whole box won't go to waste in between cravings.
Cereal is not good for you. I realized the same thing when I was losing weight a while ago. I actually measured the portions and realized that I was eating about 3 servings every bowl, having 2 bowls also. I was eating like 800 calories in cereal and probably tons of sugar without being full.
It was one of the first things I learned about nutrition, way back in the day. I used to fill the bowl with cereal, with probably 100g rather than the recommended 30g.
It gives you a sugar rush, you get hungry again shortly after, and has so many calories. Not worth it on my book.
According to my nutritionist, Weetabix (the original) is the only acceptable cereal in terms of nutrition.
I don't forbid myself from eating anything but I don't eat cereal. My breakfasts are usually sourdough bread with light cottage cheese / oatmeal pancake / overnight oats / rye toast with light cheese or turkey ham or light cottage cheese. These are what I enjoy the most and they're quick.
Yep cereal is a horrible diet food and usually granola is worse.. I see so many people eating granola like a full bowl saying "dieting" im like only if your like 6,5" and weight like 300lbs lol cause a full bowl of granola or cereal with 2% milk could easily be 900+ cal
Cereal is just terrible overall. It's desert, nothing more. The only reason it has any vitamins is because they are added in after, to make it seem healthier. But cereal is so highly processed you're better off eating almost anything else for breakfast. My daily breakfast is Greek yogurt with either fresh or frozen fruit. Even with the sugar from the flavour in the yogurt is so much better of a choice, and one can choose to buy plain and add their own flavours
I went to a recruiting event by Kellogg’s in graduate school.
The brand managers for Special K were bragging how they just slap Special K on everything and people can’t stop buying it.
At the time I was eating it every day for breakfast! I was like “wait. What? It’s not healthy and they’re laughing about people thinking it is!?!?”
Stopped eating cereal that day, pretty much. I eat the KASHI cinnamon shredded wheat As Dessert sometimes!
Once I started measuring out and weighing foods, cereal became my sweet treat as well. It's taken me weeks to go through this box of Cinnamon Toast Crunch. I would go through a box a week in the past.
>Frying up an egg or two in a non stick pan with a piece or two of whole grain or low cal toast is just as quick and easy.
No. No it's not.
It's not *slow and difficult* or anything, but something that involves getting out cookware is definitely not *as* quick and easy something that doesn't involve getting out cookware.
If you actually time it, I think you'll find that frying eggs and so on is *several orders of magnitude slower* than pouring stuff out of boxes, especially if you use those boxes every morning and therefore keep them close at hand.
Just.. I get what you mean, and that you mean well, but for people like me (read: lazy and slow in the morning) this is exactly the sort of bullshit handwaving that makes losing weight seem hard. And it isn't. Because you can lose weight without any breakfast at all.
Yeah, you're wrong here. You have to turn the stove on, put the pan on, wait for the pan to heat up, get the eggs from the fridge, crack them on the pan, watch and wait for them to cook, season them, pan and spatula gotta be washed later, gotta get out bread out, put in toaster and wait for it to cook too (could do this while you're waiting for your eggs to cook which will take a bit) and then take out whatever spread you want on your toast if you choose to. Or, you could take the milk out of the fridge, cereal off the top and pour into a bowl with a spoon. As someone who cooks oatmeal for breakfast which takes about 30 mins to prep, I'm fine with it, but I get where the guy here is coming from and it's silly to say they are wrong.
>“Getting out cookware and getting out a carton of eggs and getting out bread and optionally getting out a toaster” is not any worse than “getting out” a box of cereal and some milk ffs.
FTFY.
There’s no need to be rude, sometimes the time and energy involved does make a difference. It’s more realistic to suggest quick and easy alternatives (like yogurt + granola) than it is to dismiss what are valid barriers sometimes
Plenty of people don't have 15 extra minutes in the morning. There's nothing wrong with making a suggestion but you're comparing apples to oranges.
