This story has been updated since it was originally posted on 05/18/2022
When it becomes chronic, inflammation can lead to serious health issues like diabetes, heart disease, cancer, and arthritis. On the short term end of things, it can also be a cause of unwanted weight gain, which is why it’s best to limit your consumption of inflammatory foods and beverages as much as possible if you’re trying to shed some pounds. Sugary foods in particular are major instigators of this issue—including sugary breakfast cereal.
To learn more about the dangers of high-sugar cereal and how it can lead to inflammation and weight gain, we asked experts Dana Hunnes, PhD, dietitian and author of Recipe For Survival, and nutritional therapist Varsha Khatri of Illuminated Health. They told us all about why processed breakfast cereal can be detrimental to your overall health and your weight loss goals—and even pointed us towards the worst culprits.
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Sugary breakfast cereal and weight gain
As easy and tasty as this morning meal can be, experts agree that sugary breakfast cereal is one of the worst foods you can put into your body, especially if you want to lose weight and avoid inflammation. This is due to its high sugar content and low nutritional value, which can lead to serious health consequences—and make it extremely difficult to lose weight.
Since high-carb, low-nutrition foods like cereal contain barely any fiber or protein, Hunnes explains that your body takes very little effort to digest them. In the process, "it barely burns any calories." For this reason, starting each day with cereal (or even eating it as a snack on a regular basis) can be detrimental to your metabolism, as well as your overall health.
The sugar content of this food is no joke, as well. When you eat highly processed sugar for breakfast, you're setting your body up for insulin spikes and inflammation—even if the box is labeled as "low-sugar," Khatri warns: "Cereals are one of the most high-sugar foods. Even cereals that are supposedly 'low-sugar' are in fact high in added sweeteners." Yikes!
In addition to being a major cause of inflammation, too much sugar in the morning will set you up for more sugar cravings later in the day. "When you start your day with anything that is high in sugar/sweetener, you are more likely to crave sugar or other sweet foods throughout the day," Khatri notes. "Which means you are more likely to snack just to maintain blood sugar levels." And we all know what too much sugar consumption will lead too: weight gain.
So, what are the worst sugary cereals out there? Hunnes points out the usual suspects: "Things like fruit loops, cocoa puffs, frosted flakes. Cereals that are made with little (if any) whole grains, and have a lot of added sugars in them," she says.
Healthier alternatives
While highly processed, sugary breakfast cereal like corn flakes should be avoided if you're trying to lose weight, there are many healthier alternatives to consider if you love this popular food. "Buy granola/muesli that has no added sugars or sweeteners," Khatri suggests. She says you can even make your own granola, which would give you full control over the ingredients you're putting into your body. Perfect!
Oatmeal is another fantastic option, Hunnes says. Adding berries, flax, chia, and nuts is a great way to spice this breakfast up. "This has a lot of healthy fiber, omega-3 fats, and protein from the various seeds," Hunnes notes. And unlike breakfast cereal, this protein-packed breakfast will take "a fair amount of work to digest and absorb," which "helps keep the metabolism higher." That sounds like a perfect weight loss breakfast—especially when compared to its sugary counterpart.
