General Mills is apparently moving to cut the amount of sugar in cereals marketed to children. In an announcement Wednesday, the company said it was aiming for single-digit levels. The news prompted ChicagoNow's crack news team to investigate which cereals have the most sugar per serving. Here's the top 20. Can you pass the milk?
Weird and fun stuff from all over:
The problem with this list is it does not differentiate between fructose and sucrose; not all sugar is equal. If you've noticed most of the "sugariest" cereals on this list contain fruit like raisins and are packed with sucrose, unrefined plant sugar that is good for the body in moderate amounts (you know, like everything). You're much better off eating those than cereals packed with fructose, refined sugar that is the white, grainy powder you imagine when you think of "sugar." Since I'm guessing the point of this list is to "warn" people about sugary cereals you're actually doing them a disservice by listing cereals packed with "healthier" sugar instead of ones laced with the stuff that kids should be avoiding.
I'd like to see a list of cereals with natural sugar (agave) in them.
Urg. Disgusting! What kills me is that most of these are marketed as "healthy" or "whole grain" cereals. I haven't eaten cereals in years, thank goodness.
whenever I see Count Chocula, I say, "Smithers, Which cereal looks like me?" (Simpsons)
Matt summed it up when he pointed out that all sugars are not the same. If you ban food based on sugar content, you would not be able to eat sweet fruits and melons.
man I am so bummed out! I will never look at Cocoa puffs they same way again!
jess
www.total-anonymity.us.tc
Following up Matt's comment on about different types of sugar, I am really surprised that maple syrup, a form of sugar that is nicely balanced, is organic, vegan, and truly sustainable doesn't get more press. It's still sugar so I wouldn't go overboard but its far better in my opinion than processed sugar or artificial sweeteners.
I agree. Those cereals with raisins, dates, and cranberries are great for you on so many levels, I think. Shoppers need to take that into consideration when reading labels. Maybe manufacturers need to break down the sugars portion of their lists. Just a thought.
Totally agree. Raisins and other natural food have natural sugar and other things that are actually good for you.