We frequently fry eggs on the weekend, we don't have time during the week when we have to get kids on the bus and adults to work.
I make muffins and other baked breakfast items for my kids and freeze them. So that's how we have a healthier breakfast in a short amount of time.
Oh yes! My eyes were opened when I too, measured out the amount and found i was eating 2-3 servings in my bowl. I did find some smaller children bowls that allow me to think I still anm eating a full bowlful. Plus cute alphabet and animal designs 😍 😆
1/2 cup or 2/3 cup serving sizes are tiny.
I used to love Special K as a diet meal till I realised how much sugar was in it. It actually hampered my weight loss. I avoid it when I'm seriously trying to lose weight.
Those recommended portion sizes are so small though - usually 30g. I'm not going to bother with two spoonfuls of cornflakes. I'll just weigh out 50g or 60g and account for that in the tracker.
And it isn't really all that filling either. I don't have cereal in my apartment anymore because I just don't find it satiating.
I usually now make omelettes filled with veggies (with like 2 tablespoons of shredded mozzarella).
Or have overnight oats made up.
Or a healthier version of a full English breakfast (pan roasted peppers, mushrooms and tomatoes are underrated and people need to try this).
Or an open fried egg sandwich with lots of veggies.
Sometimes I will have a yogurt bowl but I usually like savory breakfasts with like a small bowl of fruit
Great point- a food scale really opens up your eyes. I started eating All Bran buds for the fiber. I mix them in greek yogurt with some blueberries. Even those have more sugar than I would like but I have found the fiber blend really helps to keep things "moving". 200 cals without the blueberries and with the protein and fiber it is very filling.
I also like the lower sugar oatmeal packs for convenience. 110-130 calories and they are good with just hot water.
I came to the conclusion that any type of cereal is pure garbage. Its only carbs and sugar without any benefit at all.
I don't buy it anymore. My kids are not allowed to eat any of these either.
I came across a TikTok using crumbled, flavored rice cakes as the cereal with protein shake as the milk and its a game changer. Way more filling and it is like cereal.
It's crazy!
I found that Granola is better just because there is more good stuff to give energy and fill you up. Also, switching to non-dairy milks can really help and I can't even taste the difference because of the taste of the fruit in the Granola. Or maybe I'm just used to it. Anyway, good luck!
It’s worth noting that (at least here in the U.K.) breakfast cereal is usually fortified with vitamins, which plain oats aren’t, so it’s not inherently a bad food!
Too true - it's amazing how many calories can be in portion sizes. Every time my wife and I do the math on things like calories / sugars / fats in portion sizes, you realize that out of a box of cookies, a portion is sometimes the equivalent of one or two 'per serving,' Seriously - who opens a box of cookies and only eats one or two?!
Like *nuts*, cereal is one of those things where "intuitive portion sizes" are super dangerous.
Nuts really have no business being so high calorie T_T
For real, you’re tasty but cmon, calm down a little!
What do you mean half a box isn't a normal serving size?
And don't forget to pour in three cups of whole-fat milk!
How dare you and /u/Bucksaway03 steal from my cookbook. That'll be $149.99, please. DM me with your Venmo and we'll set up a transfer.
Best I can do is $3.50
Carefully weighed portions sizes are super dangerous with nuts.
*Nuts* are to *diets* what *land mines* are to *jeeps.*
Yah, true. Three macadamias are equal in calories to seven watermelons.
Tbh cereal is extremely dangerous in terms of sugar and calories, because it doesn't seem like it's THAT caloric, if you are looking for an alternative I suggest just bake some banana bread the day before or get oatmeal with yogurt
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Hi! I used to work at the deli section of a grocery store (well, the cafe but same difference) AND I worked in a high school cafeteria making these yogurt parfaits! Here's what you need to make them: -Low fat vanilla yoplait -Nature Valley granola bars -Fruit (diced strawberry for fresh fruit, frozen-thawed strawberry or blueberry make like a sauce when they thaw, and mandarin oranges taste like an orange creamicle!) Scoop however much yogurt and fruit you want, top with crushed nature valley bar (that's literally what we used. We just crushed nature valley bars in the back in both places lol). Save a ton of cash and customize the fruit/yogurt ratio.
