We have all heard the statement that breakfast is the most important meal of the day. But that is true only if we eat a healthy breakfast. Since cereals are a ready-to-eat food it is probably one of the most popular breakfast choices. If we walk up and down the aisles of most grocery stores and read the labels on the boxes of cereal, we soon discover that many of them are not healthy choices. If we look at the list of ingredients we note that a majority of the cereals, such as Frosted Cheerios, Frosted Flakes, Frosted Wheaties, Count Chocula etc have been sweetened as their name implies.

The first ingredient listed in General Mill's Cocoa Puffs is sugar. About half way down the list we encounter Trisodium Phosphate, a heavy duty industrial cleaner, which General Mills says is added as a "flavor enhancer". We also see Iron Mineral Nutriments have been added and the Nutritional Facts chart indicates that a serving provides 25% of the recommended daily requirements. More about that a little later. If we read the list of ingredients in Kellogg's Smart Start, which is advertised as a "Healthy Beginnings Cereal with Antioxidants" we note that sugar is listed as the third ingredient in addition to high fructose corn syrup, molasses, honey, malt and malt flavoring. Reduced iron has been added and the Nutritional Charts states that one serving provides 100% of the daily requirements of iron.

When we see the high percentage of sugar and other sweeteners added we can begin to see why obesity is so prevalent today. The high fructose syrup is a concern because the body does not metabolize it well and in addition there is a high likelihood that it has been genetically engineered. What about the added iron that many cereal manufacturers have added? Iron is an important mineral, but the body only needs a small amount and in a normal person, the body absorbs only the amount that it needs; however about 1 out of every 200 persons in the US has a disorder, which is largely undiagnosed, called hemochomatosis or iron overload. When this disorder is present, the body absorbs all the iron that is taken in, and the portion beyond the body's requirements is stored in the organs where it is toxic and can cause such disorders as cirrhosis of the liver. People with this condition should not be consuming large amounts of iron in their diet and need treatment to remove it.

Another disturbing fact, is that a large percentage of breakfast cereals contain genetically engineered ingredients and are not labeled. According to the GREENPEACE Canada Shopper's Guide,

Cereals by the following companies are likely to contain GE ingredients: Safeway Ltd., Carriage Trade, General Mills, Kellogg's, Kraft Foods, McCains's, No Name, President's Choice, Quaker Oats Co., Weetabix and
Wheaties.

The products of the following companies are not made with GE ingredients: Arrowhead Mills, Inc., Barbara's Bakery* (some products), Bob's Red Mill Natural Foods Inc., Echo Organics, Erewhon, Golden Temple, Health Valley Co. Inc.*, (some products), Lifestream Foods, Lundberg Family Farms, Nasoya, Nature's Path Foods, Nature's Path, Prairie Sun Grains Ltd., Whole Foods Market.

The following companies are committed to removing GE ingredients, but have not completed the process: Barbara's Bakery, Health Valley Co., Inc. and Kashi Co.

If we add non-organic milk to the cereal, there is a strong likelihood that the milk contains the GE growth hormone rBGH, recombinant bovine growth hormone, which stimulates the growth of another hormone IGF-1, that causes the cows to lactate more frequently. Evidence has been accumulating that milk from cows treated with rBGH may promote cancer in humans. Buy organic milk, but boycott milk by Horizon Organic and Aurora Organic, as they are selling milk as organic, but not adhering to organic standards on their farms, where the cows have little or no access to pasture.

Have a healthy breakfast by educating yourself, so that you can know how to select healthy ingredients.