Have you ever walked down the breakfast cereal aisle in the supermarket and wondered which cereal to choose? Gone are the days when cereals were just cornflakes, oats, rice bubbles and coco pops. Now there is an endless variety of brands, flavours and combinations to choose from. Quite often we see different nutrition claims on the packets – high in fibre, low in sugar, packed with vitamins and minerals etc.

NOSHC recommends serving a variety of cereals, and usually sees settings having 3 different choices on offer. The key points to look for are ones that are high in fibre, and low in added sugars. The following table outlines the key nutrition components of common cereals (please note these are not in any order):

The NOSHC program recommends serving wheat biscuits and oats with one or two other varieties. Consider serving with reduced fat milk or yoghurt and chopped fruit. Other breakfast options include:

• Wholemeal or wholegrain toast with baked beans or spaghetti
• Pikelets or pancakes made with wholemeal flour and spread with reduced fat cream cheese and topped with chopped fruit
• Savoury or sweet muffins
• English muffins + protein rich topping such as baked beans, scrambled eggs or a slice of cheese with tomato

If you have a favourite breakfast meal and would like to share it with our community, let us know at oshc@naqld.org