According to a recent study published in Nutrition Research, positive health benefits were associated with girls who ate cereal at breakfast. Benefits included increased milk consumption, and higher nutrient intake. Researchers analyzed food diaries for close to 2,300 girls who entered the 10-year, National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute Growth and Health Study at age 9 or 10. The researchers found that cereal breakfasts:
- Provided more fiber, iron, folic acid and zinc, and less fat, sugar sodium and cholesterol compared to non-cereal breakfasts.
- Increased the girls' milk consumption. When girls had cereal at breakfast, they consumed significantly more calcium than when they ate a non-cereal breakfast.
- Were associated with increased intake of fiber and carbohydrates and decreased intake of fat across the entire day, including breakfast and non-breakfast times.
- Girls who ate cereal for breakfast on one or three days also had significantly more physical activity than girls who did not eat cereal for breakfast. The authors note that eating cereal for breakfast may be a marker for a healthy lifestyle.
Albertson AM, et al. Nutrition Research, 2008; 28: 744-752.