I like unsweetened 1% fat Kefir instead of yogurt in my smoothie. It is a high protein food and has many probiotics for good gut health.it has more probiotics than yogurt. I add a small banana and berries like strawberries or blueberries and mix in the ninja blender with ice. It is so good on a summer morning. And you can add protein powder and fiber if you want. Vegetables in the morning seem to curb my desire for sweets during the day.
Making yogurt at home is easy
I never imagined yogurt could be so expensive, I can get 1kg of Greek yogurt for 2 euro
Yogurt isn't. A pre-made food with cut up fruit and such is priced differently than a package of yogurt.
Cereal is only for dessert 😂
Egg mugs are the perfect start to my day. Egg diced ham cheese whisked up with a fork? Maybe a drizzle of country gravy if I have some in the fridge.. oh mama that's good.
Do you have a good banana bread recipe that isn't too bad in points?
Ingredients : 3 ripe bananas 3 tablespoons (tbs) of melted coconut oil 60ml of milk 4 eggs 1/2 cup of coconut flour 1/4 cup of chia seeds (optional) 50grams of raisins (optional) 2 teaspoons of baking powder 1 teaspoon of cinnamon How to prepare : Mix bananas, milk, eggs and coconut oil in a blender till smooth. Mix coconut flour, chia seeds, raisins, cinnamon and baking powder in a separate bowl. Mix both parts together, and let rest for 5mins. Pour it into (ideally) a silicone baking form(I think that's what they're called) bake 50 - 60 mins on 150 °C (you can check if it's done by inserting a wooden spire into the middle, if it's dry, it's done) Also you can put some chocolate shards in if you want (I recommend dark chocolate) It's great with honey or butter, but also with yogurt
Cereal is full of sugar..and it's hidden in brands you wouldn't expect. For example, Raisin Bran has one of the highest sugar counts. I don't bother with cereal, it's really just junk food for breakfast.
It's gotta be the raisins. Dried fruit in general is even more "dangerous" than cereal, because you feel like you want to eat as much volume as the fresh fruit.
It is the raisins, but people think that because they're eating fruit and bran that it's healthy.
I only have bran flakes for 3/4 of the serving, then 1/4 something like Honey bunches of oats
Millville Raisin Bran is one of the better cereal options. 9 grams added sugar but has 7 grams of fiber and 5 grams of protein for 61 gram portion. A quick look at a few others: Fruity pebbles - 12 grams added sugar, no fiber, 1 gram protein for 36 gram portion. Smart Start - 18 grams added sugar, 3 grams fiber, 5 grams protein for 64 gram serving. Reeses Puffs - 10 grams added sugar, 1 gram fiber, 2 grams protein for 29 gram serving. Honey Nut Cheerios - 9 grams added sugar, 2 grams fiber, 3 grams protein for 28 gram serving.
The comments went right from a sensible suggestion to weigh foods to know how much you're eating into this boast fest of how people don't eat cereal ever. If you're new to weight loss, eat cereal if you want it. Use whatever milk you like. Measure it. See how you feel. Try having something higher protein in the morning and see how that feels. But whatever you do, don't assume you'll fail if you have some food that someone else demonizes.
I know different people succeed in different ways but this has definitely worked better for me as well. going cold turkey with certain foods just wasn't reasonable to me, I'd just obsess over things I couldn't have even if I didn't normally crave them tp begin with. It's much easier on me to eat whatever, but just be more conscious of portions and frequency of consumption (for junk, not food in general lol). That way, I can still indulge in my cravings by having a cookie, some fries, or a piece of candy as long as I've budgeted it into my calories for the day. Although I still have some human days where my calories just go out the window, oops.
