Monday Morning: Off to work, but running a tad behind I did not have time to make my breakfast before I left the apartment, so I decided to swing by our little deli here in the building and grab something for breakfast. What I purchased is by most standards a healthy breakfast. Not to mention it cost me less than $3 and has only 380 calories, 1.5 grams of fat, has 6 grams of fiber and 10 grams of protein. Not to shabby for my first meal of the day right? WRONG!!! Here…let me share the ingredient list:
Ingredients
Whole Wheat, Rice, Sugar, Raisins, Wheat Bran, High Fructose Corn Syrup, Whole Oats, Glycerin, Brown Sugar, Corn Syrup, Salt, Barley Malt Syrup, Modified Corn Starch, Cinnamon, Honey, Natural and Artificial Flavor, Niacinamide, Reduced Iron, Malt Flavoring, Ascorbic Acid (Vitamin C), Zinc Oxide, Pyridoxine Hydrochloride (Vitamin B6), Vitamin A Palmitate, Riboflavin (Vitamin B2), Thiamin Hydrochloride (Vitamin B1), BHT (Preservative), Folic Acid, Vitamin B12 and Vitamin D.
Ingredients
Cultured Pasteurized Grade A Non-Fat Fat Milk, Blueberries, High Fructose Corn Syrup, Modified Cornstarch, Whey Protein Concentrate, Kosher Gelatin, Natural Flavor, Tricalcium Phosphate, Citric Acid, *Aspartame, Potassium Sorbate added to maintain freshness, RED #40, Vitamin A Acetate, BLUE #1, Vitamin D3.
Hmmm… so upon further review of my ingredient list I found 9 ingredients that are SUGAR and make up the 30 grams of sugar listed in the nutritional facts. Still…this is supposedly a nutritious breakfast. I ate it…enjoyed it very, very much. So seeing all of this what is it that I could have possibly eaten??? Cinnamon Toast dripping with butter??? A Bagel with cream cheese??? Nope… Kellogg’s Raisin Bran Crunch Cereal and a Yoplait Light Blueberry Yogurt. Amazing… that even items that are branded and advertised as “good food to go” or “healthy” are made up of some of the most horrible ingredients for your body. I’m sitting at my desk eating my so called healthy breakfast thinking to myself, “it’s good you didn’t go for the sausage, egg and cheese biscuit or stop by McDonald’s…” I was feeling really good about my choice until I begin reading the ingredients. Is this one meal going to kill me? No. Do I eat this way all the time? No, but for someone like myself, ANYONE REALLY, trying to lose weight and ward off a family history of diabetes and heart problems this is NOT the kind of breakfast you should be eating or even want to eat. So the moral of my little story this morning is “Failure to plan = Planning to fail.” Had I taken 10 minutes last night before I went to bed and packed some whole grain organic oatmeal (which is prep packaged and only take 2 minutes to make in the microwave) with some fresh blueberries to mix in, sweeten it with organic honey or organic blue agave and brought some Greek yogurt for my mid morning snack I would have had about the same amount of calories (possibly even saved a few), would have probably been a tad more satisfied and I would have been eating natural foods my body knows what to do with instead of filling my stomach with tasty chemically altered over processed foods that my body will break down as much as it knows how to and whatever it can’t really identify will be stored as fat.
So… given my little breakfast misadventure this morning I challenge each of you to stop and take a good look at what you are eating and putting into your body? Is it natural and whole and easy for your body to process and use, or is it all synthetic and over processed? While I know that we live in a society where processed foods are a part of our everyday life and are much easier to obtain and a lot of times cheaper, I ask you to stop and take a moment to rethink what you put in your body. Is there a better choice out there for what I’m about to eat? Ask yourself: Am I worth taking the time to make this myself from fresh, whole ingredients? YES! It will take a bit longer and it will definitely require planning and preparation, but in the end it will be soooo much better for you and over time will make you feel AWESOME. Your body will be much more healthy and energetic. I promise you that ;o)
Kellogg’s Rasin Bran Crunch 2.8 oz
Serving size: 1 container
Amount Per Serving
Calories 280
Calories from Fat 15
Amount Per Serving and/or % Daily Value*
Total Fat 1.5g (2%)
Saturated Fat 0g (0%)
Trans Fat 0g
Cholesterol 0mg (0%)
Sodium 310mg (13%)
Total Carbohydrate 67g (22%)
Dietary Fiber 6g (24%)
Sugars 30g
Protein 5g
Amount Per Serving and/or % Daily Value*
Vitamin A 15%
Vitamin C 0%
Calcium 0%
Iron 35%
Vitamin D 15%
Copper 10%
Magnesium 15%
Niacin 35%
Phosphorus 20%
Vitamin B12 35%
Vitamin B6 35%
Zinc 15%
Riboflavin 35%
Thiamin 35%
Folic Acid 35%
*Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet. Your daily values may be higher or lower based on your calorie needs.
Ingredients
Whole Wheat, Rice, Sugar, Raisins, Wheat Bran, High Fructose Corn Syrup, Whole Oats, Glycerin, Brown Sugar, Corn Syrup, Salt, Barley Malt Syrup, Modified Corn Starch, Cinnamon, Honey, Natural and Artificial Flavor, Niacinamide, Reduced Iron, Malt Flavoring, Ascorbic Acid (Vitamin C), Zinc Oxide, Pyridoxine Hydrochloride (Vitamin B6), Vitamin A Palmitate, Riboflavin (Vitamin B2), Thiamin Hydrochloride (Vitamin B1), BHT (Preservative), Folic Acid, Vitamin B12 and Vitamin D.
Yoplait Light Nonfat Yogurt blueberry 6 oz
Nutritional Info
Calories: 100
Calories from fat: 0
Total fat: 0 grams
Cholesterol: less than 5mg
Sodium: 85mg
Potassium: 250mg
Carbohydrates: 19 grams
Protein: 5 grams
Ingredients
Cultured Pasteurized Grade A Non-Fat Fat Milk, Blueberries, High Fructose Corn Syrup, Modified Cornstarch, Whey Protein Concentrate, Kosher Gelatin, Natural Flavor, Tricalcium Phosphate, Citric Acid, *Aspartame, Potassium Sorbate added to maintain freshness, RED #40, Vitamin A Acetate, BLUE #1, Vitamin D3.
