Dealing with Cereals

… You can appreciate why I so enjoy the cereal aisle. I like reading the health claims on the processed cereals and wondering what marketers will dream up next. The packages are, in their weird way, fun to look at. They represent the best thinking of marketers about how to get you to eat processed cereals, to believe that they are good for you, and to insist that nothing else will do for breakfast.

Fortunately, the slotting-fee system makes it easier to find the healthier options. All you have to do is look for the worst real estate and reach high or off to the sides for the ones with the short ingredient lists, lots of fiber, and not much sugar…. If you like your cereal sweeter, you can always add your own sugar and still come out ahead. High-fiber, whole-grain cereals, with milk and fruit added, make a fine breakfast and one that is a lot more nutritious than a bagel or or roll made with processed flour, or a pastry loaded with fat and sugars.