Ready made cereals Vs Multigrain Porridge
Our Daily food routine begins with a breakfast. There are variety of western choices say, a bowl of cereals, a slice of toast, cup of museli and traditional foods like Idly, Dosa, Pongal along with a cup of milk, coffee or juice as breakfast. At the same time skipping breakfast is not a good idea. If we skip breakfast, we feel hungrier later in the day and ate more food at night, this may lead to metabolic changes and heart disease, also to gastro issues.
Which is a Healthy breakfast?
Before we start the comparison, let us understand what nutrients are really required for breakfast?
The qualifying nutrients are protein, fiber, vitamin A, vitamin C, vitamin D, calcium, iron, potassium and magnesium. The disqualifying nutrients are saturated fat, added sugar and sodium.
Ready made cereals/museli
Processed cereals or toast contain high levels of simple carbohydrates, which in turn converted rapidly into glucose. Museli, a combination of rolled oats and dry fruits contains high amount of concentrated sugar due to dry fruits.
These simple carbohydrates produces a short energy boost followed by an energy slump and ends in sugar craving. If you eat this type of breakfast, you will probably start to feel hungry very soon.
To eat too many carbohydrates for breakfast without enough fibre or protein is not a balance diet.
Lot of people suffer from low blood sugar levels by mid-morning. Simply because, they eat too many carbohydrates for breakfast without enough fibre or protein to balance them. Many breakfast cereals are also high in sugar and fat. Eating a bowl of cereal is as unhealthy as having five chocolate chip cookies, according to recent research.
Multigrain porridge
Porridge made out of whole grains are better than highly refined breakfast cereals, such as cornflakes. Whole grains contains complex carbohydrates, which release their energy more slowly into the bloodstream.
Studies have shown that a breakfast that includes protein will release energy at a steady level for hours. A breakfast that contains protein as well as complex carbohydrates, beats anything else. Grains, rich in fibre when consumed as porridge helps to remove cholesterol and toxins.
A breakfast that contains protein as well as complex carbohydrates, beats anything else.
Having Oats porridge is good as it is a whole grain. But consuming Oats everyday increases purine content in body and that has a side effect of Gout (complex form of arthritis, severe joint and knee pain) over a period of time. so its advisable to consume twice or thrice a week and not more than that.
Always combination of various mix of grains enables complete nutrition. In our daily life, we consume some of the grains, not all. So a multigrain powder, where individual grain are handled properly and prepared in powder form is one of the simplest form to get better nutrition. That too with milk is calcium rich.
Conclusion
As a conclusion, multigrain porridge is far better than ready to eat cereals. Added to that, those who ate plenty of fruit and vegetables and drank lots of water were far more likely to feel fit, healthy and happy. Mix and match various cereals and pulses to prepare the porridge mix is best way to get various nutrients.
References: NCBI, Healthline.com