Soothing, Hearty, Healthy Hot Cereals

Hot cereals are a healthy breakfast year-round, regardless of the temperature outside. “They are generally shelf stable, so they are always in season,” explains Morgan Dickison, a registered dietitian nutritionist at Weill Cornell Medicine’s Comprehensive Weight Loss Center.

When choosing a healthy hot cereal, go for one made with whole grains and avoid refined grains. “Look for one with the fewest ingredients, is high in fiber, and is low in sugar—zero sugar is best,” she says.

Oatmeal is probably the most popular hot cereal and comes in a variety of forms. “Steel cut, rolled oats, and quick oats have a similar nutrient profile, but vary in processing, resulting in needing varied cooking times,” Dickison explains.

However, oatmeal isn’t your only choice. There are many other types of healthy hot cereals on the market today. “Some common grains used for breakfast are farro, amaranth, quinoa, barley, and wheat berry,” says Dickison. “Try adding them together for a more textured and flavorful hot cereal blend.”

Nutritional Benefits

Whole-grain hot cereals contain fiber, calcium, potassium, protein, and iron. There also are organic and gluten-free options. For instance, Pocono Cream of Buckwheat is both organic and gluten‑free.

One healthy choice is Bob’s Red Mill 10 Grain hot cereal. It includes wholegrain hard red wheat, rye, triticale, oat bran, oats, corn, barley, soybeans, brown rice, millet, and flaxseed meal. It contains 150 calories per quarter cup, and has 6 grams each of fiber and protein. It has zero sodium, zero cholesterol, and just 1 gram of sugar.

Note that the calories largely come from complex carbohydrates. To balance the meal a little but also allow for longer-lasting energy and a slow rise in blood sugar, Dickison suggests adding either some peanut butter, flaxseed or chia seeds, a dollop of Greek yogurt, or some fruit.

“Peanut butter will add more unsaturated fat and protein. Ground flaxseeds and chia seeds will add substantially more fiber, as well as some protein and healthy fat, while Greek yogurt will add a significant amount of protein and is also a good source of calcium typically not found in high amounts in grains. Fruits include fiber, as well as vitamins and antioxidants.”

Shopping Tips

Dickison advises choosing a hot cereal that is as close to unprocessed as possible— organic is the best option. “And look for a package that has the whole grain as the first or near-first ingredient,” she says. For example, the first ingredient in Quaker’s Simple & Wholesome Organic Multigrain is organic whole-grain oats. The first ingredient in Bob’s Red Mill 10 Grain is whole-grain wheat.

But beware, Dickison warns: “Instant oatmeals often contain added sugar, salt, preservatives, food coloring, other additives and sometimes powdered milk. Choosing grains that are not highly processed is best because they will not include these items. Also, whole grains are always a better alternative than a refined grain.” For that reason, she says, oatmeal is a better choice than cream of wheat.

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