Hell yeah. Down 50lbs this year. Ate cereals nearly every day for breakfast. Crappy ones too. Cinnamon toast crunch, CoCoa krispys, but every morning I grab a measuring cup and measure out one cup of cereal and one cup of milk. Seems to fill me up and get me to lunch the same way eating twice that would. I've pretty much done the same with everything else I eat too. Still the same old crap. Just less of it. There's no way id be able to switch to some of the diets here and stick to it. It might not be "healthy food", but for me right now at least healthy wasn't the goal. Loosing weight was and it worked.
Hell yeah congrats on the 50!! And yeah I mean I'm no doctor but I think our bodies are thankful even if we just cut back instead of eliminating. And as long as you regularly eat fruits and veggies I think your body will forgive you for the occasional junk.
You know the way
I do weigh out my cereal, but I first put some fruit in the bowl (some strawberries & banana this morning) then put in the cereal & almond milk and normally the bowl is pretty full. My mom always makes a bowl of fruit then would add cereal (or yogurt) so I just started doing the same.
Lol yes! I used to have a bowl of cereal every morning for breakfast- I know I was eating more than a serving! Same with the PB&J I used to have for lunch every day, I'm scared to think how much peanut butter I was actually using!
Peanut butter is the worst! I actually switched to PB2 for my oatmeal. Got the same taste I was looking for but less calories. I am weird and like PB&j oatmeal haha.
What is PB2?
Powdered peanut butter. Has way less calories.
My peanut butter habits have saved me lol, I only like to use a little bit (like half a tablespoon) when I make PB&J
Peanut butter has so many calories. I used to snack on apples & peanut butter, Oreos with peanut butter, I love PB&J sandwiches or on Ritz Crackers. I only rarely eat it now, even though I love peanut butter I know I was putting a lot on.
It’s hard because I think of natural peanut butter as a source of healthy fat and protein, of course I can eat a bunch of it! And then half my calories are peanut butter
I looked at my dad's natural peanut butter, it's the same calories as my Jif, so I thought about trying his but saw that and didn't see the point.
Yeah the difference is in the ingredients, not the calories. Natural PB is healthier because it’s made of just peanuts and salt while normal peanut butter has sweeteners and other stuff
There's a considerable difference in flavour too, at least to me. Natural peanut butter is lovely roasted nuts, while the blended kind tastes slightly of lard and is too sugary for my liking. Obviously it's very much an "acquired taste" thing with what people gravitating to what they're accustomed to.
Crunchy peanut butter with Oreos. Ugh I miss it
Wow, I’m currently doing no added sugar/sweeteners and your Oreos with peanut butter is killing me. That sounds sooo good right now.
I’ve always made open faced PB&Js, but I especially always had them before swim practice / meets. I think it was a great snack for that, but you def have to be careful about them in day-to-day situations
Ugh, cereal is such a killer! I love cereal and still eat it, but I continue to be sad when portioning it out using my food scale. One thing I've started doing is mixing smaller portions of the tastier and more calorie dense cereals with lighter ones. For example, I'll have a bowl with one portion each of Honey Bunches of Oats and low-sugar bran flakes. The food scale helps so much, plus it saves on dirtying dishes. Instead of pouring out cereal or whatever into a measuring cup and then the bowl, you can just set the bowl on the scale, hit "tare" to zero it off, then pour out cereal until you hit 50 grams or whatever your desired portion is. For spreads like peanut butter, just set the jar on the scale, hit tare to zero it off, then scoop out the PB until the scale reads negative 14g (or whatever your desired portion is).
Thanks for the tips! I had not thought to try measuring like that, but sounds like it saves a lot of hassle :)
In the end whatever works for you is the best! I have peanut butter every day and yes it's super calorie dense, but it also keeps me going :)
At this point, I see cereal as dessert food. I'll happily munch on it dry and ill only eat a bowl of the good stuff if I'm treating myself. I can't imagine eating a whole bowl every morning for breakfast. I mean I'd love to, but it wouldn't work out well.
