Kids cereals more than half sugar

October 2, 10:58 AMNutrition ExaminerAnnie Kay

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Consumer Reports released a report on Wednesday that found that some breakfast cereals marketed to children are more than half sugar by weight. One serving of 11 popular cereals carries as much sugar as a glazed doughnut, the consumer group found. Several brands were found to have more sugar and sodium when sold in the U.S. market compared to the same brands when sold in other countries.

What are the best cereal choices for kids? The most healthful processed brands are Cheerios with three grams of fiber per serving and one gram of sugar, Kix and Honey Nut Cheerios, all made by General Mills, and Life, made by Pepsico Inc's Quaker Oats unit.

"Be sure to read the product labels, and choose cereals that are high in fiber and low in sugar and sodium," Gayle Williams, deputy editor of Consumer Reports Health, said in a statement.

Remember to include a little fresh fruit with your cereal, and rotate a cereal breakfast with less processed healthy options like eggs, or yogurt, nuts and fruit. You can reduce the sugar load even more by using whole grains likes oatmeal.

If your kids serve their own breakfast, keep an eye on supersizing. Consumer Reports studied how 91 children aged 6 to 16 poured their cereal and found they served themselves about 50 to 65 percent more on average than the suggested serving size for three of the four tested cereals.

The full report on cereals and nutrition ratings is available in the November issue of Consumer Reports, on sale October 7, 2008 or online at www.ConsumerReportsHealth.org.