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It’s been said so many times it is almost a cliché. But it's definitely true - breakfast is the most important meal of the day.
Breakfast boosts your nutrient intake, improves memory and concentration and prevents you from overeating later in the day.
Cereal is a common choice, but with so many out there on the supermarket shelf, how do you know which to choose? The things to look for in a breakfast cereal are fibre, sugar, fat and sodium content. I’ve used part of the panel from a box of Sanitarium Weet-Bix as a guide and explained each section of information.
Serving Size: 30g (2 biscuits)
Per Serve
Per 100g
Energy
(kj)
444
1480
(cal)
106
354
Protein
(g)
3.6
12
Fat Total
(g)
0.4
1.3
- Saturated
(g)
0.1
0.3
Carbohydrate Total
(g)
20
67
- Sugars
(g)
0.8
2.8
Dietary Fibre
(g)
3.3
11
Sodium
(mg)
84
280
Serving Size This is an important thing to look for when deciphering nutritional information. When you are comparing cereals at the supermarket, use the per 100g column rather than per serving since the serving size may differ from brand to brand. Energy This information is important as it advises you as to how the food will affect your energy intake for the day. The recommended energy intake varies depending on your age, gender, growth and how active you are. Cereal, milk and/or yoghurt and fruit would be sufficient breakfast for most women.
Fat For good health it is recommended that you choose foods with less than 10g of fat per 100g. Most nutritional panels give information per serve and per 100g. Make sure you look at the per 100g column to check. Most cereals are low in fat, with the notable exception being some brands of muesli. It pays to check them out. Nutrition panels must include total and saturated fat. The saturated fat should be no more than one third of the figure. For example, if the total fat was 10g, the saturated content should be no more than 3g.
Fibre Fibre helps keep you regular, stabilise blood sugar levels, lower cholesterol and keeps you fuller for longer. The recommended daily intake of fibre is 30g, but most New Zealanders get less than this. Breakfast is an easy way to get a good head start on your fibre intake. Look for a minimum of 6g per 100g, but remember that more is better. Cereals such as Cocoa Pops and Cornflakes are low in fibre since they are made from refined grains. On the other hand, Weet Bix are high in fibre with 11g per 100g because of their high wholegrain content.
Carbohydrate and Sugar Cereal is a good source of carbohydrate, but what you need to watch is the sugar content. Sugar is listed as a part of the carbohydrate selection. Aim for no more than 15g of sugar per 100g. If your cereal has dried fruit in it, you can allow a higher sugar content - around 20-25g per 100g. While dried fruit adds sugar, it is a source of valuable fibre and vitamins.
Sodium Most of us get too much sodium (salt) which can lead to high blood pressure. Get a good start to your day and chose a cereal with less than 1000mg of sodium per 100g.
What you add When eating cereal, use low fat milk and/or yoghurt. Adding fruit on top is an easy way to contribute towards getting your two serves per day. Don’t counteract the low sugar content of cereals such as porridge or Weet Bix by adding lots of sugar on top!
This information will help you make the best choice and get the most nutritious start to your day.
Nicola Graham
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It’s been said so many times it is almost a cliché. But it's definitely true - breakfast is the most important meal of the day. 
Fibre helps keep you regular, stabilise blood sugar levels, lower cholesterol and keeps you fuller for longer. The recommended daily intake of fibre is 30g, but most New Zealanders get less than this. Breakfast is an easy way to get a good head start on your fibre intake. Look for a minimum of 6g per 100g, but remember that more is better. Cereals such as Cocoa Pops and Cornflakes are low in fibre since they are made from refined grains. On the other hand, Weet Bix are high in fibre with 11g per 100g because of their high wholegrain content. 
What you add