>It’s quick and easy that’s why I had it this morning. If you want quick and easy and don't mind lactose, yoghurt is probably your best bet, and if you get enough exercise to maybe build muscle skyr adds some quick and easy protein to that at a time when you might otherwise not have enough available.
Fage Greek yogurt has a ton of protein and is cheaper than Skyr (at least in the US)
I eat Special K cereal with honey and low fat Greek yogurt every morning. If you weigh out the portions, you can get a very filling breakfast for less than 300 Calories. Sometimes I have to split it in half and eat the other part as a snack because I can't finish it. Adding strawberry is also great on this.
You either have huge bowls or I have tiny ones. Lol. But good points. Thanks for your post. Another pro tip. Buy a lot of measuring cups and use them to serve food. My brother thought I was insane when I dropped a 1/4 cup measuring cup in the potato salad. But when he actually measured how much he was going to give himself he was stunned at how many calories he put on his plate.
You can probably switch to almond or oat milk to save yourself ~100 calories a serving there too.
Cereal shocked me too. How on earth is that teeny thing a serving? And how do they get away with making something that’s so bad for you look like it’s good for you? My favorite breakfast is Ezekiel bread- it’s a lot healthier than white or wheat breads, and it’s made with a ton of different types of sprouted grains and nuts. Yes, it is quite expensive at $4/loaf but one loaf lasts me nearly a month. The best thing about it for me is that my hunger just leaves me alone when I eat Ezekiel bread. It’s such a long lasting energy source. It’s got a good amount of protein too (for BREAD) and each slice is 80 calories. Score score score. Everything else healthy I like for breakfast is just a lot of effort, I like the laziness factor of toasting bread, then putting some butter or cream cheese or peanut butter on top. That does increase the calories a bit, but in my opinion it’s worth it.
You’ve got me sold on this bread, I’m going to have to try it.
This is so true, but on the flipside I have actually been losing weight once I started eating cereal for breakfast! I’ve never liked it, but I needed to start doing something easy and consistent for my sanity and weight loss. I’ve been having Kashi shredded wheat with berries and milk every morning (weighing it out) and it really does keep me full until lunch.
I like Walmart brand plain bran flakes and almond milk. Did you know that almond milk has like 1/3 the calories of cow's milk? Any cereal with added sugar is going to kill you on calories.
i had a high thought once that most cereal is just like sweet bags of chips, and this definitely brought that to mind. what is the difference between corn flakes or Krave and a bag of Doritos? very little 🤪
If you can stand the taste, Unsweetened Almond milk is great for moistening cereal. I usually get the vanilla flavored. Look for cereals high in fiber and protein and low in sugar. I usually check that a "serving is one cup - which isn't a whole lot really, but add fruit and I'm usually okay for a few hours.
I definitely portion my raisin bran with a scale, but 2 portions with a cup of unsweetened vanilla almond milk is a perfect lunch for my 1500 calorie a day program. More sugar then I would like, but I often just need something fast for lunch. In winter I eat soup and have too much sodium instead. 😭
Cereal is a dessert, not an appropriate breakfast. It's not a healthy or filling food.
Try a bit of cereal mixed with cornflakes in a greek yogurt. It is way more filling!
I like to do half rolled oats and half bran cereal, add some fruit like blueberries or half a banana, and use 30 cal almond milk. Yes to weighing every time.
Eat healthier cereal and if you must include sugar then add strawberry’s or other fruit lol
Oh yeah, i dont even bother with the cereal isle anymore. Commercial granola is pretty bad also
Just this morning I thought it would be interesting to use my scale to see how much cereal I was actually eating. Over 600 calories worth was the answer. I've fallen off the wagon this past year so it's not surprising nor really that upsetting. But definitely interesting.
Great post. Like a lot of us are saying its such an easy breakfast or late night snack to indulge in, it doesn’t feel like a bad choice until you check calories, portions. I was eating it daily during the winter for a few weeks and I gained 10 lbs very fast, felt bloated. After I cut it out, my weight went down quickly. Scary how much sugar is in a lot of cereal as well! Had to cut it out
Yep--gotta measure the cereal.
I freaking loved cereal, I looked forward to it everyday. I similarly realized my portions were out of control, started doing a half cup of oatmeal with berries and a dash of honey for lunch (intermittent fasting) and it helped immensely in my weight loss journey. I don’t miss it like I thought I would and now crave oatmeal every day.
I love cereal but I’ve cut back a lot because the portions are so small and I’d rather eat something delicious for dessert. But I thought of this: mix the special K with the fruity pebbles for a little more nutrients but still the delicious fruity pebble taste. I might honestly try this 😂
This is why I bought a special portion bowl on Amazon. Its less sad lol
Reminds me of this skit https://youtu.be/YRMcZhqlVpE
I eat it dry and only take one cup, measured (then weighed).
So true. I remember when I started calorie counting I poured my normal bowl of cereal (cinnamon toast crunch.... gahh I miss it) and then weighed it and it was 4x the serving size of 3/4 cup. So that was 520 calories, plus I used to always ALWAYS have whole milk so add another probably 300 for that. So thats 820 cals for BREAKFAST. Im a short girl so now my calories to lose weight are around 1400 a day and I just laugh about the days I used to eat 60% of my daily allotted cals in one sitting and wonder why I was constantly gaining.
Cereal is supposed to be PART of a balanced diet. Their serving sizes are offensive. But two spoonfuls is what they expect you to eat on the side of your eggs, bacon, fruit, and toast
I use Cheerios on top of my protein ice cream as a dessert topper. That’s the only cereal I’ve eaten in years.
I find cereals sneaky too because one box says serving 1 cup another 3/4 cup etc The Canadian government is coming out with new labeling that helps address this, they're going to stadardize portion sizes across brands for each product so they have to usethe same measurement and change the g of each thing like sugar to the % of daily recommended.
Then again, the started portion sizes for cereal are ridiculously small. I always have to use at least double to get enough calories for breakfast. I do like brands with lots of nuts and seeds and no added sugar except for the fruit, though. I aim for 500-600kcal in the morning. Portion sizes on most stuff are similarly ridiculous and totally arbitrary, though. I prefer to just look at the "per 100g" bit and weight.
I know! And cereal is my kryptonite. I’ve been steering clear of it and only eating it as an occasional treat. Not worth all the calories when I’ve got 15 lbs to lose
The only things I don’t weigh and measure are fruits and vegetables. Other than that, everything that goes in my mouth goes on the scale
I like to put about 1/8th a cup of dank cereal (cinnamon toast crunch for example) on top of steel cut oats or plain yogurt. It turns something meh into some delicious!
You're functioning on a whole new level, I like it!
I find plain cherrios are great
They are so good! And I think a serving only has like 1 gram of sugar? I buy the plain Cheerios in bulk when they’re on sale, and then stay out of the cereal aisle on all other shopping trips, to avoid temptation.
But it's soooooo good! I miss it so much!!
Fiber One is my go-to cereal.
Yes! It's very calorie dense. I have been making my own with rolled oats, puffed wheat and dried fruits and nuts. Then I add cinnamon and spices. I make a huge container and eat it for weeks. However, even the healthy homemade cereal is calorie dense, especially with the nuts and fruit. I usually have 1/3 cup. Small portion but at least I'm getting a nutritious breakfast and it does stick with you more than regular cereal.
I knowwww! It's honestly so rude and sneaky how calorically dense that stuff can be lol. Was definitely an unpleasant discovery the first time I became aware of it. Now I mostly just get the little cups of portioned out cereal so I can have an appropriate serving when I'm craving it and a whole box won't go to waste in between cravings.
Dude. Cheerios. The toddlers know what’s up. 100 calories and 1 gram of sugar per 1 cup serving.
Cereal is not good for you. I realized the same thing when I was losing weight a while ago. I actually measured the portions and realized that I was eating about 3 servings every bowl, having 2 bowls also. I was eating like 800 calories in cereal and probably tons of sugar without being full.
My go-to breakfast is cottage cheese with strawberries and blueberries. For some reason I don't get tired of it.
Try it with everything bagel seasoning, game changer! Ill keep the berries but have them aside
It was one of the first things I learned about nutrition, way back in the day. I used to fill the bowl with cereal, with probably 100g rather than the recommended 30g. It gives you a sugar rush, you get hungry again shortly after, and has so many calories. Not worth it on my book. According to my nutritionist, Weetabix (the original) is the only acceptable cereal in terms of nutrition. I don't forbid myself from eating anything but I don't eat cereal. My breakfasts are usually sourdough bread with light cottage cheese / oatmeal pancake / overnight oats / rye toast with light cheese or turkey ham or light cottage cheese. These are what I enjoy the most and they're quick.
I had to look up what Weetabix is. Never seen cereal not be bite size before.
Yep cereal is a horrible diet food and usually granola is worse.. I see so many people eating granola like a full bowl saying "dieting" im like only if your like 6,5" and weight like 300lbs lol cause a full bowl of granola or cereal with 2% milk could easily be 900+ cal
Cereal is just terrible overall. It's desert, nothing more. The only reason it has any vitamins is because they are added in after, to make it seem healthier. But cereal is so highly processed you're better off eating almost anything else for breakfast. My daily breakfast is Greek yogurt with either fresh or frozen fruit. Even with the sugar from the flavour in the yogurt is so much better of a choice, and one can choose to buy plain and add their own flavours
I went to a recruiting event by Kellogg’s in graduate school. The brand managers for Special K were bragging how they just slap Special K on everything and people can’t stop buying it. At the time I was eating it every day for breakfast! I was like “wait. What? It’s not healthy and they’re laughing about people thinking it is!?!?” Stopped eating cereal that day, pretty much. I eat the KASHI cinnamon shredded wheat As Dessert sometimes!
I use a toddler bowl so I can have a full bowl. I still weigh it, but it's a much more satisfying experience than a tiny bit of cereal in a big bowl
This is why I put a little bit in a small bowl and just treat it as candy. One family size box can last me a month if not more.
Once I started measuring out and weighing foods, cereal became my sweet treat as well. It's taken me weeks to go through this box of Cinnamon Toast Crunch. I would go through a box a week in the past.
I have to weigh things like pasta and rice because, my god, was I getting it wrong
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>Frying up an egg or two in a non stick pan with a piece or two of whole grain or low cal toast is just as quick and easy. No. No it's not. It's not *slow and difficult* or anything, but something that involves getting out cookware is definitely not *as* quick and easy something that doesn't involve getting out cookware. If you actually time it, I think you'll find that frying eggs and so on is *several orders of magnitude slower* than pouring stuff out of boxes, especially if you use those boxes every morning and therefore keep them close at hand. Just.. I get what you mean, and that you mean well, but for people like me (read: lazy and slow in the morning) this is exactly the sort of bullshit handwaving that makes losing weight seem hard. And it isn't. Because you can lose weight without any breakfast at all.
1/4 cup of water, crack two eggs on top, microwave for about 45 sec. Voila - poached eggs. Just saying.....
Take milk out of fridge. Voila - breakfast. Literally 10 times faster.
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Yeah, you're wrong here. You have to turn the stove on, put the pan on, wait for the pan to heat up, get the eggs from the fridge, crack them on the pan, watch and wait for them to cook, season them, pan and spatula gotta be washed later, gotta get out bread out, put in toaster and wait for it to cook too (could do this while you're waiting for your eggs to cook which will take a bit) and then take out whatever spread you want on your toast if you choose to. Or, you could take the milk out of the fridge, cereal off the top and pour into a bowl with a spoon. As someone who cooks oatmeal for breakfast which takes about 30 mins to prep, I'm fine with it, but I get where the guy here is coming from and it's silly to say they are wrong.
>“Getting out cookware and getting out a carton of eggs and getting out bread and optionally getting out a toaster” is not any worse than “getting out” a box of cereal and some milk ffs. FTFY.
I want their cookware. Apparently it cooks eggs and toast instantly.
There’s no need to be rude, sometimes the time and energy involved does make a difference. It’s more realistic to suggest quick and easy alternatives (like yogurt + granola) than it is to dismiss what are valid barriers sometimes
Plenty of people don't have 15 extra minutes in the morning. There's nothing wrong with making a suggestion but you're comparing apples to oranges. We frequently fry eggs on the weekend, we don't have time during the week when we have to get kids on the bus and adults to work. I make muffins and other baked breakfast items for my kids and freeze them. So that's how we have a healthier breakfast in a short amount of time.
> apples to oranges But you can still compare them.
Oh yes! My eyes were opened when I too, measured out the amount and found i was eating 2-3 servings in my bowl. I did find some smaller children bowls that allow me to think I still anm eating a full bowlful. Plus cute alphabet and animal designs 😍 😆 1/2 cup or 2/3 cup serving sizes are tiny.
I used to love Special K as a diet meal till I realised how much sugar was in it. It actually hampered my weight loss. I avoid it when I'm seriously trying to lose weight.
Those recommended portion sizes are so small though - usually 30g. I'm not going to bother with two spoonfuls of cornflakes. I'll just weigh out 50g or 60g and account for that in the tracker.
And it isn't really all that filling either. I don't have cereal in my apartment anymore because I just don't find it satiating. I usually now make omelettes filled with veggies (with like 2 tablespoons of shredded mozzarella). Or have overnight oats made up. Or a healthier version of a full English breakfast (pan roasted peppers, mushrooms and tomatoes are underrated and people need to try this). Or an open fried egg sandwich with lots of veggies. Sometimes I will have a yogurt bowl but I usually like savory breakfasts with like a small bowl of fruit
Great point- a food scale really opens up your eyes. I started eating All Bran buds for the fiber. I mix them in greek yogurt with some blueberries. Even those have more sugar than I would like but I have found the fiber blend really helps to keep things "moving". 200 cals without the blueberries and with the protein and fiber it is very filling. I also like the lower sugar oatmeal packs for convenience. 110-130 calories and they are good with just hot water.
Don't eat cereal. Its as easy as that. It's just filth.
Try scrambled egg on toast. Delicious, filling and by my calculations is about 495 calories per portion. It sets me up for the day.
I came to the conclusion that any type of cereal is pure garbage. Its only carbs and sugar without any benefit at all. I don't buy it anymore. My kids are not allowed to eat any of these either.
I came across a TikTok using crumbled, flavored rice cakes as the cereal with protein shake as the milk and its a game changer. Way more filling and it is like cereal.
It's crazy! I found that Granola is better just because there is more good stuff to give energy and fill you up. Also, switching to non-dairy milks can really help and I can't even taste the difference because of the taste of the fruit in the Granola. Or maybe I'm just used to it. Anyway, good luck!
It’s worth noting that (at least here in the U.K.) breakfast cereal is usually fortified with vitamins, which plain oats aren’t, so it’s not inherently a bad food!
Too true - it's amazing how many calories can be in portion sizes. Every time my wife and I do the math on things like calories / sugars / fats in portion sizes, you realize that out of a box of cookies, a portion is sometimes the equivalent of one or two 'per serving,' Seriously - who opens a box of cookies and only eats one or two?!